December 7, 2014
Twin Otter used for the flight from Vinson Base to Union Glacier (Rob Marshall)
The team left high camp this morning and made their way back to Vinson base camp.  Big push. The weather was good enough that they were able to fly right away to camp at the Union Glacier. This is where the big Russian jet, the IL76, will land to take them pack to Punta Arenas, Chile. That flight is currently on ‘standby’. Weather/winds/visibility need to be reasonable at both locations, and for long enough, to fly to the Ice and pick up the team. Flight down is about 4 hours with around 2 hours to unload/reload at Union Glacier. Best case scenario finds the team pack in Punta sometime on the 8th. But hey, no worries – they all summited, not a scratch, they’re off the mountain and back at Union Glacier and ALE (the flight service) is feeding them like kings (and queens).
Phil Ershler