Thursday 25 February 2010

Off Base for a Holiday

Back in January I got away from the hustle and bustle of base for a couple of weeks, out to some of our field camps further south and much deeper into Antarctica. I was about as ready as someone can be to get away from base - by this I mean I would have killed someone if I had stayed at Rothera another day.

First it was off to Sky Blu, our forward operating station which is based at a natural formation of blue ice; which is basically a huge ice rink. Here our largest aircraft, the Dash 7 can land on wheels (it dosnt have skis) and unload its cargo of food, fuel, and scientific equipment to support the base in this isolated location; over 800 miles from Rothera and 150 miles from the nearest human occupied site - an American field camp at a site called Patriot Hills


Sky Blu, a collection of melon huts, weather haven and pyramid tents


I spent about a week at Sky Blu, driving machines to clear snow from the runway, raising tents, refueling planes, and generally helping with the running of the site.

Eventually it was time to head south again, this time by a smaller aircraft, a Twin Otter; fitted with wheel skis, these aircraft are able to land pretty much anywhere and are the workhorses which take our sledge parties and their equipment into the deep field, about as far away from civilisation as it is possible to get.


Arrival at Rabid by Twin Otter


I was being taken to a deep field depot known as Rabid, here a sledge party of four people (Dr Andy Smith, Roger Stilwell, Iain Rudkin, and Sam Doyle; collectively known as sledge November) had been working for over two months conducting seismic surveys, GPS work, and radar surveys of the Rutford ice stream on the edge of the Ellsworth mountain range.


The Ellsworth Mountains - the tiny black dots at the base of the peaks are scientists on skidoos



Me with the Ellsworth range in the background



Rabid field camp


My job here, other than to help my mate Rog drink all his whisky, was to move the fuel depot a few miles upstream to create a new depot called Beamish (I dont know why its called this, it just is) which will be used in several years time on a planned project to drill through the ice and collect a sample of the bedrock from deep below. Andy Smith has calculated the position that the depot should be placed now, so that in four years time it will arrive in the right location for his work as the flow of the ice stream takes it towards the coast. Clever eh?


The fuel depot to be moved - lots for drums


Twin Otter returns to pick me up


After a few days of moving drums of aviation fuel and working in 24hour glorious sunshine, the new depot was set up and my work here completed, so the Twin Otter aircraft came to pick me up; returning me to Sky Blu for a few more days.

I couldn't avoid the inevitable and eventually I had to board the Dash and return to Rothera, the base motto; Work is Freedom, I hear we are getting it put up on a big sign.



In the cockpit of the Dash - they do look where they are flying sometimes, and even hold the controls on occasion


Blue seas and blue skies - view from the Dash