I am back in the UK now after a truly memorable and fascinating expedition to the jungles of Irian Jaya, West Papua, where I successfully climbed the highest mountain in the continent of Australia – Carstensz Pyramid.

How would I describe the expedition? Well 4 words come to my mind immediately – jungle, mud, rain & Dani.

Those 4 words make it sound as though it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable experience and at times it was very challenging but it was also one of the most rewarding and enjoyable expeditions I have ever been on. From the hail storms in the rainforest to the Tyrolean Traverse on summit day, it provided an enormous contrast in landscapes, cultures and difficulties.

Our original twin otter flight from Timika to Ilaga was delayed 24 hours as the pilot decided the day before that flying on a Sunday didn’t suit him. The following day we flew over miles of rainforest to land at a wonderfully misplaced airstrip to be greeted by 30 or so porters from the local Dani tribe. One hours walk away was the local “village” and we resided in the Chief’s house for the night.

On Tuesday we commenced our 5 day hike to Carstensz Base Camp. The first day was an eye opener. The first half hour was pleasant enough, winding through head high plantations, mud underfoot and the occasional swamp to navigate through but beyond that, it was totally different. Entering the jungle, the mosquitos eyed up their defenceless targets. The trail was a sodden mud path decorated with fallen trees and roots that had been carved centuries earlier by the Dani. 7 hours later we emerged from the shelter of the flora to be greeted with our first of many rain storms.

Days 2-5 were spent in different terrain. Interspersed with muddy routes through palm trees, and small rocky scrambles there was almost Scottish moorland for mile upon mile. Each day took between 7-9 hours. A rather regular pattern was emerging as well. Every day between 12-2 comprised of heavy rain, every evening and overnight, the same. In between it was overcast with some equatorial sunny spells. Most mornings were spent grimacing as wet trousers were put on. The carefully protected dry socks lasted a matter of hours before the first of many river crossings took place. Ensue a delicate route finding process usually ending in miscalculation and overflowing water in the wellies…when in Papua, eh!

Despite a Dani strike where they refused to move further than what they thought was a suitable camp spot – a river plain with 4 foot high shrubs – we finally reached Base Camp. BC was located amidst a few stunning, unnaturally blue, glacial lakes with the mighty South face of Carstensz Pyramid looking ominously over us.

Summit Day began at 2am after a breakfast of white rice, noodles and chilly sauce – our regular grub – and we proceeded to the bottom of the climb. The ascent until the ridge was a really good rock climb. Viciously sharp limestone underfoot provided a unique challenge as well as excellent grip. We reached the ridge in good time but negotiating the Tyrolean Traverse was interesting. The picture I took below, I hope, shows what it was like. Basically a zip line between two cliff faces – not one for vertigo sufferers.

An hour or so along the ridge, having clambered over numerous rock buttresses, broken trail through thigh deep snow, we emerged onto the summit of Carstensz Pyramid during a brief spell of some blue skies and I was at the highest point in the continent. 6 out of 7.

A successful descent, mainly abseiling, and more noodles awaited us at Base Camp. 4 days later we were back in the Chief’s hut, cold, wet and muddy but mightily relieved and buoyed by our successful climb.

I lost over 7kgs in the 10 day climb attributed to limited food and a huge amount of calories burnt. It was a very challenging expedition – mentally and certainly physically – more than any of us were expecting. It was a cultural eye opener as we were lucky enough to be given a tiny insight into the ways of an incredible group of people, the Dani.

I will never forget this wonderful expedition. I am extremely fortunate to be able to visit such remote and unspoilt regions at such a young age.

It is now a case of 6 down and just 1 to go. Bring on Everest in just over 2 weeks time!!

In a few hours I will be on a plane destined for Jakarta, Indonesia. After a few more connecting flights, the world of Mcdonalds and Starbucks will be long gone. Carstensz Pyramid is on the island of New Guinea, the world’s third largest island. This island is one of the most exotic and fascinating places left to travel in the world. The local people belong to the Dani tribe, where the men still wear the traditional penis gourd and little else.

I have attached a map below so you have more of an idea where I am going.

The plan is to have a 5-6 day trek through the jungle, camping out and interacting with the local tribes before we reach Base Camp. From there we shoot for the summit and back in 1 day before a return trek. Sounds fairly simple but as expected there are a few challenges. Permits for the area were not provided for over 20 years because of political instability in the area and tribal infighting. Thankfully this has subsided somewhat but bribing tribes to cross “their” borders is still commonplace. The climb itself is over razor sharp rock which, I have been assured, will ruin my gloves. Summit day also involves 3 Tyrolean traverses – if you are interested then google it. The traverses should be a nice test of my potential vertigo either way.

