Andy 'n t'Antarctic

The Expedition Ends..

2008-03-15T17:22:00.009Z

So this will be my last entry on this blog for the Antarctic trip of a lifetime. A bit late I know, but this is the brief story of our trip back home (The delay in this entry due in the most part to being back at work and the ‘Real World’).

We had a 3.45am call to be at the main Laws building in order that everyone could be checked in and ready for boarding the flight. An unearthly time to be raised from your bed, particularly when the display readout of the weather data read a cool -24.6 degrees Celsius!! (which with the also displayed wind speed of 5.3 knots resulted in a wind chill of approximately -33 degrees!).

The ‘Flight’ we were to board was not exactly a comforting business class affair, but consisted of a 2 stop trip in a 1942 DC3 ‘Dakota’ via Sanae (South African base) to Novo (Russian Base). The plane arrived the previous afternoon and had sat on the ice overnight, the first task of the day then was to find enough methanol from the base to de-ice the wings. For those of a nervous disposition when it comes to flying, the combination of iced wings, 1942 build date, Canadian crew and extended flight over the most inhospitable environment on the planet did not look good. Still, no one seemed to be suffering such nerves, at least not outwardly. The feelings were of anticipation of seeing Antarctica from the air and delight at getting away from Halley after several months for some.

Personally I was looking forward to the chance of flying over Antarctica, greatly looking forward to getting home to my family, but also sorry at having to leave such an awe inspiring place.

My relatively short trip to this most incredible continent has left a lasting impression. It is easy to see how those who are regulars here get hooked with the need to return. Even the relatively bland (by Antarctic standards) flat ice shelf of Halley grips you. The creaking of the dry powder snow and ice beneath your feet, the crystal clear air filling your lungs, and unlimited visibility totally unspoiled by any pollution create a surreal environment. It is deathly quiet save the mechanical clanking of machinery when the essential machine based tasks are undertaken. Standing on the raised platforms of the base buildings, in silence, looking some 20 miles or so to the horizon with the sun beating down on you through the cleanest air you have ever breathed, makes you think about many things, not least what a stunning place it really is.

As equally lethal as beautiful at times, the speed with which the environment can change from clear dazzling sunny skies, to howling disorientating snow storms, is amazing. Go out at the wrong time, or unprepared with the wrong clothing or equipment, and fail to follow the essential safety procedures, and death will be waiting round the corner, a corner you don’t realise is there because the winds push you around and around without you knowing. No means of tracing where you have been or telling where you are headed, just an endless white canvass with no contrast, you could fall down a crevasse or walk into snow wall you had no idea was only feet in front of you.

The early morning temperatures!

So, enough thoughtful reminiscing, to the trip home..

We zipped across the ice to the plane on a sledge pulled by one of the base skidoos, fully loaded with 18 passengers and luggage. A close inspection of the aircraft revealed that yes, it really was that old, and it really was a no frills trip.

The steep angle of the fuselage, resting on the adapted ski wheels made getting in difficult, snow covered muckluk boots and smooth aluminium floor made for interesting efforts to get to your seat. Seats that were similar in build to an ancient deckchair.

Engines cranked an last waved goodbyes to those from base who had come to see us off. We skipped across the ice surprisingly easily and much smoother than I thought it would be to lift into the skies heading for Sanae.

Three and a half hours of flying in the most basic of aircraft I have ever been in and we were flying over the South African base. In itself this felt like an achievement, the strong fumes of Avtur aviation fuel had filled the plane throughout the trip, I am not sure if the sleep that many had was due to the early morning start, or was induced by inhaling the fumes!

Sanae is as different again to Halley. Its location is on the actual Antarctic continent (not just a moving ice shelf), and it is perched atop a 200ft cliff, surprisingly close to the edge. We turned and landed alongside the base and were greeted by several of the winterers left there for the long dark months ahead.

The first task was to roll over several drums of Avtur to re-fuel the plane. Jumping in to this task suddenly made me aware again of how tough things can be here. Suddenly exerting yourself by pushing along a 45gallon drum of fuel though deep soft snow shouldn’t be that bad, but as I neared the plane my lungs were burning. Heavy exercise breathing in air at around -25 or so degrees hurts. I was left with an irritating cough for the rest of the time we were re-fuelling.

Whilst we were initially told we had no time to visit the base itself, suddenly I was aware of a group of people leaping on a sledge to be pulled by skidoo. As I tried to run over, it set off and a lucky group (including Phil) headed off to the base, the excuse of weak bladders used. I would have liked to have got an up close look, but it was not to be.

