Dav Down Under...Way Down Under!
Why is it Australia gets to lay claim to "down under?" New Zealand, Argentina, and Chile are all chillin' (pun intended) more southerly on the map than ol' shrimp-on-the-barbie, which logically explains why they all have better skiing. And then there's Antarctica: truly the end of the earth. Red Bull's Chris Davenport has tamed gnarly peaks all over the world, so why wouldn't he venture to skiing's last frontier? Fortunately for us, Dav is checking in on a regular basis to tell us about what has already amounted to an epic adventure: penguin sex and all. Yep, I said penguin sex.
From Dav (November 13th, 2008):
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 able to 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 Verglas 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.
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).
Can't wait to hear more from Chris. Check out his homepage for earlier updates on skiing in Ushuaia, and boat troubles that nearly cost the entire trip.
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