Friday 7 October 2005
Sledge Golf
Well I'm back from my last winter trip after nine nights out in the field. We spent the first day on base collecting together all the gear we needed and lashing the sledges in bright sunshine. The weather had been really good recently and the following day promised more of the same so we were hopeful for a good trip. We were heading for the Hinge Zone - a part of the Brunt Ice Shelf I've visited several times previously. This time though our aim was to push on beyond second chasm camp and set up our tents at Stony Berg, an upturned lump of ice that contains the only exposed rock within several hundred miles of Halley. From there we were planning to explore the chaotic terrain in the surrounding area by foot and take short skidoo day trips to Baby Chasm beyond.
As everything had been prepared the day before we had hoped for a quick start in the morning. Unfortunately we could only get three of the four skidoos started. After much cursing and effort tugging on the pull cord we had to call on the expertise of Gareth our vehicle mechanic. He managed to get it going and soon after that we were on our way.
After three hours of rather bumpy skidoo travel we arrived at Second Chasm camp and stopped to assess the situation. It was 4:30pm now and although we wanted to push on it was another hour to Stony Berg. We needed to make sure we allowed enough time to set up our campsite once we got there before it got dark. In the end the decision was made for us - as we tried to set off the gearbox on Kev's skidoo failed, giving us no choice but to set up camp. Further investigation revealed that the casing had cracked - a terminal problem that could not be repaired with the limited spares we carried with us. Since the tracks had locked in place we couldn't even tow it back to base, so a team from Halley would need to come out to pick it up on a sledge and return it to Halley for repairs. We spoke to Halley on the prearranged evening radio sched to pass on the bad news.
The next day was spent preparing for a recovery operation with those on base organising the equipment they would need in case they were also to get stuck. No one ever leaves the base without enough supplies to survive for at least 30 days, with the ever changing weather and the possibility of breakdowns or other problems it is clear why this is necessary!
While the team at Halley were getting ready we were able to visit a large crevasse a few hundred metres from the campsite that was part of the same system I had been in previously. After setting up the abseil point I went down about 25 metres into a narrow, vertical section before reaching the bottom. From there I walked along a few metres to find that it opened up into a huge chamber. I could see light coming through thin snow at the top of the chamber and tried to direct the others so we could set up a second rope. Unfortunately we were unable to find another way in through the surface before it got too cold. I jumared back up the rope and we returned to camp. That night we spoke to Halley again, confirming that they were ready to go and would head out the next day if the weather was suitable.
Ian clearing snow from the crevasse entrance.
Looking up the rope from the bottom of the crevasse.
The crevasse opened up into a large chasm near to where I abseiled in. It is around 25 metres from the bottom to the top of this picture.
Looking up at the roof of the chasm I could see thousands of ice crystals, plus a few patches of light indicating weak snow bridges on the surface.
Unfortunately we woke the next morning to find the conditions unsuitable for travelling. Low cloud covered the whole sky which causes light to bounce several times between the clouds and the snow surface, masking shadows and making it impossible to see large mounds of snow (or crevasses!). Despite low winds and reasonable temperatures the recovery party couldn't even set off - most frustrating!
The campsite in poor contrast. In weather like this you could easily drive right off a cliff without seeing the edge, making it impossible to travel in.
The next day was much the same, the on Saturday the wind began to pick up, marking the start of a gale that had been forecast. There was nothing for it but to sit it out and we enjoyed a peaceful few days reading, cooking meals, drinking tea and dozing in the comfort of our pyramid tents.
On Sunday the wind calmed down but the contrast was still poor and snow had started falling, reducing visibility. In the day we entertained ourselves by cooking savoury (cheese and pate) and sweet (chocolate and strawberry jam) pancakes for lunch then in the evening we made spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread rolls.
On Monday the wind was up and down bu not good enough to travel then on Tuesday it really picked up, hitting peak gusts of 50 knots according to the measurements on base. In conditions like that the tent is extremely noisy as it flaps about in the wind and simple tasks like siphoning kerosene from a Jerry can to a smaller bottle for use in the tent become a chore. On the plus side high winds always lead to an increase in the temperature (as the cold surface air is mixed with warmer air higher up) making it even easier to keep the tent toasty warm.
We were still glad when the wind abruptly stopped late on Tuesday night, but Wednesday wasn't really any better than before the storm. By lunch the contrast was again poor and it had started to snow again. The storm had loosened one of the tarpaulins from around the skidoos so we spent some welcome time outside clearing out the snow and securing it down again. On Wednesday night gaps started appearing in the clouds and by the morning it had cleared - we awoke to blue skies and excellent contrast!
A wind scoop behind one of our sledges. In the background the hinge zone looked inviting but unfortunately our time was up!
Keen to take advantage of the weather window to get back to base Kev and I started packing up the first sledge while Ian and Vanessa skidooed off to the edge of the Hinge Zone to meet the recovery team and guide them in. It took several hours to pack up the whole campsite and load the broken down skidoo onto a sledge for towing. Eventually we set off, getting back to base just as the weather was getting worse again. The last hour or so was pretty cold, with cloud covering the sun and a stiff wind picking up from the east.
Me lashing the sledge as we packed up the campsite in preparation for the drive back to base.
The recovery team arriving at the campsite with a spare skidoo on a sledge.
A very busy campsite - Ian, Kev and Vanessa pack up the sledges while Gareth and Jamie get the broken down skidoo on the sledge for the journey home.
So that ends the last of my winter trips. It wasn't quite the big adventure I was hoping for but it was still nice to get off base for a while. While we were tent-bound I had plenty of time to write and I've been busy putting together several more posts explaining all about Antarctic camping which I'll put up over the coming week.
Me sitting on my skidoo just before we departed for Halley.
(Sledge Golf, by the way isn't a new kind of antarctic sport but the radio call sign of our sledging party. Each trip is assigned a letter from the phonetic alphabet and since this is the seventh trip of the year we got 'G')
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