After a huge dinner I went to bed at 9.00pm and slept deeply until I woke up at 2.00am this morning by being thrown from one end of my bunk to the other. We had entered the Bransfield Straight heading for the South Shetland Islands and the wind and the seas were huge. We had to change course to sail into the wind as it was too rough to continue on our original course. This meant it took us three hours longer to get to Deception Island than originally planned and an interesting night trying to wedge myself into my bunk. Some of the rolling of the ship was at very steep angles and I had to keep pushing the chair in the room back under the desk with my foot as it kept banging against my bunk. Going for a pee was seriously risky! Deception is the crater of a still active volcano with a 200 meter entrance that you can sail into. Inside are sandy and rocky beaches and we planned a long race stage without snow as the heat from the volcano warms the waters edge. However, according to the organisers (Captain/Expedition leader) it was too rough to risk the entrance so we are now heading for Half Moon Island where we hope to be able to land for our final stage. We passed another, larger ship heading for Antarctica that decided to go into Deception so we were all very disappointed that we did not even try.

It is amazing how tired everyone is even though the distances we have raced are not big every step has seemed many times harder than the other races. The footing is unstable and any slight deviation from the track, which happens every time you look up from your feet, causes you to sink knee deep in snow. Each circuit the path gets deeper and less stable and one is constantly stumbling. My hips are really sore as you have to adjust your balance constantly. We must have looked drunk!

The motion of the boat is also very soporific and sleep is a regular activity.

Hopefully we will get one more stage this afternoon before heading into The Drake Passage which, according to reports could be rough. I will update you later.

Well it is now 3.30pm and, after lunch, a strong wind suddenly blew up, Gale Force 9. We were sailing along the coast of Livingstone Island with its glaciers and snow covered mountains and the sun was shining and wind was absolutely roaring. A number of us were out on deck trying to stand in the wind and the sea spray was getting stronger and stronger. Eventually the Captain closed all the decks and we went up to the Bridge and watched the huge rolling seas and the waves crashing against the bow. The wind blew and the sun shone and it was a scene of incredible beauty and power. The down side is that this storm meant there was no way we could lower the Zodiacs let alone land and therefore no possibility to run the last stage on Half Moon Island.

So I suppose that is it – Sahara, Gobi, Atacama and Antarctica. I regret not having completed a greater distance in Antarctica and having the pleasure of a finish line to cross but just to have the privilege of being here and experiencing this awesome place is reward enough. I started these races in 2006 and have visited some of the most amazing and beautiful places on earth. I have seen them from the ground and not a tourist coach  and I cannot imagine seeing new places in any other way. It has made me realise that there are so many more places that Brenda and I have yet to visit and life is so short.

I hope that my efforts and everyone’s contributions have made a positive difference to the lives of the Camp Quality children. On behalf of all of them my sincerest thanks. Whatever I do next I will always support these brave children.

I have been indelibly marked by these races and particularly by all the other competitors I have shared this experience with. It has been an honour to compete with these athletes and now call them friends.

I am sure that Mary will come up with some suitable way of marking the end of this life-changing journey so watch this space.

We were summoned to a meeting in the bar by Mary  to give us an update for the short afternoon run. They had decided that the race would be extended to six hours to try and get the distance up and this was not popular. However it was a wind up and we were given the chance to go on a trip to shore to an unmanned Argentinean base. So, as I promised Emma lots of pictures of Penguins, I went ashore. It was only for an hour but hopefully I got some good shots. Two of the volunteers went for a very quick swim and then straight in the sauna –mad buggers! We are now leaving the Antarctic mainland, in the Gerlache Straight, and sailing towards the South Shetland Islands for our last day. This should take us 14 hours. We believe we will have two stages tomorrow, one without snow and one with which we have been warned will be very tough. We always have to pay for being given an afternoon off. Anyway I shall enjoy the afternoon and get a good night sleep ready for tomorrow.

