“Bird-watching” by Jill Bowring

We started on the second day out of Cape Town after Adrian McCallum, our resident scientist from Australia, set the hours from 9-10, 2-3pm and 7-8pm for the task, and encouraged as many as possible to join in. It turned out to be quite a social activity, especially since there were practically no birds to spot. It is well known that once you have left coastal waters with the terns, cormorants and…

Ian Prickett’s first blog, written from his cabin aboard SA Agulhas: We are finally underway and heading for The Ice. What a huge relief that we are actually onboard as at times this summer, it never looked as if we were going to make it! I have only been fully involved for the last year, but what an interesting and eye-opening time it has been. My position in this expedition originally began…

I feel greatly relieved now that the expedition has set out for Antarctica. Since Mike Stroud suggested the idea to me five years ago, I have been working on it full-time and, like all the volunteers I have recruited onto the Team, unpaid. My original aim, and Mike’s, was simply to cross the Antarctic Continent on skis during the polar winter and using food/fuel depots parachuted the previous…

We sailed this morning at 08.00am Our hosts, the ship’s owners, SAMSA laid on a farewell breakfast for us. It coincided with a breakfast programme ‘Morning Live’ on television. The programme started at 05.30am and therefore so did our breakfast. In a harbour building just across the quay from the ship, a sumptuous array of delicacies was laid out on tables with exotic flowers and white linen.

“As a trustee for The Coldest Journey I have been looking forward to this day for weeks. To think that the team are now well and truly on their way to attempting this extraordinary challenge is terrifically ex…citing. I can only imagine how Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the rest of the Ice Team must be feeling right now. I think for most people the idea of what lies ahead would be simply petrifying…

Cape Town’s Table Mountain seen from the seas aboard the SA Agulhas. This morning’s departure from the South African city marks the start of the final leg of the journey to the ice. Next stop: Antarctica.