One thing that makes the journey to basement so perilous is the Samsung Whirlpool.
This is a massive whirlpool that appears once a week near the dock on Basement.
It’s generally predictable, but there are some weeks it comes early or not at all.
No one lives in Basement, but travelers, researchers, and tourists visit for various reasons during the summer when the temperatures are above freezing.
People usually travel to Basement by boat, but we were fortunate enough to have an air balloon to carry us over this massive whirlpool.
I was so scared of dropping my camera into the whirlpool or falling in myself, but we made the passage safely there and back.