Expedition with 2041

IAE 2009 on CNN - Live from Antarctica

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:41:32 -0400

Check out 2041 and Robert Swan OBE on CNN, LIVE from Antarctica and the IAE 2009 Expedition!

The Drake Redux

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:39:00 -0400

We departed Antarctica yesterday morning for the Drake Passage. We realized how lucky we were to have such a smooth crossing on the way from Ushuaia, as we are now experiencing an average wave high of 10 meters. That is almost 20 meters from trough to crest! It is very common to see a wall of water crash against the bridge, which is located on the highest deck of the ship.

After piercing through several small (by the Russian crew’s standards) storms, we are now cruising through a sunny patch. The Drake is famous for being some of the toughest waters to sail through, as the entire Pacific and Atlantic oceans are trying to rush through a strait that is only 600 nm miles wide.

I have seen many of the amazing things that the Antarctic has to offer, and I have also see what humans have done to destroy the continent.

Current Weather
Sea State: 10 meters
Avg. Wind: 40 knots
Avg. Temp: 0 Celsius
Speed: 11.2 knots
Beufort Scale: 8

Neko Bay and Paradise Harbour

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:20:20 -0400

Early this morning, we sent a team ashore to Neko Harbour. Immediately after landing, I saw a collapsed refuge hut (formerly maintained by Argentina). The refuge camp had obviously collapsed this past winter, but it was not under regular maintenance. It was unsettling to see exorbitant amounts of human caused waste in such a pristine place. The Argentine government will be surely hearing from our team of scientists, ecologists, businessmen, and students.

Later in the day, we moved farther south and landed at Paradise Bay. The name explains everything about the place. There is no way that any word could do justice for Paradise Bay. We pulled our zodiacs up to a conveniently located research station, operated by the Argentine Antarctic Institute, and went ashore. In 1984, Almirante Brown Station was burnt down by the resident doctor who could not stand the prospect of spending the entire winter on the continent. He was later rescued by the United States Navy.

After snowing all morning, the sun finally broke through the thick clouds, and caused the day to become quite warm. We could hear and see large glaciers calving throughout the day.

Current Weather
Sea State: 1 meters
Avg. Wind: 9 knots (Currently gusting 45 knots)
Avg. Temp: 2 Celsius
Speed: Idle

Cuverville Island

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:45:18 -0400

While cruising into the island aboard our zodiacs, an enormous humpback whale surfaced directly off of the bow. We immediately stopped in order to observe the gorgeous animals, and saw several penguins playing in the water around the giant. Before we even landed, we could smell the remnants of the enormous Gentoo rookery. By now, all of the adults have left, and the only penguins that are left are the ones that will most likely become trapped in the ice that is already beginning to form at night.

Cuverville Island was named after a a French admiral by Adrian de Gerlache, whom the Gerlache Strait was named after. The island is dominated by a rocky coast and lichen covered rocks (in the summer). There is a compact glacier on the island, which provides a nice vantage point from the summit, provided you are able to hike the steep incline. Cuverville supports a compact colony of nearly 10,000 mating pairs (almost 30,000 total penguins in the summer) as well as breeding south polar and brown skuas, which feed off of the young penguins. You can also see several Wilson’s storm petrels along the rocky outcroppings of the island.

Current Weather
Sea State: 2 meters
Avg. Wind: 13 knots
Avg. Temp: - 1 Celsius
Speed: Idle

Digging In

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:27:31 -0400

The Antarctic wants you dead. It is that simple. In order to survive for even a single night in the extreme environment, you must dig your tent, and yourself into the ice. If you do not build sufficiently tall walls and dig yourself in deep enough, the catabatic winds that roll off of the glaciers and the ice may very well blow you and your tent away.

My small expedition team went ashore to explore the bay and surrounding area decided to spend the night out on the ice. Because we had seven team members for a 5-man expedition tent, which are already extremely cozy, team leader Ted and I decided to dig in just behind the tent -- we would sleep outside exposed to the Antarctic elements.

One of the most brutal parts of sleeping on the ice in the Antarctic is waking up at 0300 hrs needing to relieve yourself in extreme cold and wind. There is only one way to do it successfully - quickly! Throughout the night, a Weddell Seal slept a mere 10 yards from our shelter. At around 0415 hrs, an avalanche occurred on the glacier behind our tent, but luckily, the snow and ice fallout slid slightly to the left of our tent, and where I was sleeping.

