Lake Hāwea mountaineer Lydia Bradey has reflected on her recent expedition to South Georgia to mark the centenary of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final expedition.

In October 2023 Lydia and her partner Dean Staples - both international mountain guides - joined 22 young New Zealand explorers on an Antarctic Heritage Trust trip which followed in Shackleton’s footsteps.

Lydia told The Outlet Podcast that she and Dean led a smaller group of four “inspiring explorers” to attempt the second descent - and the first New Zealand ascent - of Mt Worlsey on the island of South Georgia.

However their plans did not go exactly to plan.

“South Georgia has this chain of mountains running down it that … worked just like Te Waiponamu, the South Island, where the weather comes from the west, dumps all its rain, and on the east side it's relatively nice,” she said.

But the group only had a concession for Mt Worsley, not the whole range; there was a variety of strength and fitness in the group; and the weather forecast was “pretty pox”, she said, which meant the summit attempt would have required about four days.

“So we were a little bit frustrated,” she said. 

“But the whole mission was the most amazing, amazing experience. We did climb a little mountain and it was very, very cool because the people on the boat [Antarctica21’s Magellan Explorer] could watch us because the mountain route was in skyline profile.”

Even that climb was under time pressure as the group had to be back to the boat by dark, as when the boat lights go on the risk of major bird strike is high. In addition to the time pressure, the weather was very windy.

“It was really interesting juggling all those [elements],” Lydia said.

“We had a fantastic little ascent, a ski touring and then climbing ascent. It was all these funky wee things that happened, and it was a wonderful team.”

The group spent eight days exploring the island, following in Shackleton’s footsteps and visiting various locations of historical significance.

Members of the team included former NZ Prime Minister Rt Hon Helen Clark and her husband Peter Davis, as well as the “amazing science staff”, Lydia said.

The Antarctic Heritage Trust does “incredible work” in Antarctica, she added. 

“I would love to go back and do some mountaineering on that incredibly remote and beautiful mountain.”

Mt Worsley was named after New Zealand explorer Frank Worsley who was one of the members of polar explorer Shackleton’s most remarkable expedition: the Trans-Antarctic (Endurance) Expedition of 1914–16.

Listen to The Outlet Podcast here.