Anyway, re-fuelled, more waving goodbye, this time to our co-antarctic explorers from South Africa and we were off again, heading further north to Novo (it has a much longer, much more complicated Russian name, but I won’t attempt to spell it!), the Russian base used as a transit point for many Antarctic trips.

Heading for the Dakota

The Business class seats!

Approaching Sanae at the edge of the cliff

And the Sanae base

Farewell to Halley (in Orange!) from Sanae

We were told as we landed that we were the last to arrive for the flight out to Cape Town and that it would be leaving in about 20 minutes. So a quick disembarkation, some yellow snow breaks and were on the back of yet another sledge pulled by a very smart new 1.4 litre 4 stroke skidoo which was the subject of much interest.

Our next means of travel was a huge Russian Aleutian aircraft, similar to a Hercules, but adapted to carry passengers and cargo. A powerpoint presentation of the safety issues on board, the engines roared and we lifted off from Antarctica for now at least, for the last time. The flight was unusual to say the least. Almost unable to breathe with the hot air ducted under the seats, fed with Russian cheese and ham sandwiches which could have been used chock the aircraft wheels easily and no windows to look out of. A truly international mix were on board, people from Halley (us), the Norwegian base and even I believe some with American accents. To get out of the heat I moved to the rear of the plane, near the 2 toilets (which were 2 chemical containerised toilets strapped up to the plane!) to get some rest on all the baggage sat behind the seats.

The super skidoo at Novo

The Aluetian

'Basic' accommodation

The last Antarctic leg of the trip

6 hours later and we landed back in Cape Town, full circle in 6 weeks. Strange really, the trip down from Cape Town took 13 days on the Shackleton, using ancient and foreign flying means, we returned in just about 12 hours. Also difficult to comprehend, was the huge temperature swing encountered. Having left Halley at -25 degrees, we landed around midnight in the late summer of Cape Town where temperatures are in the +30’s. A 50 to 60 degree temperature swing in 12 hours, strange.

Back in warm Cape Town at midnight

So that is it. We are back, save some waiting to get flights out of South Africa at the busiest time of year, our expedition is over. I have good thoughts and memories, and many, many, many pictures to record my experience. I guess people will run a mile when I suggest showing my photos of Antarctica, I may end up boring everyone with my stories, but hey, why not?

If you have made it to the end of this blog entry, well done, it has rattled on more than I thought, guess the boring stories are here already!

An experience of a lifetime? Definitely.
Something I would do again? Definitely.
Glad to be back with my family? Definitely.
Glad to be heading back to work? ………..

The New and the Old

2008-03-03T12:02:00.004Z

Now that the first new module of Halley VI is clad, it is possible to see the differences of the new and the old bases clearly.

Taking my life in my hands once more, and going up in one of the 'Cherry Pickers' at full height to get some photos, I was able to get a view of the new module B2 in its new blue cladding, with the main buildings of the old Halley V base in the background.

The differences (other than the obvious external views) should be felt throughout the new base once completed. Halley V was built at the end of the '80's and feels like it. Building techniques, materials and standards were different then. The base has served BAS well, but the new upgrade should help the future base staff overcome some of the difficulties of living and working on one of the most hostile environments you can think of.

There is much more detail on how these subjects will be resolved on the BAS website: www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/research_stations but life should be that much better for the new station.

So having got to a level of completion for the first season of build, the only post left will be to go through our trip home - an interesting route - which I will add as soon as I can.

The New and the Old

The Halley V main corridor - the main spine through the base, all rooms fall off this main route

The mess room of Halley V - all our meals including puddings served here!

The bar and lounge areas - drinking, reading, watching videos and falling asleep.

Milestone Acheived

2008-02-26T18:44:00.004Z

Yesterday saw a great milestone acheived on site, the only one of the new Halley VI base modules to be clad this season received its final cladding panel after the delays last week due to the bad weather.

The panel was lifted as ever by the trusty Mantis crane, ably manned by Austin.

The panel really brings into perspective the amazing and somewhat alien shape of the new modules, completing the skin to the steel skeleton of the structure.

It has been a great acheivement by all on site to get this far given the problems of the weather last week and means that the remaining works of the season can be completed with some comfort that the module is clad. The remaining works involve all the hundreds of bolts and shock mounts inside the module to secure all the panels together and ensure it is weather tight for the winter season.

