As you know, our Head of Environment Pablo Escribano made an exciting 26-day trip to Antarctica as a representative of OCA Global, but do you know how to get to the Spanish Antarctic Base (SAB)?

As for the outward journey, Pablo first underwent a PCR test the same day he took the flight at the request of Chile. The flight left Madrid and lasted about 13 hours until it reached the capital Santiago de Chile; and there he made a stopover to go to Punta Arenas, in the southern part of the country. Once in Punta Arenas, our envoy had to quarantine for a week and carry out three PCRs, all under the coordination of the Spanish Polar Committee (CPE), the Marine Technology Unit (UTM) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH).

After the quarantine, Pablo went to the only airfield on the Antarctic Peninsula: the Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin airfield (belonging to Chile), on King George Island, South Shetland Islands (Antarctica). After a flight of about 3-4 hours depending on the weather, the next step is to board a zodiac until you reach the Sarmiento de Gamboa Oceanographic Vessel, belonging to the CSIC. This ship, together with the Hesperides, are the two in charge of providing support to the Antarctic bases.

Thanks to this ship, we can reach the two SAB: the Juan Carlos I on Livingston Island (belonging to the CSIC) and the Gabriel de Castilla on Deception Island (managed by the Army). These are two bases that are only open during the austral summer (approximately from November to April), and the trips between one and the other are made through the Bransfield Strait (Antarctic Ocean).

As for the return, Pablo tells us that he made a logistical stop at Camp Byers, an international camp and seasonal base located on Livingston Island; and another at the Argentina Artigas Base, located at the other end of King George Island.

Perhaps the worst moment of the trip was the three days crossing the Drake Passage, which is the stretch of sea that separates South America from Antarctica, between Cape Horn (Chile) and the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica). But once overcome, our envoy to the southernmost part of the planet was able to start the journey back home.

Do you think it was worth the whole journey? We will tell you about it in the next post!