I seriously doubt the jungle will allow me to update my blog but i’m sure Freddie will somehow find a way to pinpoint my position. I will give you a full account as and when I get internet access though.

This should be a very surreal expedition and one I am really excited about.

Geordie

p.s. HRH Prince William officially launches the 600th anniversary in St Andrews tomorrow. The 600th anniversary is a momentous moment in the history of the university and I am hugely appreciative of the 600 Fund in their support of the finale of my 7 Summits project.

More good news this end. I can very proudly announce Knight Frank as a sponsor for the finale of my 7 Summits project.

Knight Frank is one of the market leaders for high quality commercial and residential property in London and throughout the UK. Established in 1896, Knight Frank now has 207 offices in 43 countries worldwide making it extremely well regarded both nationally and internationally.

Having both The University of St Andrews and Knight Frank involved with this project gives me immense pride. Both hold tradition as an integral part of their approach yet combine that with a dynamic, forward thinking approach.

It is under a week until I depart for the wilderness of Papua New Guinea. I have just been informed that wellies and an umbrella will be a necessity for the 6 day jungle trek which is an exciting addition to my kit list. This expedition is going to be a true culture contrast and one I cannot wait for!!

It gives me enormous pleasure and pride to say that I officially have a new sponsor, the University of St Andrews 600 Fund.

St Andrews itself is the the oldest University in Scotland and the third oldest in the English speaking world, founded in 1413. It is constantly ranked in the top 5 UK Universities.

It is a place riddled with history, tradition as well as being the home of golf. From moonlit pier walks in remembrance of a former student who sacrificed his life to save those in a shipwreck to a Procession where over 100 students dress up as characters of St Andrews’ past including John Cleese, King James II and the great polar explorer, Fridtjof Nansen. It is a unique and highly successful place.

If you are interested in coming to St Andrews, I cannot recommend it enough, there is nowhere else like it.

Moving on though, the University at the moment are in the process of celebrating their 600th anniversary, a phenomenal achievement i’m sure you’ll agree. To mark the anniversary, the University has established the 600 Fund to support the university community in celebrating this milestone. The aim of this grant is to celebrate and promote the contribution of the University and its people to society.

I am hugely grateful to the University for supporting me in my 7 Summits challenge. I will become the 1st St Andrews student to stand on top of the world if I am successful this time around and it will be a huge privilege to bring a banner of my University to the summit of Mt Everest.

As for my plans, I am currently preparing for my attempt at Carstensz Pyramid, the highest mountain in Australasia / Oceania which will take place in two weeks time. It should be an incredible experience and a wild contrast to life in the UK. I cannot wait.

I have been back in the UK a day or so now and have managed to make a video of my Vinson expedition.

It is 10 minutes long and a compilation of some of the photos & footage from my trip to climb the highest mountain in Antarctica. As much as anything else, I hope it gives you more of an idea of the route, conditions and scenery in a remarkable place.

The link is below. I recommend watching it in HD by clicking at the bottom of the screen when the speech bubble pops up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnaYkwWuLMg

I hope you enjoy it.

Geordie

I am now back in Chile after a successful expedition to climb the highest mountain in Antarctica – Vinson Massif – standing at 4892m.

Firstly, I want to thank Freddie for updating my blog in my absence. Updates were somewhat limited given the comms on the ice but it was much appreciated.

Onto the expedition itself: what a truly unbelievable experience – it really was. The continent itself is something very special. The vastness and clarity of everything is like nothing I have ever witnessed and makes it incomparable to every other expedition I have been on.

Having rushed onto the Ilyushin 76 (Russian cargo plane) to fit into a very tight weather window we landed on the blue ice runway to be greeted by a bitingly cold wind which, hopefully, was not a sign of things to come. We were quickly relayed via a Twin Otter plane to VBC – Vinson Base Camp – where our tents were pitched and life in Antarctica had begun.

A day to relax and take in this immense environment ensued before the sled pulling commenced the following day. The experience was similar to Denali as we loaded all our gear, food, stoves, gas and of course food onto our rucksacks and sleds and dragged it the 6 miles to Low Camp at around 2700m. The following day we took advantage of another slight gap in the weather and proceeded up to High Camp at 3700m.

The route to Low Camp was a gradually meandering slop that rose over 1200m without any significant inclines – a wonderful and occasionally challenging introduction to life on the ice as we were roped together for crevasse protection. Heading up to High Camp involved ascending the headwall which is an unrelenting 45 degree slope up fixed lines. It reminded me of the North Ridge of Everest in some ways without the enormous effect of altitude but it was a longer ascent – over a vertical km. From the top of the ropes to camp, it was another gradual incline but the weather turned and the winds picked up. Our arrival at camp was miserably cold, a tent was erected to cache food and kit needed for summit day, and possibly a few days either side, and immediately the four of us huddled inside, clad in full down gear, and tried to stay warm.

