Winter wonderland

So this month it finally happened. Winter is upon us. Even though this was something I have been preparing for mentally since August last year, it was still a very strange sensation to see the JCR appear on the horizon, dock and depart from the wharf and then suddenly realize this is it! We are cut off from the world. It was also as if nature caught onto our mood as well, with a sudden snow flurry and a deep dark foreboding sky – that really helped!

But to experience an Antarctic winter is what we signed up for – this is why we’re here, all 22 of us on the wharf contemplating just exactly what it is we've just committed ourselves to. Mustn’t grumble though, there's no way off now!

In the majority or A-list and ALL B-list movies, this is when the deep buried alien space ship should suddenly appear and flood the point with green slimy creatures, and no matter how hard we scream no one can help! I did look about for it this week but didn’t see it, so it’s probably waiting until the 24hr darkness, more dramatic that way.

But maybe that is not our biggest worry… maybe a bigger worry that it only took until the first weekend for us to all look like this!!! Help is a long way away…

But what would happen if the aliens did turn up that night though – what would they think? How would they explain that one back home at the space port... "Those humans really are an odd lot, eh Zorg? Yeah, you're right Bill. Glad we're home Zorg, that was all a bit too weird for me"

Aaahhhhhh...

Jude and Dude are back!

Any other duties deemed necessary

On most modern job descriptions or contracts, after the list of duties and responsibilities, comes the verbiage: “And any other duties deemed necessary that may occur from time to time”. It is basically Management 101 speak for whatever else we can think of that you should do. OK – cool. Now imagine if under the category of ‘Any other duties deemed necessary blah blah blah’ ended casually with the sentence from the Chief Director, “… OH! and yes, I nearly forgot… we’d like you to speak live into a web cam to two billion people.”

A quick change of underwear later and I was back stating “Sure no problem… love to. Love to!”

Not having TV in Antarctica, I don’t know the impact of International Polar Year (IPY – which is incidentally two years!) and Live Earth, but if my chums back home are anything to go by then the Antarctic was in the news often earlier this year… and now that the Live Earth band line ups are being announced it’s all heating up again.

Well obviously BAS is a big player in IPY, and what better than a live broadcast from the South Pole than during Live Earth. We’re all very keen, but the question is: what do you say to two billion people?!?!! I’m sure that is probably a slight over exaggeration, but lets say the organisers over estimated 100%, that’s still a billion people! Even if they over estimated by 200% that’s still half a billion… I could go on… it’s just an awful lot of people! What if I have a wardrobe malfunction, or even worse a bad hair day – we’ll have to postpone. I’m sure Al Gore would understand, he must have had a bad hair day once!

But, I’m really excited about it now! One of those: this is why I was put on the planet type revelations.

Of course the gang here are very much in the ‘Let’s see how you can slip this word into the sentence…” type humour. Like “Hey Mike, see if you can slip Armadillo into the interview -giggle- go on -giggle- go on”. There were, of course, far worse suggestions than Armadillo, but we’ll leave that for here. After far more direct and embarrassing threats I have take the decision to lock myself in the tower should this event come to fruition. It is sound proof and people cannot run behind me wearing a diving mask screaming, “Look at me’ bits” into the camera. I am no expert but this is important for live broadcasts I feel.

So then there is the filming of the Rothera band for this worldwide TV production, and yep... your humble narrator for this blog is just for the day 'The Cameraman' (Ref: Any other duties deem…) But you’ll have to wait till July to see any footage :)

Aaannnnnnnddddddd….. ACTION!

We could be (Antarctic) heros

The question that has daunted many a Rothera winterer since ‘way back… way back…’: is it a holiday, is it work? No! It’s the ‘BAS Winter Trip’. The answer, incidentally, is a combo of the two.

Out of the 22 wintering staff on base five are Field General Assistants, or Guides in the real world, and the winter trip consists of each of us punters being given a guide to ourselves and told we can go on a real Antarctic expedition to anywhere we want (within reason) for up to six days. We can climb Antarctic mountains, ski or board down, hike, camp, boating, and man hauling (for the slightly deranged!) or simply taking it easy in the local area. This is kind of a cool BAS perk if the truth be told… no other Antarctic operator allows staff these sorts of excursions away from base, and this is way outside the remit of the tourist industry. It is also the worlds best staff retention program ever devised by any organization… ever!

I myself chose a two day distant ski-doo journey to the west of the island to explore the old abandoned BAS research base Carvajal, along with my guide Mad Lizzie, with Disco, Kenny, Scott the Scot and Roger Roger; and this ladies and gentlemen, is our story of survival in the extreme Antarctic outback…

Those of you who have been camping before will know the drill. A backpack packed full of essentials and a good book; the extravagant amongst us may use the car and take along some luxuries, like a gas cooker for example. But in true BAS style we take over one ton of equipment for a week trip! Two full sledges worth. There is enough food and fuel in those boxes for two people to survive 40 days in a tent if the weather breaks! No, I am not exaggerating. Forty days… oh what to give up while stuck in a tent! Sanity maybe?

So 5:00am Friday 23rd, gentlemen: start your engines.

The only way (by doo) to get to the other side of Alidade Island, is to ~insert scarey lightning sound effect~ travel through McCallum’s Pass ~insert scary lightning sound effect again~. McCallum’s pass is only known for one thing: Crevasses. Crevasses are only known to do one thing; produce big gapping holes for people and doo’s to fall through. And it wasn’t funny. Not at all.

But once through the pass the journey was amazing, real Antarctica beckoned. With Fuchs Piedmont to my right, which is white and flat as far as the eye could see, and the mountain ranges of Adelaide to my left. Stunning scenery.

Later that afternoon we arrive at our destination! The base being down at the bottom of another crevasse plagued ice slope! More flagging required, with myself having the dubious honor of planting this seasons first flag!


Once down the slope we meet the incumbent inhabitants of Carvajal… tens of thousands of fur seals! And what odd creatures they are too. Why nature designs a highly communal animal that is so aggressive is beyond me. They bicker all day long.

They weren’t too impressed with us initially either, big lumbering orange bipeds smiling saying “heeeelllllooooooo” is not their idea of a laugh. Attempting to bite us was. Aggressive little blighters. Our other neighbors were 20 or so Elephant seals doing a mightily fine impression of Jabber the Hut, and two penguins!

Morning!

One of the great things about sharing an abandoned base with only five other people is that you can choose from an entire wing where to sleep, which sounds wonderful… in theory. Digressing slightly: I had many a reference from friends regarding the ‘Shinning’ before departing on this gig and it all came to an actuality at Carvajal. I’m telling you, the only thing missing from this photograph are the twin girls on their tricycles… this corridor was truly terrifying!!!

But in actual fact it was a very relaxing time, lots of reading, cooking, drinking, sitting on cliff faces watching the wildlife and sunsets… with no base hassles :-0

As with any ‘holiday’ the end comes around quickly and the journey home was soon to be made. Due to weather and low contrast McCallum’s Pass was not possible – so camping Antarctic styley, and back to base in the morning!

I am now an official Antarctic hero (in my mind anyway!!!)