LANZAROTTI NUNATAK, SKY BLU

Anne Brodie and I arrived at Sky Blu on a cloudless afternoon. There were two Field GA's there already, and they had been pushed to do all the loading and unloading of drums, fuelling etc. on there own and had had no time to explore the Nunatacs.
These Nunatacs are the tops of Mountains protruding from the ice cap which is over 2 Km deep here. The presence of these peaks disrupts the wind patterns, creating vortexes of wind which continually sweep the area clear of snow, leaving blue ice. It is however never totally clear of snow, hence the runway has to be kept clear using two rather inadequate machines which in another place would be clearing leaves off golf courses!
When I expressed an interest in climbing one, Mark said "OK, lets go". In the Antarctic if the weather is right and an opportunity arises, you don't turn it down - you seize the moment as tomorrow it will be gone.
The two of us set off at 10 p.m. and were back 3 hours later.
It ice cold and very clear and you can see the continual glitter of ice particles in the air. As we climb a low cloud pours into the basin, obscuring the tents and camp. We could be alone on the moon.
On the ridge we encountered a Broken Spectre; the shadow of ourselves, surrounded by a double rainbow arch, projected onto the mist.