Hi Everyone,
Thanks for checking back in.  Sorry I wasn't able to update the site more often from the bottom of the world, but communication is pricey and sparse down there, and everything has to upload through a satellite connection.

After the unfortunate cancellation of Ski Cruise 2008, I was resiliant and committed to somehow making a trip work, so we were lucky enough to find room on another boat, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov.  The Vavilov is a Finnish built, Russian operated research vessel that spends much of it's time doing hydrosonic and hydro-geographic research on the world's oceans (and apparently searching for submarines)  The boat was super comfortable and pretty ideal for activities like skiing and kayaking with it's large decks and cranes.  Check it out...                                                                                                                                                 










































Once we crossed the Drake Passage in mellow seas we had 6 days to explore the coast of the Peninsula.  Because the cruise was intended for the tourists on board, and not really planed for skiers like our Ski Cruise was, we were under the impression that we might be able to ski 2 or 3 days, or maybe 4 if we were lucky.  Well the Expedition Leader, Woody, and his crew were so accomodating and helpful that we actually skied 5 days, which was beyond our expectations and really generous of them.  The locations were The Argentine Islands, Port Lockroy, Paradise Harbour, the mainland near Cuverville Island, and Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Island chain.  Here is a shot of a sweet looking zone on the mainland near the Lemaire Channel:



































Being as it was still early in the season on the Peninsula for sailing, we were forced out of certain zones due to heavy sea ice and icebergs, and had to at times navigate through pretty dense brash ice and icebergs.  Our Captain did a great job getting the ship in position so that we could get the zodiacs in the water each day for excursions to the shore to ski, check out wildlife, or just cruise the ice shelfs.  For me one of the highlights was certainly the penguins.  They are such an amazing species of bird; they are unafraid of humans, curious, funny, and playfull.  Once could spend hours just observing there movements.  Watching them swim is pretty incredible, as they are very swift and adept in the water.  We saw three species of penguins, Gentoos, Adelies, and Chinstraps.  Here are some Gentoos doing what they do.....



































The skiing itself was pretty spectacular, if not super rad.  We concentrated on maximizing our time on shore and touring into the best zones we could find.  While my friends Kipp, Ingrid, Andrew, Robin, Glen, Thor, Kellie, and Dave (two other groups would do there thing as well) would head off in search of the goods, Jordan and I were searching for cool zones to shoot photos in.  Jordan Manley is a solid up and coming photographer from Vancouver who has had some great covers of magazines like Powder and Skiing this fall.  I was fired up to work with him and he was really creative when it came to getting interesting angles and lighting on all his shots.  Here are a couple examples of the terrain and Jordan's work....








































































So that is just a small sample of some of the great images that we got along the way.  We had a pretty easy sail back across the Drake Passage, with only about ten or twelve foot seas, not the "Drake shake" Jordan and I were secretly hoping for. Lucky for all of us it looks like the original Ski Cruise will happen in 2009 around the same dates.  Doug Stoup and his team worked for over a year to make this opportunity happen, and a lifetime ski opportunity it is.  Keep checking out www.iceaxe.tv this winter for more updates on this trip and come join me and the rest of the crew for what is truly an incredible skiing experience.  I will be back there for sure, and look forward to skiing with many of you on that trip.

Chris

Hi Everyone and thanks for checking in.  Sorry I haven't been updating the website from Antarctica.  I have just managed to get a sat email uplink going so am firing this off after a tremendous day of skiing.  All in all the trip has been incredible.  We have skied four days already and I am absolutely blown away by the immensity and scale of this place.  The beautiful combination of ocean, glaciers, and mountains makes for perhaps the must stunning environment I have ever visited (and this is my 7th and final continent).  Throw a few thousand Gentoo Penguins and the odd Weddell Seal and Humpback Whale into the mix and it is even more impressive.  The penguins themselves have been without a doubt one of the highlights of our trip.  They are so docile and unafriad of humans, and are funny to watch swim and walk.  I have captured some great videos of penguin sex! (it's mating season)  Our team has skied four days already, which is a success unto itself.  When our previous trip aboard the Orlova was cancelled, we weren't sure if we would be ableto ski on this new boat, the Vavilov, but the Expedition Leader and his staff have been very accomodating to our overflowing desires to make turns, so everything has worked out perfectly for us.  The mountains remind me quite a bit of the Alaska Range, or perhaps the Wrangalls, but with even heavier glaciation.  There are ridiculous ski lines to be had everywhere you look.  Today we climbed and skied a super steep couloir across from Cuverville Island near the Gerlach Straight (Google Earth it!) Jordan Manly and I have been shooting photos every day, whether we are on the boat or off, and he has put together quite an amazing collection of images from this trip.  His time lapses are awesome, and his use of artificial lighting in certain scenes is super creative. Jordan himself thinks it's the most photogenic zone he has ever shot.