There is nothing more amazing than waking up in your mummy sleeping bag, in full foul-weather clothing, to watch the sun rise above the mountainous peaks, and be greeted by seals and Gentoo penguins.

Wilhelmina Bay

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:06:45 -0400

Wilhelmina Bay was an unbelievable find by the expedition team for megafauna as well as smaller organisms. We were able to observe the smallest of creatures, such as Antarctic krill, to the largest, such as a trio of humpback whales. The protected bay provides and ideal location for larger animals to feed and be protected from the pounding ocean. Seabirds are also extremely prevalent, for there is an abundance of krill in the area.
Krill serve as a critical piece of many animals diet, as they are high in nutrition, and in abundance. Some animals even feed solely off of the krill, much like the baleen whales. This late in the season, the population of the small creatures is shrinking as the water is rapidly getting colder.
Not only was a trio of large humpback whales, and a trio of Minke whales spotted, but a pair of adolescent male Antarctic Fur Seals was also spotted on an ice berg. Male seals have little responsibility at this time of year as the majority of females are pregnant.
The team also observed several flotillas of penguins on top of the larger bergs. The Adélies could be seen sliding off of the ice and into the water to go hunting. The area was filled with different types of seals, so the Adélies were very cautious entering the water.

Current Weather
Sea State: 1 meter
Avg. Wind: Gusts of 40 knots
Avg. Temp: - 1 Celsius
Speed: 6 knots

The Weddell Sea

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:39:47 -0400

The Weddell Sea is central to the Shackleton story, for in 1915, his ship, the Endurance sank after it became trapped in the ice. Amazingly, none of his men died, even after living for nearly a year on nearby Elephant Island while Sir Ernest Shackleton sought help.

Upon arriving in the Weddell Sea late last night, there were a minimum of 2 seamen and 2 officers on the bridge throughout the night looking for tabular icebergs. When I went on deck at around 0600 hrs, I was greeted by enormous fast ice. Fast ice are bergs that have become grounded on the sea floor. In our case, we were exploring waters that were nearly 80 meters deep. Just as we were about to seek shelter from the harsh wind and extreme cold, several humpback whales breached off the starboard bow of the ship. It is truly amazing to watch three humpbacks playing around our vessel.

After exploring the various types of ice in the area, we made our first continental Antarctica landing. Please note that we left the United States one week ago, and this was the first time we had set foot on the seventh continent. Extreme care was taken to avoid the very dangerous Antarctic Fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), as there were three adolescent males on the beach.

Current Weather
Sea State: 3 meters
Wind: 37 Knots
Avg. Temp: - 6 Celsius
Speed: Idle

The E-Base Goes Live 365

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:04:38 -0400

According to Antarctic legendary climber and explorer (and part of the 2041 E-Base team), Alejo Contreras, todays weather at the E-Base and Bellingshausen was the best in the past several years. Visibility was nearly one mile in some spots, and the temperature was a balmy 0.8 degrees Celsius.

Today, every member of the expedition saw something truly amazing - an Antarctic base station that will run 24/7, 365 days a year, on renewable energy. We are currently operating three wind turbines, two of which are 1 kW each, who are fondly named after Olympic runners from the United Kingdom. After today, the E-Base will be fully operational year-round in the Antarctic, utilizing wind and solar technologies provided by nPower and G24.

Students from around the world will now be able to access live weather information, webcams, and other educational tools - brought to their classrooms direct from Antarctica. These technologies will face the ultimate challenge - a winter in Antarctica. They will also enable people around the globe to directly witness the effects of global warming with their own eyes.

Note: Our ship, the R/V Akademik Ioffe has also slowed to almost 7 knots using only one engine as we are now traveling at night through an iceberg field. This will reduce the damage in the event that we come in contact with a large berg.

Current Weather
Sea State: 3 meters
Avg. Wind: 34 Knots
Avg. Temp: 0.1 Celsius
Speed: 7.2 Knots

Landing at Bellingshausen Base

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:30:00 -0400

On March 18th, 2009, the IAE 2009 team landed at Bellingshausen Base (Russian Antarctic Division) on King George Island at 1745 hrs.
Both Russia and Chile operate Antarctic stations on King George Island that are in very close proximity (less than 100 meters apart). Both countries have bases on KGI because it is the northernmost land after the Antarctic Convergence. Each of these bases operate on two separate time zones, making communication very difficult. Upon landing on the sandy beach, a very small welcoming party greeted us -- a group of Gentoo penguins. Until recently, after 2041 and Sir Robert Swan led several teams to Bellingshausen to clean up nearly 1200 tons of military refuse, there were no penguins in the area.

