Written by We’re very happy to announce that the expedition team is now safely back in Argentina after a very challenging month on Antarctica.
For the past week the team have been battling against the logistics of getting back to Ushuaia safely. They up against the various challenges of getting themselves and their equipment safely back to Portal Point, as yet more fierce storms were forecast and, to top things off, new Covid regulations had been introduced in Argentina which had complicated their extraction plans.
Here is Expedition Leader Paul Hart with a heartfelt update:
“Today, with great sadness, we stepped off Antarctica and on to the vessel Minerva which will carry us back to Ushuaia in Argentina.
“While we are delighted and hugely grateful to Swan Hellenic, the operators of this amazing vessel the Minerva, for coming to our assistance and helping us find passage back to Ushuaia, leaving Antarctica is a little losing part of your soul.
“Having spent 5 weeks on the white continent, this amazing and unique environment has worked its way into our hearts and souls. Despite all the battles with the weather and the terrain, it’s simply true that Antarctica is bewitching and gains a hold on you. It’s for this very reason we came down here, to do work that will help us protect and preserve this wonderful environment and, hopefully, the wider world.
“We are now on our way back to civilisation but our minds remain also rooted in Antarctica. We thank all of you who have followed us for your support, help and assistance. We hope that by following us you’ve been informed, inspired and given an insight into the journey we’ve undertaken, not just over the past weeks but also in the four years of planning and preparation it’s taken to bring us here.
“Thank you and we will continue to post information regarding our science and anything else relevant to our Antarctica experience.
“Here’s to our next Antarctic science expedition.”
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Many thanks to all of our friends, sponsors and supporters who are backing the Antarctic Quest 21 expedition, including:
NAAFI Team Army/Team Ethos Costain Group PLC BetterYou Ltd Applied Satellite Technology LtdGreencastle Consulting Klättermusen AB Fjellpulken AS Polar Latitudes Clean Planet Energy PlanetLabs.Earth LikeToBe.org LGfL Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Royal Geographical Society Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE Phil Carrotte Tim Ellis Twin Science & Robotics Verofax Limited Alpenverein Osterreich Beyond Exploration Shackleton Whisky Paul Read Martin Holland, FRGS USNAR Polar Science and Technology Program The Ulysses Trust Expedition Base Camp Anjuli Selvakumaran Elliot Brown Watches University of Plymouth Utrecht University The University of Manchester Durham University University of Tasmania Challenging Habitat AndrewSmedley PippaWhitehouse Colonel Paul John Edwards MBE The Honourable Alexandra Shackleton Lieutenant General Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE AngelaMilne Simon Ussher Nigel Marley MichielvanDenBroeke ImogenNapper Emily Whitehead Kate Retallick Claire Grogan FRGS Charlotte Braungardt
Martin Holland is an award-winning modern explorer, communicator and campaigner. He is managing the communications for the expedition, and the delivery of the educational outreach program via LikeToBe.org.