 

I am not sure what happened to the roughest seas in the world but the weather so far has been very kind to us. I slept very well again and woke up in Antarctica. During the night we crossed the Antarctic Convergence, where the cold Antarctic waters meet the warmer waters of the Southern Ocean, which defines true Antarctica. We should reach the waypoint set for the Autopilot by midnight tonight and then a few more hours navigating to our first landing on the Antarctic continent. Tomorrow we will be racing - brrrr! Last night went down to about 2 degrees Celsius. Today the seas, now known as The Drake Lake by us, continue to be very smooth and the sun is shining. Today was formal check-in and equipment and medical checks in preparation for the start of the race tomorrow. I am number 25.
Just before 11.00am this morning it was announced that whales had been spotted and we all rushed out with our cameras to see if we could see them. For a while all we could see was distant plumes from their blowholes and then they came closer and closer. Three humpback whales then decided to put on a show for us and swam around and under the ship surfacing within a few metres of us. I have many fantastic photos of these magnificent creatures and must have covered a few kilometres rushing from side to side as they dived under us. A truly breathtaking and emotional experience.
We have a lecture on Penguins this afternoon as well as a meeting to explain the rules and appropriate behaviour for Antarctica and a demonstration of how to board a Zodiac which will be our transport to land.
I will end here as I think they are planning to upload the blogs soon. I hope my last one is up.
I am in the middle of the ocean miles from anywhere and completely out of touch with what is happening in the world. I hope everyone is safe and well.

We took about 5 hours to sail through the Beagle Channel with a beautiful sunset to send us on our way. I went to bed at about 11.00pm and woke up at about 2.00am to feel the ship rolling for the first time. I soon went back to sleep expecting to wake to the most horrendous weather. I got up at 6.00am and no one was around so I went up to the bridge and spent the next two hours with incredible views talking to the First Officer. Five minutes before I arrived he had seen a small fin whale but, sadly, no further sightings.
The ship rolls quite alot in the swell but the weather is very mild so far and I am feeling fine. A number of people have been feeling the effects of sea sickness and spent much of the day in their cabins. The ship is constantly trailed by seabirds, the most spectacular of which are the Wandering Albatross with their 3 metre wingspans gracefully wheeling around us. I have also seen a Gey Headed Albatross which is smaller. A Giant Petrel has also kept us company along with the most lovely Cape and Storm Petrels.
There were also rumours of a small Walrus being sighted on the Chart Table!
The food is very good with a 3 course menu every meal and a small buffet breakfast. The dining room staff are Russian ladies and very pleasant and efficient but they like us to eat up and go!
We have had two lectures so far, one an introduction to Antarctica and the other on Fisheries and Sustainability.  A lot of time is spent scanning the seas for whales and dolphins, taking photographs and talking about our various adventures with each other.
I will try and get some good photos of the bird life before yet another meal (I am going to get fat at this rate and sink in a huge snow drift).
We hope to be in iceberg territory by tomorrow night which will be an incredible site.
We all love the ship and the cabins are very comfortable and everyone is very helpful.
I am writing this on my Blackberry in my cabin and will convert it when I find a blogging computer. I do not know if the RCP satellite is working yet so do not know when this will be sent -soon I hope. I will keep writing anyway.
My adventure is truly underway. Thank you to everyone who has sent emails to the RCP site which I have just seen. Keep them coming they mean alot.

We are leaving tonight!!!!
I do not think I have been so relieved about anything in those few seconds when it was announced (actually there are many other more important things). The whole ship is celebrating. We should leave in the next two hours.
In about six hours we will be through the Beagle Channel and probably wishing we were still tied up at the quay!
In 600 nautical miles or 1,100 km or 55 hours we will be through the Drake Passage. Weather in Ushuaia has been sunny and quite warm but the weather reports for the Drake are not good. We are in for a very rough ride with mountainous seas. Dinner is at 8.00pm let's hope I can keep it!
I will probably lose this signal soon after we leave and I may not be able to blog for a couple of days in the Drake.

Tuesday 25 Nov.
A meeting was called this morning and we have been told that the repair to the ship's hull was not properly done and has to  be done again and we will be given an update at 6.00pm. Mary Gadams is working on other options but we have agreed that even if we only get three days in Antarctica it will still be worth it.
We are going for a hike up in the mountains to relieve the stress and boredom. A whole group of runners and hikers went off together in a similar direction that I ran yesterday. Harold, Simone, Kate and I decided to try and get up to the glacier instead of running a trail. We met the runners on their return leg and were joined by Nicola. We hiked up to a small ski lift which took about 15 minutes and then headed up towards the glaciers (2). The glaciers are fairly small but we climbed steeply up to the top, but below the bowl (Neve) of snow and ice that feeds the glacier. We then foot skied down to the bottom which was tremendous fun. I sunk up to my thighs a couple of times as there was a meltwater stream running underneath the soft edge of the gacier. I also spent a fair amount of time on my bum but did not get too wet. We then ran back to the city, avoiding the ski lift,  and had pizza for lunch.
Back on the boat there seems to be some optimism and with luck we could on our way.
I will let you know later

We are gathering in the bar waiting for the official welcome. They are serving sparkling wine and snacks and we are supposed to be leaving but ............... They have discovered a small hole (2.mm) in the hull which divers are down trying to repair. Apparently this is relativey easy but they also have to repair it from the inside and this is the tricky part. We will not be leaving until at least 2.00am at the earliest if they can repair it. I am not sure if I can contemplate the consequenses of not being able to repair it.
We are all walking around in complete shock just waiting for the next update which should come in the next hour or so. If we are here tomorrow apparently they are planning a marathon for us to run.
The ship is really good and the cabins are spacious with a private bathroom. We are on the main deck with a view over the sharp end and also to starboard.
I will update you as soon as I know more.

