Approaching Journey’s End: The Path to Mount Sidley
January 16th found us planning our approach to Mount Sidley camp, a crucial stopover where staged fuel would enable our final push to Union Glacier. With our critical fuel cache awaiting us Russkaya and then at Sidley, this penultimate leg would require precise coordination among all aircraft.
The day began with our standard weather and travel safety briefing from the logistics team. After careful calculations of distances, routes, and safety parameters, we devised a split approach: DHB would continue its planned grounding line survey alongside the helicopters, routing through Russkaya for refueling. Meanwhile, KBO would follow later, breaking down camp and flying directly to Sidley.
Our decision proved sound as satellite imagery continued to confirm favorable enough conditions, eliminating the need for alternate landing sites. At 0508 UTC, our entire fleet—helicopters and Twin Otters—reunited at Sidley camp. Though exhaustion called for rest, excitement kept us alert. We now stand just one epic flight through Antarctica’s interior away from completing our circumnavigation.
As we settle in for sleep at Sidley, the significance of our position isn’t lost on anyone. Tomorrow holds the promise of our final push back to Union Glacier, where we began this remarkable journey almost 50 days ago.
