HMS Endurance Kayak Team Blog

13th February
Started at 0400 to check the weather and to make an early start to Bluff Cove. Set off by 0630 and headed out into yet more wind. This time it was combined with kelp which meant that as the nose of our kayaks buried themselves under the waves in front we caught the kelp on the bow slowing us to a near stop. Found ourselves constantly being blown backwards from where we had just paddled from - which was very frustrating - but we continued regardless. Made the crossing in the end and called the ship for a weather check to see if the winds were going to abate. Sure enough the wind dropped and we were able to make good progress around Bear Point and Seal Point.

Paddled for almost 12 hours in weather conditions that have been very changeable but is nothing new for the Falklands. The sea conditions have also been very challenging and on more than one occasion, we had to tighten the group so we had visibility on the less experienced members. The swell was so big at times we couldn’t always see the whole team.

Completed about 35 miles and everyone put in a good performance. Had some close encounters with a number of dolphins. One in particular was playful and came out the water fully and flipped onto its back about two metres away which was amazing. Sadly, no camera…

All members very tired. One of the guys suffered from cramps toward the end of the paddle because of lack of salts in the body but recovered quickly once ashore.

14th February
Slept like a log. Had a good 8 hours sleep and woke up at about 07:30. The view over the bay was fantastic. The sun was out and various boats were already going about their business. The waters were calm and the winds were light.

Our pick up arrives at 10:00 back to the Ship at West Harbour. We will hopefully sail today for James Ross Island. Everyone feeling very confident that we are able to achieve our aims…

15th February
It is amazing to get away and to start our journey to James Ross Island in the Erebus and Terror Gulf. The paddle from Mare Harbour to Port Stanley was excellent. A total of 50 miles was completed in three days and provided exceptional opportunities for us to test our skills in a challenging environment.

Today has been very productive. At 08:30 the majority of the team sat down round the table with key personnel and discussed ENDURANCE KAYAK - 66 SOUTH. It is likely that an aerial reconnaissance will take place on the morning of 17th February. This will include the Commanding Officer, Mike Devlin and Mark Jameson. We will identify where our base camp will be established so provisions can be dropped off later by helicopter, followed by members of the team. Reports suggest that ice concentrations to the South and North West are very large.

Attended mandatory cold weather lecture which refreshed our thoughts to the very real dangers whilst operating in Antarctica. This took most of the day and included such things as freezing and none freezing cold injuries, principles of survival, minimum kit requirements.

One of the team, James Robson may not be available which is a real disappointment to us all. After dinner, got together to discuss final ideas which was much needed. Talked about daily routines, communications, kit distribution, lessons learnt from the Falklands, first aid kits and various route plans. Everyone is feeling very upbeat about the whole expedition and more importantly we are all in agreement as to our thoughts and expectations. In 48 hours we will be asleep in our base camp wherever that may be.

17th February
We are in the vicinity of James Ross Island. However, having surveyed our intended route from the air, the circumnavigation of James Ross Island has had to be cancelled. The ice conditions are bad; some parts of the South part of the island have 10/10 ice cover. This would mean dragging the kayaks perhaps 15 – 25 miles or more in treacherous conditions to a place Endurance could not get to if we had a problem. We are now going to circumnavigate Vega Island and then cross Admiralty Sound to Seymour Island where there is a site of historic interest. The new paddle will still be very challenging as the conditions we face will be still difficult.

The Endurance Kayak team are now on Vega Island