Shackleton traverse

I am sitting here in the warm and comfortable Waterfront Hotel with a hot cappuccino in hand, overlooking Amundsen getting blown about on anchor in Stanley Harbour. After a rough crossing, blowing 50 knots at times, we are now back from South Georgia. Feeling very content, I now reminisce about the past voyage from my comfortable abode.

Running before 40 to 50 knots sustained on the return passage

Needless-to-say we didn’t have great weather for most of the trip; we had a few short windows where we were able to do some fantastic backcountry skiing (for me snowboarding) and luckily complete our main objective, the Shackleton Traverse.

After hearing about the infamous and other-worldly South Georgia for years as a kid with the great snowy peaks and the numerous species of wildlife it is Skip’s favorite place. This was a very special moment for my Dad and me when we first set eyes on the island coming through Bird Sound, on a classic windy, snowy South Georgia day.

A cold southerly blow

Deep reefed during the cold front

Runner block frozen in

We decided to head down to Grytviken and join Amundsen, while we waited for a good weather window for the traverse. We had two days of superb clear windless days and thought it a good time to get everyone on their skis and make sure everyone’s kit was ready and working for the upcoming expedition. Me, being the only split boarder (a snowboard that splits into two skis enabling you to walk uphill with skins in the ski randonnée fashion), I could sense everyone had their doubts. Especially Skip. Skiing as a kid I just couldn’t wrap my head around sliding down a hill facing forwards. After getting into surfing, I thought snowboarding would be a good bet, and I picked it up right away.

However, I think I did a good job of putting his mind at ease while we were in Montana last spring visiting some of his friends and doing some backcountry skiing. Even after reassuring him countless times that my gear would work, he insisted on me pulling a pulk, filled with snow, for a good few hours. As I predicted, I was fine and got up the hill way ahead of the old man without much sweat. He was satisfied. Now it was time to get some powder turns in.

I didn’t have many doubts of doing the traverse being a split boarder, but soon realized the struggle of side-hilling with soft boots on hard pack snow. On the first day in Grytviken I decided to hang back and chat to my Dad’s partner Jennifer, who was naturally a bit slower being of an older generation, when we came to our first traverse. While I was feeling chuffed thinking chivalry is not dead, all the skiers took off, being able to hold an edge on hard snow, Jennifer along with them. The next thing I knew I was lost in the dust at the back of the pack. I realized I had only split boarded in beautiful deep powder. Damn soft boots! South Georgia is definitely skier’s country.

After testing everyone’s kit, all was well. Then came the long wait for a good slot for the traverse. We slowly made our way back up the north coast to Right Whale Bay, stopping along the way to go check out a king penguin colony in the Bay of Isles. What fantastic and amusing birds these penguins are. I could sit on the beach and watch them waddle around all day.  We then spent a good few days in Right Whale Bay in a big blow. We saw 70 knots on the anemometer! Pretty exciting stuff. Probably not as exciting for the sleepless nights of the captain, Tor.

The time passed quickly though, listening to all the old sea dogs; Hamish, Jerome and Skip telling bewildering and amusing stories of the past decades spent on the island. How the times have changed. All the young bucks saying, “Darn, we were born in the wrong era!”.

Within a few days we left the horrendously windy Right Whale Bay on a spectacular morning, rounded the northern tip of the island and made our way steadily to King Haakon Bay on the south side of the island. For interest’s sake, we stopped at Cave Cove at Cape Rosa  where Shackleton and his men first landed on the island back in 1916, after their grueling journey from Elephant Island in the James Caird, a 6 meter wooden boat. As Hamish says, whenever you’re feeling sorry for yourself, just think of Shackleton. This cave was merely an indent in a rock wall. Absolutely no protection from the elements.

We then headed for Peggoty Bluff at the end of the bay to unload our kit on the beach for the traverse, right next to a big elephant seal who had not moved an inch when we landed the next morning. On the morning of departure, a beautifully lit quiet morning, I found myself slipping into old habits on the two hour WIFI session of the day on Hinge  (a dating app) preparing for a short trip to Portugal for a surf holiday in a few weeks.  I looked up at the glaciers glowing in the morning light and said to myself, “What am I doing? I’m in South Georgia! Get your head in the game!”.  And soon after off we went for the traverse.

I won’t go into too much detail about the traverse. You can read Skip’s previous blog for that. But what an experience it was! Learning winter camping techniques, waking up with Skip utilizing his pee bottle next to my head in the middle of the night, and getting a few downhill runs in the most spectacular place on earth.

Three Novak's in the tent at Anchorage Bay

After the first three days of uphill slogging came the long descent into Fortuna Bay. Skip again seemed skeptical of me on the old plank going downhill with a pulk… After watching everyone getting taken out by their pulks on the first descent I figured there had to be a better way to do this. So, I pointed my pulk down the fall line, sat down on it and poof, I was off, using my board to control my speed. I cheekily saluted my dad on the way down as he got rear-ended by his pulk. All I heard was an echo of cursing behind me and the wind blowing through my hair.

On the Fortuna Glacier, Mt Stanley behind

"Sending it" on the Fortuna Glacier

In the next few days, I would become the first person to ever complete the Shackleton Traverse by split board, and possibly the youngest. Another one of those meaningless firsts. . .

Lowerering away coming into Port Stanley

With all the adrenaline experienced on the island, I am very excited to be coming back next year in the spring as a crew member on Vinson, to experience more of the wildlife the island has to offer. As my dad says, as he has been on the island in every month of the year, “Every month has something different to offer on South Georgia”.

Luca Novak

Crew