Almost three years after their successful trek to the South Pole, a team from The Unlimited World headed back to climb Mount Vinson and conquer a peak of their own.
“Antarctica is like a magnet,” says Iain Buchan. “After every expedition, people are keen to get out of there, but they always come back. It’s harsh, dangerous and unforgiving, but it has a raw beauty beyond description.”
And so, on December 26, 2014 Iain and four other intrepid explorers set off for southern Chile, from where they’d fly to Union Glacier, their base on the world’s coldest, driest, windiest and highest continent. The Unlimited Twin Peaks Expedition team was made up of Iain, his sons Zach and Barney Buchan, Dr Pete Berning and Ken Watt.
The Buchans work together as founder and shareholders of The Unlimited World. “People often remark how lovely it must be to work with your sons, but it’s incredible how little time we spend together in the business,” says Iain. “This was an amazing experience for us to share.”
“At work, we encourage our staff to make ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goals’, whether that be running 5km or scaling a mountain. We can’t expect that of them if we don’t do it ourselves.”
On this trip, the team aimed to climb Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, as well as another virgin peak in the Ellsworth Mountains. In preparation, the men were required to be extremely fit and completed a mountaineering course in the Italian and French Alps, learning invaluable rope skills. “At one point, we were suspended from a cliff face at the top of Gran Paradiso – scary stuff,” says Iain. “That’s not what I signed up for, but it did teach us that as long as you follow the rules and do the right thing, you’ll be safe.”
The weather is a huge factor in Antarctica, making it inaccessible for much of the year. Temperatures seldom rise above -25°C, but wind chill can bring the effective temperature to as low as -50°C. “It’s indescribable,” explains Iain. “There is no clothing that can keep you warm in that.”
During this expedition, the team would climb for six to eight hours a day, carrying up to 22kg of equipment each. “It’s intense physical activity, but then you get to rest. It was luxury compared to our previous trip to the South Pole, where we walked up to 10 hours a day, pulling a sled. There was no way to escape the elements. It was relentless!”
And what about the mental side? “You’re roped up and travel between four and eight metres apart to keep the lines taut. So, effectively, you’re on your own out there. Some people sing, others go into a kind of monkey talk. I just focused on my breathing. It’s extremely physical and you just go. Every now and then we’d stop to admire the beauty of the place. The sun and wind make 40, 50 different scenes a day – you just need to be conscious of it.”
Reaching the top of Mount Vinson involved scaling a 40° ice wall. Imagine climbing for a kilometre with 22kg on your back, plus 8 000m boots and crampons adding an extra 2kg per foot. That’s hard going – regardless of the conditions!
Due to the earth’s rotation, there is less O2 at the poles than at the equator. Although Mount Vinson is 4 892m, the effective O2 is the same as at the top of Kilimanjaro (5 895m). This makes measured breathing essential and you find yourself puffing after just a short scramble over rocky terrain.
On January 5, 2015, the team made the last push to the summit, with Iain, Zach and Barney making the final ascent together. “It was relatively balmy on the way up, but bitter at the summit,” says Iain. “No one said a word. We just hugged for a minute then got back down to the shelter of the rock wall as quickly as we could!”
First test over, the crew returned to base camp before tackling their next climb, which had never been done before. This presented new challenges as the route was unknown to them all, including their guides (“Real mambas,” according to Iain). “Approximately 40m from the summit, we had to walk out on to blue ice at a slope of 60° with just one or two crampon spikes to hold our weight. The guides went out ahead and secured the ropes, but climbers seven, six and five all went down. Thankfully, it was okay because their ropes were taut and we were able to bring them back up, but it was spooky.”
“You have to be purposeful and meticulous. Antarctica has claimed lives, but if you don’t take risks, it is safe,” says Iain. He had his own hair-raising moment when he fell waist-deep into a crevasse. “Once I was out, we dug down and discovered that it opened up into a large cavern, just a few metres below.” Because Antarctica is so dry, there is little to no fresh snow and what there is has been compacted over hundreds of years. “That makes it safer than climbing in Europe, as there’s less movement.”
They reached the second summit on January 9, 2015, naming it Peace Peak in honour of the World Peace Flame, which they lit on Antarctica for the first time. “There were people from 31 nations at base camp, with no conflict. It makes you wonder what we’re doing wrong when we go home.”
“We met the most remarkable people on our trip,” continues Iain. “From a mother-daughter team who have climbed all Seven Peaks to a man who went blind on Everest and the sherpa who guided him down. Just when you think you’ve achieved something, they really humble you. Those people become your heroes.”
Story: Hayley Dennyson