Region: America - South and Antartica

Dr Alun Hubbard (with Tim Hall, Dave Hildes, Stewart Holmes, Hamish Millar, Grant Redvers, Davie Robinson and Martin Stuart) January-April 2003

Continuing the Tilman sailing/climbing tradition, this team (with representatives from UK, NZ and Canada) sailed from Cape Horn with the intention of carrying out a programme of mountain exploration along the NE and SW coastlines of South Georgia. However, with the engine immobilised early on, and horrendous weather throughout the entire period (including 160 kph winds and a pressure drop of 40 mb in 5 hours), the expedition turned out to be a battle for survival and with tents blown away they were forced to bivouac in snow holes. An attempt to climb the East Ridge of Mt Paget, 2934m, was sensibly aborted at c.2450m, and attempts on Paulsen Peak, Marakoppa and Quad Five similarly abandoned due to avalanches and other objective dangers.