From Chapter VII Tenacity and Patience- Vinson The plane rose from the ice and it was the first time we flew over Antarctica with a clear view of the landscape. Twin Otters have lots of windows and provided great views from Patriot to VBC. Amazing, I thought. We had been sitting in Patriot Hills wondering why we did not just walk the two hundred kilometers. It was clear now why the people all said we were crazy to consider it. Huge crevasses littered the landscape. The glacier looked like a soft sea of white flowing out of the great plateau down onto the frozen ocean. The peaks of the mountains barely poked through the ice, which was at least one kilometer of depth. It was impressive. Eventually the Ellsworth Range came into view and with it the largest closest peak; Vinson and her broad shoulder appeared through the opposite window. Everyone in the plane was eager to record the moment. A voice came over the cabin speakers. “We are approaching the landing zone, please take your places and fasten your seatbelts.” The contrast on the horizon was really poor and there were clouds, which was bad news for the next wave. The Twin Otter banked right, engines roared, and we began to descend. The nose was pitched upward and suddenly the black trash bags lining the runway came into view as we touched down and roared up the slopes towards the ramp. The climb could actually begin now. Well, almost…
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 05:30:32 +0000
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