After the Scott's hut tour on Friday, nothing else big happened. We went to the coffee house where Leslie whooped Mark's butt in Othello. We played some other games and then those two played battleship. I was suppose to be helping but I was too busy playing with Leslie's sunk ships.
Saturday was a day. The morning was alright. Then I took a fantastic nap to get up to a not so great email. So I was crabby for awhile and ready to go home. After dinner we decided to climb ob hill since it was one of the last things on my list of things to do before we leave the ice list. It was a nice night for it, little wind, it was sunny until we started walking. Overall very nice. This is how nice ob looks from town, innocent and inviting.
Everything was joyful and happy as we started out. We walked out of town and up the street to the road leading to that green building in the middle of the last pic. We start trekking up this nice level road to the trailhead and I'm already tired. But alas, we make it to the start of the major uphill journey and we are officially one third of the way up.So we start climbing, Mahesh is like a mountain goat and just cruises up the trail like he is walking on a cloud. Meanwhile, Leslie and I are struggling up the slippery rock trail, carefully treading over the snowy places because one slip and we are goners down the side of this "hill". Many breathing breaks later we make it to the two thirds way post. I had a good picture but for some reason this stupid blogger will not load this one picture and only this one. I'm amazed I got this far and I look up to see the steepest part of the trail ahead. I take a deep breath and continue up, slipping on rocks, picking out the best way up. Of course, Mahesh is already up there waiting. Some of the trail is steep enough that I put my hands out just a little and I'm grabbing rocks on the trail above me. After a few harrowing spots and some minor rock climbing, I make it to the top. Of course I yelled out a cry of triumph and happiness. This is the fantastic view I had.
Scott's Base
McMurdo and Hut point
Across the sea ice to Mount Discovery
It was pretty awesome. I was proud of myself for making it up there. I made it all the way without hurting myself or falling to my death, just to slip off a rock at the top. Luckily, I just jarred my knee and didn't fall over the edge. Little scary for both Mahesh and I, but I was ok. Of course there is a cross up here, like a lot of places in Antarctica. This one is for Scott and his men who died on the way to the South Pole.
Mahesh took my picture above McMurdo
And then the famous picture of myself by myself. Now I'm not sure why I had this face. I'm just a dork.
Yay I made it to the top and it was cool...Then I had to go down the mountain. Coming up sucked and going back down sucked more. I ended up just sliding down the majority of the way on my butt, over snow and rocks. Didn't matter, I wasn't risking my life by walking. And yes it was that steep, I'm not making this up because I'm a whimp. Ask Mahesh and Leslie, they slid on their butts too. Finally I made it back down the to the road. I was exhausted and my legs didn't want to work anymore. We went and had a strong drink after that.
Whoever told me that it was an easy hike that will take you about 45 minutes if you go slow... lied. Maybe for super in shape people who climb mountains for fun but this lovely trip took me about 2 hours. It was one of those things that I'm glad I did but will never do again.
Have a great weekend everyone! Cheers!
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