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!!!)

Laters...

Certain events bring home the reality that the end of the season is nigh. It started last week with the departure of the last planes from Rothera. Having lived with the regular sounds and activities that come with living by a runway, after the Dash 7’s fly-by everything suddenly seemed very quiet. The last two Otters and the Dash head north back to Canada where they will chill out and get ridiculously pampered and massaged for the entire northern hemispheres summer.

Today was a pretty heavy day also… we said goodbye to the majority of the 2006 winterers, some of whom seem like they’ve been at Rothera for 100 years!!! And oh what wags they were!!! One thing I was previously unaware of is that on the eve before departure, it is standard practice for the departing winterers to basically booby trap the entire base, and generally cause mayhem for the new guys. So, after returning from the ship’s bar in the wee hours of the morning, my room is locked and the only way in is to release the safety catch by a long ski pole while standing in the back of a gator and getting someone to give you a leg up. Not ideal in –10 C after a larger shandy or two! By morning the full extend of the ‘pranks’ was becoming more apparent. Ever eaten you cereal with a folk? I did this morning – no spoons! Today we listened exclusively Russian radio. Rice in boots! Our lab literally tied up with rope, the list does go on! With a guaranteed hangover via the generosity of the ship, it’s just how everyone wants to start the day! And you know it… we’ll do just the same to the next mob! Full circle.

But it was sad to say goodbye to so many people that I have lived, worked and played with continually for the last four months. We all gathered at the wharf to wave off the troops heading back to the real world.

The gangplank is raised. This is it; ladies and gentlemen: The Shackleton has left the station. Cheers and tears begin, as do the flares and explosives for the less emotional amongst us. And the even less emotional and complete total nutters take to the chasing the ship in a Rib! Cool effect though guys!

It is strange though how long we did stand there and watch it. There is something very powerful about watching your link to the outside world getting smaller and smaller. I really wonder now how we will all react in three weeks when the RSS JCR departs.

That will leave the 22 staying for the winter behind, and signaling our last physical contact with the outside world until the sea ice breaks up at the start of next summer!

Training Day

In the good ole days training use to generally consist of anything from a half day to five days sitting in an air conditioned room, listening to ladies and gentleman of varying degrees of teaching skill and subject matter knowledge, instill the latest trend within my brain. IT, H&S, Risk Assessment, Managing People Effectively, Fire Extinguishers!!!… I’ve had ‘em all, and generally quite enjoy training, often something amusing will happen over the duration of the course, and most of the time you do come out a finer educated individual. But in well over a decade in Corporate America never did the words ‘crevasse’ and ‘training’ ever get put together.

But in all fareness I suppose the chance of falling through a thin snow crust into a cathedral like underground chasm doesn’t generally concern your average Cambridge MA/UK or New York citizen. Many things do concern those aforementioned folk, just not crevasses.

The entrance is, well – a hole in the snow.

With the aid of only a rope and my (lethal) 16-spike boot crampons the journey down begins.

My initial mental image was drippy and dark. So wrong, so so wrong. The layer covering some of the vertical shafts is literally only a few cm’s thick; thin enough for copious amounts of sunlight to stream down into the ice tunnels, with it’s remarkable blue luminosity.

The pictures help describe the scene below the surface, but the ambiance is harder to capture. It feels like something from a magical fantasyland.

Blimey, isn't nature very clever...

... and very beautiful :)

The Mars Bar Liberation Front

Every now and then something on base can occur, or is seen, that makes me smile. Maybe it’s the lack of new stimuli to kindle the mind; therefore the brain grasps onto everyday occurrences that really aren’t very funny, and twists it around in your psyche and suddenly it’s funny. Like a natural self-preservation mechanism to stop you going insane in an isolated environment.

There are only two things that are kept under lock and key on base. One is alcohol – fair enough, a sensible precaution. The other is chocolate. BAS employs some of the greatest minds on the planet, the very best in their field, and yet with all this natural high IQ swirling around the base, as mature adults we are still not trusted not to eat an entire seasons supply of chocolate in one session.

BAS has a lot of experience in managing bases in Antarctica, they’ve been doing it for over 60 years, and apparently it is a mathematical certainty that should this chocolate be left unguarded then we would suddenly and without any warning, revert into a child like state of chocolate fiends, with the strongest and fittest returning from the food bays with faces covered in melted Mars bar, dribbling, leaving in their wake a trail of smaller and weaker colleagues fighting for survival. Darwin would have been proud.

You have a 'Point'

It struck me earlier this week that I hadn’t wandered around ‘The Point’ for a while. This was something I did a lot upon arriving, and enjoyed. A lovely evening was budding, so on with the boots, my timeless fluorescent orange BAS jacket; black shades; orange hat; black gloves… check check check. Go Go Go.

The evening was indeed wonderful, and it seemed that the local wildlife also agreed that it was a good night to chill out soaking in the last of the suns rays. But to be honest, every evening is ideal for the local Point residents to take it easy and relax.

