ANTARCTICA TIMES: Feb 2000

OK, so it's over a month late. Those of you whose birthdays I sometimes remember will know that this is nothing exceptional. I arrived back from the Falklands on January 5th and soon had to spend a week doing nightwatch. This involves doing several rounds of all the base buildings, checking that everyone is signed in by midnight, making meteorological observations and some general base cleaning, tidying and washing. We no longer had 24 hour sunlight but it was still light throughout the night with some spectacular sunsets and sunrises, scarcely three hours apart. Later there was a visit from the US National Science Foundation ship Lawrence M Gould and at the end of the month I was able to go off base at last.

Going back briefly to December, just before I left base, the James Clark Ross arrived with our resupply. Lots of new faces on base and containers and packing cases strewn everywhere. In the two trips (the second was over New Year) they brought everything to repair, replenish and rebuild for another year. From computers and toothbrushes to climbing rope and generators, it all had to be opened, sorted and stowed. The surgery got some new goodies, a slit lamp, an ECG machine and a new Blease anaesthetic machine to replace the old Fluoxair, I'm hanging onto the Schimmelbush mask though. Apart from the scientists with their equipment, the ship also brought a construction team and everything to build the new accommodation block and communications tower. These major projects will make the base more comfortable and functional in years to come.

Visit of the Lawrence M Gould - 17th January

The American Antarctic Program is run by the National Science Program much as we come under the umbrella of the Natural Environment Research Council. One of their ships called into Rothera and took a group of our scientists out to some of the further islands that are not normally accessible to us. The LMG is not a beautiful ship by any stretch of the imagination but it was fun having her crew ashore (they brought real coca cola in glass bottles and got really excited about Boddingtons and Guinness) and I was able to go aboard and compare medical setups with Randy, one of their EMTs. Thats Emergency Medical Technician, equivalent to our paramedic. The LMG left in somewhat of a hurry and, rather than tie up at our wharf she just came alongside and hoisted people on and off standing on a buoy slung from a cone of netting! Great fun.

Uplifting Sledge India/Hotel

During January I was joined by another Dr, Randal McRoberts, who, having done the overwintering job two years ago, was coming back as summer base doctor. This meant I could go out into the field for a while. I went as co-pilot to Andy Alsop on one of the Twin Otter aircraft to help bring two sledge parties back to base. The science field trips are traditionally referred to as sledge parties and denoted by the phonetic radio alphabet. Hotel and India had been out for 10 weeks doing seismic and ground penetrating radar work on the Rutford Ice Stream past 78° south and in sight of the Ellsworth mountains. This is where Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica at 5140m, is found. They had travelled north to the Evans Ice Stream at 75°48' south, an area renowned for its bad weather. We homed in on their camp in a vast featureless expanse of white using GPS. After landing a mile to the east we taxied in a zigzag through blowing snow that obscured everything below 20 feet. Eventually we saw the flag line they had put out and then the orange looming of pyramid tents and wind-jacketed figures. In freezing conditions we hurriedly loaded two skidoos and as much equipment as possible into the plane. A second plane ten minutes behind us was to pick up two people and more kit. However, the weather closed in and it couldn't land. The sledge parties were then laid-up for nearly two weeks for most of which they couldn't even leave their tents and were reduced to using VHF to talk between them.

Mt Lanzarote and blue ice		Ice runway at sunset

A fortnight later I was lucky enough to get on the second attempt to get them out. We flew to Sky Blu which is the forward aircraft refuelling site that BAS operates on the mainland. It is based on an area of naturally clear "blue ice" created by turbulence of the prevailing wind as it passes a small nunatak, Mt Lanzarote. With a little help from the crew stationed there this leaves a mirror smooth surface on which aircraft can land without skis and has been the source of more than a few injuries this year. It allows the larger Dash 7 aeroplane to go there and deliver fuel barrels. We waited there for a hole in the weather, getting hourly updates from the sledge parties and from our meteorologist at Rothera. Suddenly it cleared over the Evans and three planes set off to bring them back.

We were successful and picked up four weathered, bearded (except for Chandrika) and slightly shell-shocked venturers (Manu and Steve pictured). They had seen almost no-one for twelve weeks. I gave them the apple and cheese sandwich from my lunch which seemed to go down well after so long on tinned and dried rations.

Fossil Bluff

On the way back I stopped off to stay at Fossil Bluff. This is another refuelling point but based at a hut built in the early 60's which is on the west coast of Alexander Island overlooking the permanently frozen George VI Sound. It is a beautiful spot nestling under the hills, with good walking and the ubiquitous fossils after which it is named. The hut is for summer only now but used to accommodate wintering groups and really gives one a feel for what it must have been like in years gone by. It has a cosy aga, bunks, meltwater tank and stunning views. The separate food store behind it is known as Tesco's. This year, degradation of the ice uncovered the mummified bodies of four huskies, a reminder of the way things used to be. I cooked , walked over Pyramid (below), refuelled planes and read the diary from 1969 - a wonderful break.

Alexander Island		Flypast and George VI Sound		Fossil Bluff
Inside: George and Tess		Pyramid		A windy evening

So it was a busy month, hence not many emails sent, but a good one. I hope all is well with everyone at home. Best wishes, Chris.

The Lawrence M Gould departs Rothera as the sun sets over Jenny Island

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