 

Latest update:
We have been advised that the repair of the inside section has started but to access this they have to cut and reroute a number of pipes which will take all night and require a shutdown of the power system. Then they require two different approvals from the coastguard which should happen at around 8.30am. We could be underway by midday so please keep your fingers crossed. It does mean we will lose a day in Antarctica but the most important thing is to go.
We are going to go into town for a beer and ice cream (don't ask) and drown our sorrows.

Ughh! I have just eaten a huge  Dulce de Leche ice cream and have no desire for a beer! If we leave tonight I will definitely be sick. Next update 8.30am tomorrow morning. First night on a very still sea. We have set a new fashion trend - we are all walking around with small patches behind our ears (seasickness) which is very fetching!
Goodnight from the end of the world

Sunday 23 Nov.

Excercise at last. My run was very enjoyable and I headed along the road towards a place called Rio Grande and thought I would get sun burnt as it was such a lovely sunny but cold day. As I headed up along the base of the mountains the sky darkened and a curtain of mist seemed to cover them. This started moving towards the sea and I was soon battered with hailstones. I decided I should not get too far away from the town and cut through a small village only to be chased by three mangy dogs. By this time the hail had turned to light rain and I ran down past the naval base (a generous term) and then back along the Ushuaia seafront. Rain then turned to a light flurry of snow before the sun came out to welcome me back to the hotel. A great chance to stretch my legs. The rest of the day was spent preparing to board the ship today and completed with a dinner for everyone at a local BBQ restaurant. The speciality is a whole lamb slowly roasted over a log fire. The cook just cuts off great chunks of meat with a huge knife. So much for my diet of fresh light food!
Conversations were had about what other races one could do and Carlos, a Brazilian who runs all these races in Crocs, is thinking about organising a multi-stage race in the Amazon.....now that would be interesting!
It is now 7.30am on Monday and it is time for breakfast, hopefully another run and then boarding the ship.
All my blogs so far have been done through Blackberry and then uploaded by my daughter and I will be able to do the final one in this way in about 10 hours before we enter the Beagle Channel.

On the way to Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world.

Arrived in Ushuaia at around 3.00pm local time after a two hour delay in Buenos Aires. Went for a walk aong the River Plate while waiting for the flight - it is
huge and looks like the sea as you cannot see the other side. I have now got a blister on my right heel which is very annoying and the last thing I need.
After a good flight with spectacular views of snow capped mountains coming into Ushuaia I am now sitting in a bar with Harold, Mark, Simone and Nicola. It is not as cold as I expected, maybe 15 degrees and sunny. The hotel is quaint in a Swiss way with tiny chalet -ike rooms.
We have seen the ship. It is moored next to a smart blue hulled cruise ship that we all thought was ours until it was pointed out that the vessel that looks like a top heavy tug boat was the one! it looks very small and no one believes we can all fit in. But we must be nice to her as our lives will be in her hands for the next 11 days.

It is almost midnight and have just got into bed after having had king crab for dinner. Harold is snoring already!
We met up with Emma, David, Carlos, Laura, Mark, Simone, Paul, Samantha and Nicola for dinner and all good company. It is great to see everyone again.
We could not get near the ship earlier so still have no idea what it is really like. The town is fairly basic with loads of tourist shop (penguins of every shape and size and made out of every material possible), travel and adventure companies and restaurants around the harbour and all surrounded by quite high peaks with snow on top. It is probably around 8 degrees at the moment. We have a briefing at 12 noon tomorrow and I am planning to go for a run in the morning as I have not done much excercise for ages.

Sunday 23 Nov.