I truly love penguins. They are wonderful birds. They are the only creatures I know that can be both comical and graceful simultaneously. And they really do have such different characters. There are the bold ones who will come right up to you in such a rush, the sleepy ones and the chatty “Quarking” ones. Wing flappers, self-centered constant groomers and finally the all day sleepers.

The huge variety of seals were also taking the night off, many of whom were showing off their brand new shinny coats after spending a few weeks looking very sorry for themselves, as they left massive amounts of seal fur everywhere as part of their annual molting exercise!

A Brief History of Rothera Point is as follows. John Biscoe, Master of the Tula, first sighted Adelaide Island as he was completing a circumnavigation of the continent in February 1832. However, it was not until the British Graham Land Expedition of 1934-37 that Adelaide could be confirmed as an island. Biscoe named the island after Queen Adelaide.

John Rothera and Peter Gibbs first surveyed the Point in the austral winter of 1957, and in true Antarctic style is named after the first person to set foot there. During the 1960-61 season an attempt to establish a base on the point was foiled by ice conditions in Marguerite Bay and as a compromise Adelaide station was built. In 1975, due to rapidly deteriorating surfaces at Adelaide skyway all flying operations were eventually transferred to the Rothera skyway.

By February 1976 a small hut had been built allowing four people to over winter on Rothera Point (now the ‘Chippy shop’). In 1977 the main building was constructed and an extra phase added during 1978-79. Further expansion of the base has been undertaken ever since to cater for the increase in the number of science projects and the necessary increase in personnel to accomplish them.

BAS operations at Adelaide station came to an end in 1977. Between 1977 and 1984 this station was closed but visited by BAS personnel at regular intervals. I will be making a six-day ski-doo trip down to visit the base in early April. Very excited! Anyway during the 1983-84 season the station was informally handed over to the Chilean Air Force. The Chileans formally took possession of the former Adelaide station on 14th August 1984 and renamed it Teniente Luis Carvajal.

But back to today, I steal a quick glance over my shoulder as I round the point and head back to my pit. And there’s Jenny – looking particularly radiant this evening!

Every cloud engenders not a storm

One of the lesser-known facts regarding the Antarctic is that it is actually a desert. The Oxford English Dictionary definition of desert states: “adj: Arid, dry, parched, scorched, torrid”. Not your typical words used to describe this land. As a continent though it has very little precipitation, making it in fact the planets largest desert! Living here on the Antarctic Peninsula however things are a little different, with a healthy yearly accumulation of snow, and in mid summer even a little rain. It rained this afternoon.

Dark menacing storm clouds approaching give the land a very dreamlike ambiance. The majority of colour in this environment does actually derive from the sky, the deep azure blue and fiery red sunsets give the landscape their incredible looks, but with a gray and full cloud covered sky, the entire landscape takes on a monochromatic look. The snow and icebergs somehow maintain their brilliance, while the exposed rock and ocean dim to a dark gray, verging on black.

It is a very surreal feel, like you are moving, living and breathing within a black and white movie.

Hear Hear

As already touched upon, this season has seen a large and varied group of visitors to Rothera, many VIP types including Royalty, MP’s, media folk, Lords… and tonight we had a current government minister. This in itself is quite interesting; he as an individual, and how the base meets and greets such personalities, but it’s the accompanying entourage that always provides the most fascinating conversations. One lesser-known story of MP’s visiting Rothera was regurgitated and has become, in my mind, a classic.

In 1995 a MP visited the then current BAS base of Faraday. The unnamed MP arrived on a tourist cruise ship – and was therefore on unofficial duty – holiday we generally call it. He then proceeds to tour the base and, of course, later that evening enjoys the prerequisite beer in the bar. Conversation flows, beer sunk and the question asked to the winterers “What do you miss most about home?” A common question to anyone away from home for prolonged periods of time. The answer at that particular moment by the base FIDS was “Heinz baked beans”.

Point of Information: Baked beans, and uniquely Heinz baked beans, are instilled in the Limey blood as essential to life from within the womb, an American equivalent is maybe, say… peanut butter. Anyway, the food order had been filled, but when it came to the unloading, unpacking and storing the food, alas the baked beans were nowhere to be found.

That was it, a harmless passing comment over a beer in the base bar… to a Politian!

A while later, in the heart of London, during Prime Ministers ‘Question Time’ in the House of Commons. Said MP stands up and (in politician tones) states: “I ask the honorable gentleman, why... yes why are our hard working scientists down at the south pole are not only sent to endure the hardships of being away from home in the planets toughest environment, but have to do so without the provision of any Heinz Baked Beans anywhere on their base. I ask the honorable member of Parliament to answer to this travesty”

Now, not been a politician myself I cannot answer this with any personal experience. BUT, one thing I do know is that any good Prime Minister does in fact have an answer to any potential question that can be thrown at him during Prime Ministers Question Time held within his large folder, as he stands up to the plinth.

Can you imagine the surprised and the clandestine quick glance back at his aides when asked to answer the mighty “Baked Bean v BAS Government Let Down Scandal” had occurred and thrown in his face, while he knew nothing about it.

