Greetings From Antarctica

Greetings all from Antarctica.  I have just returned from the field after freezing my ass off up on the polar plateau for three months.  Spent the first month in the field as the medical mountaineer for a seismic group setting out instruments to map the Gamburtisev Mountain Range buried under several miles of the ice sheet.  It will be interesting to see how big the range is as I have unknowingly been walking on top of them for the past 9 years of my life!  Tried really hard to talk the guys into naming a peak after me once they get the data back...I think they said "whatever"?

I finished up the season acting as the high altitude medical officer for a plateau camp, AGAP, located at  11,300 feet on the polar plateau.  We saw pressure altitudes of 14 grand with temps averaging -34F with wind chills coming in at -46F...just another beautiful day up on the plateau.  We set up the base camp infrastructure for next seasons push to map those mountains again...we will be based out of camp with support from two Twin Otter aircraft and expecting a population of around 30...a little much, but that's the good 'ole National Science Foundation for ya!!!

We had Basler DC-3 crash this season and I was flown in from the South Pole for the rescue and recovery...luckily no one was seriously injured but the plane is toast...they are in the field trying to recover it.  Good luck fellas!

Looks like I will wrap up my season in a few weeks and head back to Colorado.  Going to stop over in New Zealand for a little surf session to unwind.  Kristin and I have about three weeks after my return before we head to Everest base camp to work at the EBC medical clinic for the climbing season.  Then, Thailand, where the sun is shining hot and we can finally climb in shorts!!  Kristin is currently in Nepal at the Khumbu Climbing School teaching wilderness/rescue courses for the climbing sherpa expected to be on Everest this season...I envy her at the moment.  Hopefully she will have a chance to send in an update soon.

Be safe and always remember, ships are safe in harbor, but that's not what they are built for.

Tayloe

Mike Tayloe is co-owner of Katabatic Consulting, providing medical service and consulting in remote locations.