Around The Horn

A crew navigates Cape Horn and Tierra Del Fuego by sailboat.

By Peak Design

The Crew

It began with familiar faces: adventure photographers Greg Annandale and Alex Buisse. If you’ve been following Peak Design for awhile you probably know Alex from our Pro Team, as well as our photo workshop at the Arc’teryx Alpine Academy. He’s a busy guy in the world of mountain photography, and as busy people tend to do, he recently got busier.
Vertical Shot Expeditions, a small photography expedition company with a wild portfolio of trips, added Alex to their arsenal of trip leaders a few months back. Shortly thereafter, the team decided to go scouting for a new adventure: sailing around the Southernmost tip of South America, weaving in and out of the vast glacial fjords that streak the mostly uninhabited landscape. Ugh, talk about taking one for the team.

Greg Annandale first came to us as a Kickstarter backer in 2012. His off the charts Instagram account speaks to his dedication to adventure photography. Greg had actually attended a past trip with Vertical Shot. Because the Tierra Del Fuego trip was a scouting mission, Vertical Shot stacked their crew with experienced skippers and adventurers, and henceforth added Greg to the mix.

All in all, 11 folks convened in Ushuaia (Argentina’s southernmost town) this March to sail an undetermined route in a rented vessel. And while nobody knew exactly what they’d come across, they all knew they were in for a treat.

Panorama view of Caleta Beaulieu at sunset, Selma (boat) anchored in the cove and Cordillera Darwin in the distance. Photo by Alex Buisse.

The Rig

Selma was her name. She was a 60-foot ketch (double-masted yacht with a larger fore mast) with exactly enough bunks to house the crew of 11. They spent several says stocking up in Ushuaia and set sail on March 13th, not to return until the end of the month.

Ushuaia is located on the shore of the Beagle Channel, a wide sound that runs all the way through the Southern tip of South America. Within the channel seas are relatively calm. But once the crew left the channel, things got dicey.

Alex Buisse climbs atop the mast for a new perspective, camera tethered with a Leash. Photo by Greg Annandale.

AROUND CAPE HORN

Some people feel good enough just going to the top floor of the Empire State Building. This crew would not be among those people. No, they wouldn’t stop until they had climbed to the very top of the building’s mast. Heck, look at the picture directly above and tell us they wouldn’t do that.

That’s why our crew couldn’t just explore the fjords around Beagle Channel. Instead, they left the protected lee of the surrounding land and embarked on a 2-day nonstop journey across open seas to circumnavigate Cape Horn, the absolute lowest point of the continent.

They sailed overnight to get to Cape Horn, went around the horn during the day, and then spent the following night returning to the Beagle Channel. Winds reached 40 knots, creating swells of 5-6 meters.

Crew member Charlie Bilsland steers Selma near Cape Horn while the rest of the crew fight seasickness. Photo by Alex Buisse.

Rough waves near Cape Horn. Photo by Alex Buisse.

YENDEGAiA

With two days of white knuckle sailing under their belts, Greg, Alex and the crew found themselves back where they started, ready to head west along the Beagle Channel to scope out the endless sounds and inlets in the region.

The Yendegaia Bay became the team’s first stop. Waters were calm. For a brief time thick flakes of snow fell. The crew took the dinghy out to explore the shoreline, and in the process made some friends.

Light effects above Selma in Yendegaya bay. Photo by Alex Buisse.

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Sea lions followed the crew's dinghy as they motored ashore in Yendegaia Bay. Photo by Alex Buisse.

CalEta olla & CalEta Beaulieu

Caleta is Spanish for “cove,” and this glacial landscape was full of them.

The next stop was Caleta Olla, a remote half-moon beach West of Yendegaia. Here the team decided to head to shore and hike for a couple days. Hours of bushwacking lead to incredible vistas.

Another several hours sail West lied Caleta Beaulieu, a similar sized cove situated in the middle of the spectacular Pia fjord.

Greg Annandale snaps a shot of Selma from high above Calata Olla. Greg and crew used SlideLITE to carry their cameras throughout the trip.

Greg Annandale and Alex Shanks hike above Caleta Olla. Greg used his Capture to keep his camera handy at all times. Photo by Alex Buisse.

pia Fjord

Pia and Pia West are a pair of long fjords that both back up to the Pia Glacier, a magnificently sprawling glacier on the coast of Chilean Patagonia. The team spent several days in Pia, taking in the enormity and unworldly beauty of this millenias-old block of ice.

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Captain Tomasz Lopata and Dayle Prowse on Selma seen from the dinghy in Pia fjord. Photo by Alex Buisse.

The dinghy reaches shore in the Pia fjord, with Cordillera Darwin in the background. Photo by Alex Buisse.

The Return

On their return to Ushuaia, Greg, Alex, and crew explored more spots, including Estero Coloane, Puerto Williams and many other breathtaking, unnamed features along the Beagle Channel. The team of 11 returned to their respective homes happy and healthy, and with a new Vertical Shot expedition in the works.