This, of course, caused great glee for many. The media got hold of it, BAS Cambridge got hold of it, and naturally Heinz got hold of it, and milked it! In a big public show, crates of beans were dispatched to BAS Cambridge, with instructions to send south to all the bases. Due to further shipping ‘issues’ the beans still did not arrive in time for Faraday, which was at that time about to be closed. But with BAS back filling the horrific negative baked bean order, along with the Heinz supplying a mountain on top of the BAS order… it all came to Rothera. I swear we are still eating that same batch of baked bean from that era. Still, I’d take ten-year-old Heinz Baked Beans over none any day of the week!

"Hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!"

From Ruskies to Royals

One fact that initially surprised me about living on base is the amount of visitors we get here at Rothera. Knowing you’re going to live in Antarctica gives you the mental impression that you are going to be pretty well isolated from the world, but in summer as it happens Rothera is a positive hive of activity… I just left working next to the real UN only to find a pseudo UN attempt at the South Pole!

But with a small amount of neuro-crunching it’s not surprising. Rothera has a 900ft crushed rock runway, a wharf capable of mooring 1000ft ships, fuel to run a small country, damn fine bacon butties and location location location. We are half way up the Antarctic Peninsula, and so the perfect stopover locale for any nationality entering or leaving Antarctica.

It’s also very amusing watching the different nationalities character traits when they arrive on base either by ship or plane. Stereotypes are very much alive and well in the 21st Century. When asked what their plans are for duration of stay, accommodation needs, etc, etc, the Canadians, for example, will look at you implying “I haven’t got a clue… not thought about that yet”, while the Germans have an itinerary printed and will be leaving at 07:23 the next morning. They left at 07.23 that next morning. The Russians had us drinking vodka in the bar until 4:00am after arriving in their 1960’s beat up ‘ole choppers. Seriously, state of the art is a necessity down here, and so it took me a while to work out what was so familiar about the Ruskies aircraft… then it dawned on me: OMG… they’re flying over the pole in a camouflaged Mr Blobby!

And then there are the Americans. They fought long and hard for their freedom, and are very vocal and proud of that status… so what do they do with this liberty. They become the only nation on the planet to ban beer from their ships. A dry ship, at sea for months, comes into contact with British stocked bar… carnage, carnage I tell you. I am still not 100% convinced there are not some hammered Yank scientists still wandering aimlessly around Rothera point singing a half tempo, slurred Bon Jovi ode.

Good night for the band though, ever need to book an amazing cover band in the Antarctic, look no further than Ratchet Death!

The Crowd goes wild !!!

The visits this season had and have a very eclectic feel to them. BAS operates two ships; The RSS James Clark Ross and The RSS Ernest Shackleton. In case you’re interested James Ross was one of Britain’s most successful early polar explorers, discovering the magnetic North pole in 1831. He then proceeded to make three trips down south.

And Ernest… as instilled in all British school children; Ernest Shackleton is up there with Scott as ‘The Man’ when it comes to Antarctic exploration. He first traveled to Antarctica in 1902, but is best known for his survival tale of

when his ship (the Endurance) was trapped and eventually crushed by ice in the Weddell Sea in 1915. His journey from there to South Georgia remains one of the greatest survival journeys in human history.

HMS Endurance also is a regular in Marguerite Bay, and is the official Royal Navy presence in the Antarctic waters. Her helicopters provided some amazing research opportunities and are used extensively by BAS to reach locations that are inaccessible by Twin Otter or would take too long to arrive at by Ski-doo. The arrival of the Endurance also heralds the start of the Antarctic Winter Olympics. It’s a very peculiar site, to be dragged up the glacier on a sledge with helicopters blazing overhead, round the final corner and see this… sort of a M.A.S.H. on ice! Big burley navy boys sculpting mermaids in the ice, igloo-building competitions, you name it we race, build or crafted it! By the way… we won the Olympics!

However, one single event courses through the base upon the visit of any ship… the game of Football. Do not underestimate the importance of these games. Bragging rights travels along way on short-wave. We started this season with a record of played three, lost three! It hurt. They were close against our own kind, the BAS crew. But the Navy won 5-0… we don’t talk about that.

Look at this formation, how could we lose.

So optimism was high with the arrival of the Gould. Surely we had to win this one. We had too… they’re yanks! They can’t play “soccer”. Plans were in place to uplift the team back to the UK should we lose, the shame imposed on us would make our staying here untenable. But, we didn’t. A decisive victory in the end it has to be said. What is said a little less is that half the team was girls, and they were their best players!

And… we had Royalty. The Princess Royal visited Rothera as part of the International Polar Year. I was able to chat on a few occasions, including escorting the Royal party from HMS Endurance to the base, and can say that her and Rear Admiral Lawrence are cool people. A real pleasure to talk to. I won’t mention any more details for fear of men suddenly crashing through the ceiling on ropes to pull me away.

The final message though is that visits from the other nations ships and ‘planes are incredibly looked forward to by the base personnel. It brings news faces, new conversations (and in the case of the Russians, new alcohol) and makes you realize the politics of the “real” world carry no weight here. Collaboration down South between the world’s nations is 100% forthcoming and absolute.