Current Weather
Sea State: 2.5 meters
Avg. Wind: 32.5 km/h (from 297O )
Avg. Temp: 0.2 Celsius
Speed: 12.6 Knots

The Drake Passage

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:26:13 -0400

After boarding the R/V Akademik Ioffe, we departed the protected waters of the Beagle Channel around 1715 hrs. The Akademik Ioffe is an active, working Russian research vessel. In between trips to the polar regions, she is often occupied by European scientists who study various aspects of benthos composition and oceanic temperatures. It is through a special arrangement that we are able to sail aboard such an exceptionally capable ship for our expedition.
As the Beagle Channel can be very hazardous at night, an official Argentinean pilot came aboard to guide the ship through the narrow passage. The pilot departed our vessel at around 2100 hrs when we officially entered the Drake Passage.
After traveling nearly 200 nm thus far, the Drake has been extraordinarily calm. Seas are currently around 3 meters and there is a stiff crosswind blowing at around 25 knots.

Current Weather (3.17.09 @ 1900 hrs)
Sea State: Approx. 3 meter
Avg. Wind: 26 Knots
Avg. Temperature: 3 Degrees Celsius

Glaciar Martial

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:19:01 -0400

Today, we hiked the Glaciar Martial. Glaciar Martial once gouged out an entire valley, but is now, unfortunately greatly reduced in size. Glaciar Martial is the source of drinking water for inhabitants of Ushuaia. During the winter months, there is a small ski attraction at the bottom of the glacier.

Tomorrow, the eexpedition team will depart Ushuaia for Antarctica, via the Beagle Channel and then the Drake Passage.

Arrival in Ushuaia

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:40:33 -0400

After nearly 26 hours of continuous traveling, we have finally arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina. Upon arrival, we were greeted by harsh winds and chilly weather, even though the sun was out shining.

Current Weather:
6 Degrees (C)
56 km/hr Wind
71% Humidity

The Current Location

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:59:39 -0400

Current Location of Connor and the 2041 Expedition Team

Track the current location of the team’s Russian-based Ice Breaker, the MV Akademik Ioffe! Stay tuned for more information regarding Connor’s current location.

The Photo and Video Gear

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:00:09 -0500

Being one of the harshest environments on the planet, Antarctica is certainly a challenge for any photographer. In order to overcome the extreme cold, wind, and exposure challenges, one must prepare for variable conditions. Only the very best equipment will be able to survive and perform well under these circumstances.

Photographic Cameras
Nikon D300
Nikon D80

Video Camera
Sony DCR-SR300 Camcorder (40GB)

Photographic Lenses
Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR
Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 AF DX Fisheye
Nikon 14mm f/2.8 AF ED
Nikon 18-135mm f/4-5.6
Nikon 60mm f/2.8

Camera Support
Manfrotto 695 Carbon Fiber Monopod
Manfrotto 190CX PRO4 Tripod
Manfrotto 486RC2 Ball Head (Photo Head)
Manfrotto 700RC2 Fluid Head (Video Head)

The Clothing

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:46:59 -0500

Special thanks to the Darien Sport Shop for providing the expedition apparel. Check out what Connor is wearing in the Antarctic! The key to dressing warmly for such variable weather is layering. Because the weather can change so rapidly, one should wear multiple layers of different thicknesses. This way, if the weather turns for the worse, layers may be added with ease.

Base Layer
Patagonia Performance Capilene Baselayer Bottoms
and/or
Hot Chillys Fleece Bottoms

Under Armour Cold Gear Top

2nd Layer
Patagonia Performance Capilene Top

3rd Layer
North Face TKA100 Glacier Fleece

Fleece Layer
North Face Denali Fleece Vest
North Face Denali Fleece Jacket

Shell
North Face/ Gore-Tex Mountain Jacket

Pants
Marker INS Pants

Gloves
Kombi/Gore-Tex Technical Gloves

Other
North Face Fleece Hats
Tubbs Gaiters
Smart Wool Mountaineering Socks
Patagonia Glove Liners
Seirus Balaclava

Eye Protection
Oakley A-Frame Polarized Goggles
Von Zipper Polarized Kickstand Glasses

Official Team Bio

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:34:55 -0500

Check out Connor’s Official Team Biography!

