The biggest glacier on Kerguelen is named after the captain James Cook. He arrived to the archipelago just few years after Kerguelen – in 1776 and it was just Chistmas time.
The bay in the northern tip of the island where he landed has the name Port Christmas. Both explorers at this time called the archipelago Desolation Islands. Without any single tree, without any people living on it, with extremely unpleasant, windy and stormy weather Kerguelen Archipelago really appeared like a deserted, inhospitable and harsh land. I cannot see many changes.
It is cloudy and I do not have a chance to see attractive Cook’s Glacier even from the distance. You can try to find it on the satellite map. In the afternoon I took the heli flight to take back my fellow travelers from distant (28 kms) Ratmanoff Cottage. It is hard to say that it is picturesque place. Located in the boring, flat plateau of Courbet Peninsula some 500 m inland from the beach this cottage can accommodate 12 people on the bunk beds. The only attraction is trout fishing in the little river and optional walk to the beach with king penguins and elephant seals – but we already know them well. To spend the night in the cottage you have to bring your own sleeping bag (zero deg. Celsius range required – organizers do not provide them).
Do you think is this worth to carry such a bag from Europe to use it only twice in the outback cottage?