Oh my god last night and now at 6.20am Harold is making the most terrible noise known to man - a sort of rolling thunder combined with feeding pigs and a bubbling, sqeaking pot boiling on the stove. I have slept with this man in three deserts (careful interpretation please) but never have I heard such a noise!
Getting a reasonable amount of sleep is definitely my biggest challenge at the moment as the jet lag is still having a significant effect.
Today I start my regime of only fresh simple foods with no spices, oils or anything too rich washed down with water. This I hope will help partially with the very likely seasickness. I believe we board the ship on Monday afternoon and set off around 6.00pm with a comfortable passage through the Beagle Channel before hitting the mountainous seas of the Drake Passage. I am looking forward to my run this morning once it has warmed up a bit.
Time to get up and eat again so I will end here.

Buenos Aires…

I am in Buenos Aires and thank god my luggage is safely with me. It wasalmost the last one on to the carousel and I was getting very tense.I am sitting in the arrivals area in a cafe having an empanadas and a coffee and waiting for Harold who is due to arrive in an hour.The flight was interesting - the very large male trolley dolley almost dislocated his finger trying to get out my table for dinner which, when finally extracted, was at such an extreme angle that I had to eat one handed to stop the food falling to the floor! After dinner they pulled out my screen and said I should watch a movie now but, unfortunately they failed to tell me the screen was not working. No problem I have a good book........but no torch!The front end was not full so I found a seat that had a reading light and settled down to a pleasant night. Walt was fine with his own seat. I have been travelling for 30 hours and feel good. Harold has just called and is waiting for his bags.

Friday 21 Nov.

Fell asleep after sending my last email and then woke up at 2.45am and only managed to doze after that. Today will be a long day but with glorious weather. I think we plan to do some horse riding, hopefully on gentle, tolerant horses. George is going to be scanning some horses this morning (not sure what for) so I will go over to the stables. I think we may go into the city tonight.

I am in the stables with George and am watching him do ultrasound checks on mares. His arm is up her backside and I can see the foal kicking like mad. Just back from horse riding on one of the polo ponies with Harold and George's elder son, Nicholas. It did not like me at first and tried to lie down when I got on him! All fine in the end and rode across beautiful farm land. I feel ike a real Gaucho (certainly do not ride like one).

Jet lag has been really bad but slept for a few more hours last night.
It is 5.00am on Saturday 22 Nov and we leave for the airport for our Ushuaia flight in a few hours.

I must admit to starting to worry about a lack of warm cothes and keep thinking of things I should buy in Ushuaia. I am probably just being an old woman.
I will try and blog again before we board the ship.
Keep the donations coming in I am about to take on my biggest fear....the cold.

This is the third time this year I have been in Aukland. Well, the third time in Aukland airport and every time connected to Racing the Planet. The first two times for the beautiful Atacama Crossing and now on my way to Antarctica via Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and the Drake Passage.

Aukland airport stands out for a few things. Firstly the two rudest Cathay Pacific ground staff anywhere on the way back from Atacama last time and the most wonderful Quantas lounge representative.

This time the Kiwis are all very friendly and helpful and make the hours waiting for my next flight much more pleasant! I cannot believe Walt (a Walrus- I know wrong part of the world) and I are finally on our way to Antarctica. I have trained hard and think I am in pretty good condition but I cannot help being very nervous. I just do not know what to expect. Do I have enough clothes? Are they of the right type or is my poor, cold averse body going to shiver uncontrolably for the whole time? What about all those frightening things that Mary, Zac and Brandee have warned us about - hypothermia, frostbite (I have really nice toes and I want to keep them), sea sickness ughh! The hot desert I can do - just a smelly shirt and a pair of shorts and I can go forever.

This will be my third race this year, Vietnam (torture) and Atacama (the best) and the final of my four deserts quest having completed Sahara in 2006 and Gobi in 2007.

I want to say thank you to everyone for their support of my adopted charity, Camp Quality, who do the most fantastic job of looking after these children and giving them some real happiness. Please if you have not donated go to www.martynsdesertchallenge.com and give whatever you can. We can hit HK$1.5 million if we really try.

Susan the flights have been fantastic so far so thank you very much.

Thank you also to my incredible family, Brenda, Nicola, Emma and Ben who have given me unreserved support, patience, encouragement and love. I could not even have contemplated these races without you. Brenda is now going to compete in Namibia having volunteered for Gobi and Atacama and I cannot wait to start training her when I get back!!!! My younger (much) sister Anna is also going to compete in Namibia so it will be a real family race for us.

I think I have been hogging this computer too long so will check out and put my feet up for the four more hours I need to wait.

I will try and blog again from Harold's house in Buenos Aires before I settle in to some serious beef and red wine (damn I am supposed to be in training).

It is ten minutes until I leave for the airport and this much anticipated adventure begins... Will blog from Auckland...