Some last minute shopping to be done before setting off to the South Shetland Islands. Steve has joked at how I have managed to fit everything into my bag (I am a walking outdoor shop/pharmacy etc.) but I did forget one thing – my gaitors! So I set on my mission to buy some. After a bit of searching we found La Cumbre, complete with energetic Chilean shop assistants dancing and singing at the top of their voices to the radio. They were very friendly and helpful, despite laughing at me struggling to discuss the technical details of outdoor clothing in my rusty Spanish (which they thought was funny because I sounded Spanish and not Chilean)! There was interest in where Steve and I were from, where we are going and what we are doing. And when – it seems the main point to note here is that it is very windy and the weather is not great for flying so no travel plans further south can be set in stone.

We made the customary visit to Magellan’s statue to rub and/or kiss the toe of the Patagon native. This is done to ensure that (a) you will return to Patagonia and/or (b) that you will return safely from Antarctica. I rubbed his toe the last time I was here and have returned. This time, with my trip to Antarctica imminent I made sure I gave a few pecks and a massage for good measure.

I met Steve (British Antarctic Survey; BAS) at Heathrow (1 flight down, 4 to go). The highlight of the many hours in the air was flying across the Andes to Santiago (early morning flight 4) and on down to Punta (flight 5). Flying over the Andes towards Punta on such a clear day was incredible, even more so when the Captain announced that in twenty minutes we would be flying past Volcan Hudson (1,600 km south of Santiago) which had just started erupting one hour earlier (that means just as we were taking off)! I thought I’d misheard but sure enough, there out of the window we saw the ash cloud rising and as the news spread the whole plane became a hive of activity and Chilean chatter as everyone peered out of the windows to see the spectacle below. Nearing the end of our 40 hour journey this excitement soon woke us up.

On arrival in Punta we were met by Agunsa. Later we ate in La Luna – the restaurant where, three years ago when on our honeymoon Steve (husband) and I met Steve (BAS) and other colleagues by chance one December evening, as you do. Punta might be at the southern tip of Chile but it’s a hub of activity, and a small world in terms of links with Antarctica – the hotel is full of people waiting for the weather window to continue their journey to Antarctica, whether to the South Shetlands, Halley, Rothera, Novo etc. A day or two for us to wait before our flight to the South Shetlands – currently scheduled for Sunday – weather permitting …

Checked in, bags packed and only a few hours until I start the first leg of the journey to southern Chile. A door to door journey time of almost 40 hours lies ahead on my route from Newcastle via Frankfurt, Madrid and Santiago to Punta Arenas. I am already looking forward to some respite in Punta before the final leg of the journey to Jubany at the weekend!

I have no idea what internet access will be like during my time away but will update this when I can!

Less than a week to go now. I have completed the vast amount of paper work required for a two-month field campaign down south – the next challenge will be to fit the mountain of items I have selected to take with me into my kit bag …

In October-December 2011 I am taking part in an IMCOAST (http://www.imcoast.org/) field campaign via collaborations with the British Antarctic Survey, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine research, and the Argentine Antarctic Institute.

I am a Senior Research Associate in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University, UK. My research focuses on the use of biomarkers (“molecular fossils”) for reconstructing past environmental and climatic change using lake sediment archives and with the main focus on the Quaternary (the last 2.6 million years). Examination of the molecular remains of organisms (e.g. plants, algae, bacteria) in lake sediments can tell us what was living in the lake in the past and thus what the environment and climate was like.

My interest in Antarctica focuses on providing new information on how temperature and precipitation have changed in the South Atlantic region of the Southern Ocean, in particular over the past 5000 years. By studying the impact natural warming has had on climatically significant areas around the world, such as the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic region, we will be able to better understand the impact that ‘global warming’ may have in the future.