MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News Update
Daniel (left) and Pete Biggs rest on the slopes of Mount Aconcagua Headlines: Biggs duo on top of the world; For sale housing plots £100,000 an acre; Ocean Nova safely afloat again.
Biggs duo on top of the worldTWO tired but elated Falkland Islanders made contact with their relieved family on Tuesday from the summit of the highest mountain outside of Asia. Major of the Falkland Islands Defence Force, Pete Biggs (57) and his son Daniel (25) were at the summit of Mount Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes, 22,841 feet (6,962 metres) above sea level after ten days of arduous climbing and coping with the effects of the extreme altitude. Mt Aconcagua is some 15 kilometres from the border of Chile and is the highest moutain in the Southern hemisphere. Brought up in South Georgia, surrounded by challenging peaks, most of which he scaled in his youth, it has been a long held ambition of Mr Biggs' to stand at the summit of Aconcagua, a mountain which has claimed the lives of many. This season in particular has been above average with six climbers dying in their attempts to reach the summit. This successful ascent was his third attempt and the second for Daniel. The first attempt in 2006 came to an end when Major Biggs' climbing colleague became seriously ill with altitude sickness and had to be helped to base camp and was subsequently hospitalised. In 2007 Pete and Daniel challenged the slopes together and had the summit in their sights but unfortunately had to abandon the final climb due to time constraints and safety issues. Speaking from the summit just after 3pm on Tuesday, father and son were relieved and happy to have completed their ascent. Major Biggs said they had spent some ten days on the climb in altitudes so high at times it became almost impossible to heat food or sleep. They were also forced to remain stationary for three days following a period of sickness. The determined pair completed their descent on Thursday followed by a 25 mile hike and bus ride into Mendoza and plan to return to the Falklands on Saturday's LAN flight. For sale housing plots £100,000 an acreTHE price of housing plots has escalated to such an extent that some young people fear they will never be able to afford to settle in the Falklands. Land at the Leading Lights in East Stanley was recently put out for tender by Government with no reserve price. Several prospective buyers whose initial tenders were rejected, were horrified to learn that a reserve price of £100,000 per acre was in place when asked to retender. Five unserviced residential building plots at 28 and 30 Hansen Hill and 13, 15 and 17 Sulivan Street, East Stanley were put out to tender along with building restrictions to comply with access to the leading lights. It was recommended to Executive Council in June 2008 that the land at the Leading Lights be used for housing development. Councillor John Birmingham who holds the portfolio on land use and public services said that ExCo instructed the Director of Public Works to proceed with detailed planning and a reserve price was set. He said Exco also instructed that the reserve price would not be made public. Cllr Birmingham said the reserve price set was based on recent sales of FIG land for housing development and also took into account the average price in 2007 for a private plot which was around £200,000 per acre. Asked if any consideration had been given to the high cost of servicing the plots and the shortage of housing, Executive Council member Mike Rendell said that it all came down to what people are willing to pay: "The idea was to get the Leading Lights area populated and it's a fair way to put plots on the market," he said. "The reserve price was set at the calculated going rate and it would be wrong for FIG to undercut it," he added. He agreed that it was difficult for young and first time buyers to get on the housing ladder. "It requires a system such as a shared equity process to be agreed with the bank," he said. Cllr Birmingham said that he and other councillors were aware of the need, "to bring on-stream more housing plots." • See page 9 for the concerns of one young couple struggling to get on the housing ladder. Ocean Nova safely afloat againTHE second cruise ship to go aground in Antarctica in a matter of months was safely refloated on the Wednesday evening tide after two earlier attempts had failed. Quark Expedition's cruise ship, MV Ocean Nova, ran aground in Marguerite Bay, west of Debenham Island, approximately two kilometres from the Argentine Antarctic research station, San Martin in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The 65 passengers aboard the vessel were safely transferred to another Quark Expeditions vessel, MV Clipper Adventurer,which is now taking them to Ushuaia. Quark Expedition's President, Patrick Shaw said: "We are grateful that no environmental damage occurred and that all travellers who were aboard Ocean Nova are safe." A spokesman for the company said that an inspection video of the hull was undertaken by divers from scientific research vessel Hespérides,before and after the refloating and that no leaking or environmental damage had been caused. If a further inspection on the ship's return to Ushuaia confirms the video findings, Quark Expeditions will operate the February 22, 2009 departure of Ocean Nova, a 20-day voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Built in 1992 to sail the ice-choked waters of Greenland, Ocean Novahas an ice-strengthened hull. The ship has been part of the Quark fleet since 2006. The Ocean Nova is under the command of a former Danish naval officer with almost a quarter-century of polar navigation. Captain Per Gravesen worked with the Royal Greenland Trade Company as navigator, then ultimately as captain.
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