I'm using a new Kastle ski for the first time on this trip, hot off the press in Austria, the FX 84 came to me just days before I left.  It's a superlight ski mountaineering ski with a freeride soul that has been a true pleasure to test in such an environment, so thanks to Sigi and the boys for getting those to me, they have been awesome.  I am also rocking a 09/10 Helly Hansen Verglass pant and Jacket that is my favorite outfit from those guys. Again, that arrived right before I left so thanks Mike and Oyvind for getting that into my hands. And props to Charlie at Black Diamond for the sweet new Outlaw Avalung pack.  No avalanche danger on this trip so far, but the pack is perfect for glisse alpinism.

Tonight we are leaving the Antarctica Peninsula and crossing the Bransfield Straight, headed to the South Shetland Islands for a day, before beginning the two day crossing of the Drake Passage back to Ushuaia.  Our crossing on the way down here was super mellow, which was nice for helping us get our sea legs.  But I'm secretly hoping for the "Drake Shake" on the way back, just to experience a little full force Mother Nature at work.  So I will update the site with pictures as soon as I get home to Aspen on the 18th.

The ski crew here on the Vavilov is having a blast in one of the world's most special and beautiful places.  Hellos go out to all of you from Kipp, Ingrid, Andrew, Robin, Glenn, Thor, American Dave, Rick, Stan, Kellie, Jordan, Sean, Mike, Christian, Walter and the rest of the gang here on the Vavilov.  This has been a trip of a lifetime and I definitely am looking forward to coming back next year for Ski Cruise 2009 with the Ice Axe Expeditions team (fingers crossed)

Ok, so here is the deal.  We are getting on this new boat, The Sergey Vavalov, tomorrow.  The team is fired up... the weathe rin the Drake Passage looks OK for our crossing, not as gnarly as it was going to be last week.  check out the ship below.

                                                         















And here is a photo from a sweet couloir we climbed and skied yesterday above Ushuaia!  I'm using the brand new Kastle FX 84- a special ski mountaineering ski that is super lightweight yet has the full blown performance of a true alpine ski. i'm impressed with it's performance so far in steet terrain and in deep powder and corn conditions.  I think it wil be the perfect ski for n Antarctic ski mission.

The saga and drama continues here in Ushuaia, with more ups and downs in the last 72 hours than a see-saw. This roller-coaster ride of emotional highs and lows is something none of us has ever experienced before, and this group has some hard core travelers and adventurers among it. 
When the trip was cancelled I was one of the first to come forward to the company and attempt to organize ourselves to get on another boat,a nd it appears as if it might be working.  Quark Expeditions, the company which runs the Antarctic cruises, has another boat leaving for the Peninsula on the 7th, and we are close to being confirmed on that boat, so there is hope after all.

Unfortunately the Warren Miller shoot has been caled off.  With just to many variables and tight schedules it became logistically and financially to risky to try and go forward with our planned film shoot, so cameramen Tom and Colin are heading back to the States today.  Jordan Manly (photographer) and I are still planning on going to the continent and skiing and shooting photos, along with friends Kip, Ingrid, Robin, Andrew, Thor, Dave, and Al.  So we still have a chance to salvage a great trip. 

I should know later tonight whether or not we will be officially going on this trip or coming home with our tails cut off!

Chris

OMG I can't even believe I am writing this, but our boat, the Orlova has had a major engine problem and the trip of a lifetime has just been cancelled due to the repair work needed.  There are 103 very disappointed clients walking around looking as if they are about to cry, including myself.  In my entire career I have never had such a massive letdown as this one.  This trip had the most incredible potential, the team was absolutely first class, and the destination amazing, but we have been let down by a leaky coolant pipe in the engine. 

I am at a loss for words to describe how I feel right now.  From the sponsors Kastle and Helly Hansen, to our film and photo crew from Warren Miller, to the great team at Ice Axe Expeditions that spent the last year and a half putting this together, everyone is just shattered.  I was so looking forward to sending all of you updates from the Antarctic Peninsula, but now it looks as if it might be a year away.  We'll see.

Sorry,
Chris

Just a quick update from Ushuaia.  We are having problems with the ship.  There is an issue in the engine room so we have been delayed for 48 hours.  They hope to have the problem fixed so we can get underway sailing across the Drake Passage to Antarctica.  Everyone is very anxious to get going and even a little frustrated.  We had a raging Halloween party on board last night, which served as a nice distraction from our problems with the Orlova.

I am not sure how often I will be able to update the site on board, but check back in a few days and I will try and send an update from the ship.

Chris