The Journey

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:36:49 -0500

Flight: from New York, NY (LGA-LaGuardia) to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (USH-Ushuaia)
Depart: Fri 13-Mar-09 at 3:00 PM
Arrive: Sat 14-Mar-09 at 2:43 PM

Leg #1
Depart: New York (LGA), 13-Mar-09
Arrive: Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl.), 13-Mar-09
Aircraft: Boeing 757
Duration: 2hr 44mn
Distance: 756 mi (1,217 km)

Leg #2
Depart: Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl.), 13-Mar-09
Arrive: Buenos Aires (EZE), 14-Mar-09
Aircraft: Boeing 767
Duration: 10hr 0mn
Distance: 5,011 mi (8,064 km)

Leg #3
Depart: Buenos Aires (EZE), 14-Mar-09
Arrive: El Calafate (FTE), 14-Mar-09
Aircraft: Boeing 737-500
Duration: 3hr 13mn
Distance: 1,276 mi (2,054 km)

Leg #4
Depart: El Calafate (FTE), 14-Mar-09
Arrive: Ushuaia (USH), 14-Mar-09
Aircraft: Boeing 737-500
Duration: 1hr 25mn
Distance: 351 mi (565 km)

The Sponsors

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:56:47 -0500

We are proud to announce the following sponsors of Connor’s expedition to Antarctica:

Official Apparel and Clothing Supplier
The Darien Sport Shop
www.DarienSport.com

Official Camera Support Specialists
Manfrotto
www.Manfrotto.com

Official Foul-Weather Gear Supplier
Gill Marine
www.GillMarine.com

Official Lens Supplier
LensProToGo
www.LensProToGo.com

Official Camera Supplier
Camera Wholesalers
www.CameraWholesalers.com

The Expedition

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:53:03 -0500

On March 13th, 2009 I will depart from New York City for the Antarctica. First stop - Buenos Aires! From Buenos Aires, Argentina, we will fly to the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, via el Calafate, Argentina.
Once we have arrived in Ushuaia, after almost 24 hours of traveling, the team will begin preparations for the two-day passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. Before departing Ushuaia, we will be sure to hike the gorgeous Glaciar Martial.
On March 16th, we will board the MV Akademik Ioffe (pictured below), a Russian Antarctic cruiser. It will take two days to cross the Drake Passage, through rough seas, and high winds. As we approach the South Shetland Islands, we will head towards the Russian Base, “Bellingshausen.” The world’s first education station, the E-Base, is located in close proximity to Bellingshausen.
The team will then explore the western part of the Antarctic Peninsula. As we will be so far south, 18-20 hours of daylight is expected. There are many exciting places that we may visit including, Hannah Point, Half Moon Island, Deception Island, and Dorian Bay. Finally, on March 25th, we will depart to cross the Drake Passage one last time. Once we have rounded Cape Horn, we will steam back to Ushuaia, whereupon we will depart back to the United States.

What is 2041?

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:09:32 -0500

On March 13th, 2009, Connor Fitzpatrick will depart the United States of America on an expedition to Antarctica. The Inspire Antarctica Expedition 2009 is being organized by 2041, an organization led by Sir Robert Swan, Officer of the British Empire, that is devoted to the preservation of the Antarctic. Below is 2041’s mission:

“2041 was founded by polar explorer, environmental leader and public speaker Robert Swan, OBE; the first person in history to walk to both the North and South poles. Swan has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica by the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.
2041’s Mission
With five years to go until the third ‘World Summit for Sustainable Development’ in 2012, where the existing Kyoto Protocol for the Environment will expire, the threats of climate change has become apparent to us all, nevermore so than after Al Gore’s eye-opening ‘Inconvenient Truth’ helped clarify and focus the issue of climate change to a global audience.

It is our mission to build on this by informing, engaging and inspiring the next generation of leaders to take responsibility, to be sustainable, and to know that now is the time for action in policy development, business generation and future technologies.” www.2041.com

Downloads
Sir Robert Swan Official Biography