The following 6 days at Low Camp went by without much drama. The key to any ascent of a mountain, especially ones like Vinson where bad weather means you cannot move, is waiting. We read, we drank a LOT of tea – Lifeboat, of course – we cooked and we rested. The 24 hour sunlight was disorientating. We went to bed very early, around 3-4am and had “breakfast” early afternoon. It was a frustrating where the highlight was the daily radio check and forecast. A few teams were planning on staying at High Camp so as to be in the best place for the summit when the weather did turn but had to descend when that was not a forthcoming option. The leader of a Russian team said: “In most places, heaven is on top and hell down below. Here in Antarctica, hell is on top and heaven is below – very funny!” The reason for this being that the weather at Low Camp was perfectly pleasant but higher up it was 45 knot winds at a temperature of minus 35.

Christmas Eve was spent ascending Knutzen Peak which provided a nice 4-5 hours exercise. The summit ridge was wonderful; if not rather exposed and provided great views of the surrounding area. My first Christmas away from home was spent using a snow saw to carve up blocks of ice to protect our tents from getting decimated by the wind. It miraculously calmed later in the day and standing outside our tents exchanging tales at 3am with the sun overhead and a view to savour was a definite highlight.

Boxing Day was a turning point. The forecast was good and it was back to the fixed lines. In fact, the weather was the polar opposite of what it was. It almost became too hot despite being -10. We reached High Camp in several hours less than the expected time and prepared ourselves to leave for the summit the following day. We woke, put snow on the boil, made a brew, ate a freeze dried meal and a few hours later at 8:34 we were setting off.

The going was fairly steady to be honest. We moved briskly, overtook all the teams in front of us then decided on the spot to traverse the summit ridge. This involved ascending a slighter steeper but more direct snow slope which we duly did and finally, after only 4 hours of ascent, were standing on the summit of Vinson Massif – the highest point in Antarctica.

The views were beautiful, absolutely beautiful. The photos do not come close to doing it justice. Miles and miles of blue skies, hardly a cloud overhead, the sun shining, mountain tops appearing from miles beneath the surface but after an hour it was time to descend and 2 hours later we were back at High Camp. To put that in context, other teams took 13 hours to do a round trip, we took 7 including an hour at the summit.

The following day was one for descent as we dropped first to Low Camp, to VBC then to Union Glacier via a traditional Russian celebration – vodka shots of course. Once more, the skies were clear and our route out of Antarctica was open. We took the Ilyushin back to Punta Arenas and settled in. Several showers, a shave (yes, it was necessary before you ask) some clean clothes and we looked almost respectable again.

We were lucky with our flight to and from the ice, we were patient lower down and that was worth it for the incredible experience we had on the summit.

I was immensely fortunate to be given the opportunity to visit one of the most pristine and unspoilt environments on the entire planet.

Thank you to my main sponsor – Lifeboat Tea. Without their support, I would not have made it to Vinson. With your support, numerous lives can be saved at sea by choosing Lifeboat Tea which directly gives money to the RNLI.

For me, it was a truly unforgettable expedition. I will make another video with my footage and upload some photos when I manage to sort them all out back in England.

At the moment though, it is despedida, or farewell, from Chile with 5 down and 2 to go.

Dear all,

A quick message to let you all know that I’ve heard from Geordie on the side of the mountain. All is well and they are very excited and very on schedule. The team has been waiting it out at Camp 1, as scheduled, whilst the weather passes.

All kit has already been moved up to Camp 2, and I haven’t been in contact since yesterday. This means that they could be ascending the peak… right now!

A very merry christmas to all of Geordie’s supporters and thank you again for your interest! We hope to bring you news of summit very soon…

Team Geordie

Dear all,

It seems that the whole of the UK is supporting Geordie, with its empathetic snow conditions reflecting the fact that our man will be having a very white Christmas. He is now safely on the Antarctic ice, having arrived on Friday 17th December. If we’re concerned about the flight delays here, the 4 strong Adventure Peaks team did well to catch a plane out in the good weather window and are now making good progress two days in…

Having landed on ice at Union Glacier, Geordie and co. headed for some food before flying again to Mount Vinson itself. The latest news today is that he’s feeling good and in typically fearless spirits, which is going to serve him well for the 24 hour sunlight they have down there! Camp 1 (2,800m) at the moment, with ice walls built up around them to protect from the wind, and making ‘excellent progress’. The plan is to make full use of the current good weather window in getting up some kit to Camp 2 (3,750m).

The team are on schedule, with a summit period of 22 – 28th December at the moment. Christmas is looking a good bet… Watch this space.

Team Geordie