In celebration of the acheivement, a summer construction team photo call was held this morning in front of the new module. The works are winding down now with the concentration shifting to getting everything ready and 'wintered' to survive the fierce winter temperatures and weather. Hope everything is in one piece when the summer returns next season!

The last nose cone panel finally in place

The view down the line of modules from B2 that is clad, through B1, C, E1, E2, H1, H2 that are wintered under temporary tents

Austin and the Mantis Crane deploy the last panel (yes it was a bit scary at that height!)

The modules in a line

The Construction Team, Season 07/08 Halley VI

.... We're Back

2008-02-24T13:11:00.004Z

The weather finally abated, after 3 days of continuous high winds and drifting snow, on Friday. The site was back to work and the whole base sprang into action to dig out the enormous snow drifts.

We got the first real impression of how our home from home, Annex No2 had faired. Not very well really. There was a huge snow tail behind the annexes, up to the full height of the roof and about 20m long.

First thing and the bulldozers were in clearing the access not only to the annexes but also the main door of the other accommodation building the Drewry. During the clearing process, the front of No2 annex was hit by the ‘dozer and falling walls of snow. This buckled in one of the walls, much to the dismay of it’s inhabitants, not only Phil and I, but also Pete, the Morrisons Senior Project manager!

As it happens this was quite useful, sharing the room with the PM, as by lunch time the wall was fixed, the heating on and the room getting back to normal - labour directed to this ‘priority task’.

The task of freeing the annexes begins..

Nearly there, this is just before our wall got stoved in!

As we ventured out on site to review the impact of the weather, the site was a completely different landscape from when we had left it. Massive snow tails extended between the new tented modules, up to 3m deep in places. The site workshop cabins were buried similar to the annexes, the main stay of the construction kit – the Mantis crane – was buried in a snow tail quite unusually created by its unique shape, the jib of the crane protruding out identifying where it was buried.

The new clad module had performed very well, the design of the modules - its shape and structure - being specifically to speed up the air around it so no snow deposits beneath. There was minimal snow accumulation around it, and this was even in its wrong orientation (long ways not sideways to the wind), so a promising guide as to the future base’s performance.

The team of caterpillar bulldozers and guys with shovels set to work on the site and again, by a little after lunch, the crane was freed, the generators back running, the workshops cleared and the access to work areas opened. A great performance by everyone, it’s good to see how things spring into action, everyone here is so used to this sort of thing, it is second nature.

The other benefit of the blow and seeing the number and size of the snow tails formed around the site, is for the team who will be left here through the winter. As Halley is basically flat (although not when pulling a heavy sledge!), it offers no great possibilities for skiers and snow boarders. Having half a dozen or so large ‘hills’ formed around the site means they may get some better recreation this winter, they were all keen to hear how the ‘hills’ looked.

The Mantis crane, waving for help!

The new module performs well..

After getting back to work, the weather has still been limiting, the winds have been pushing around 15-20knots through yesterday, which limits what can be done on site with lifting equipment etc.

What was happening through the day, was a strange low level continual drifting of snow across the ice surface, when looking across the base it was like white water, very strange, but creating some magical effects, albeit very difficult to capture on camera. Toward the evening, ‘Sun Dogs’ were evident around the lowering sun. I have no idea where the name comes from, but the very fine ice particles in the air create a large Halo around the sun, at times several may be seen at once, but yesterday was one large halo, still impressive.

We had a group summer team photograph at 6.00pm last night, one of the John Deer prime movers brought a large sledge in front of the laws building and we all gathered for the obligatory team photo. The result was pretty good, taken by Richard on base, one to keep for posterity!

The photos here are a selection from the last couple of days, more can be seen on Phils blogsite with Phils usual amusing commentary and take on events.

The effects of the low drifting snow and the Laws building..

The white flowing sea..

The snow is more like moonscape

The Sun Dogs and filmcrew

It takes all sorts to survive the Antarctic, free booze also helps..

Our 2008 Summer Team photo, can you spot us?

A special view of the site just for Sam C!

And There's More..

2008-02-21T17:37:00.002Z

Well the weather has gone on and on. We are still enduring the relentless winds and snow drifts. The winds have varied, anything between 25 and 43 knots, gusting up to 50 at times.

Life has almost stopped during the blow, no work on site, limited things that can be done anywhere. So people have had to adapt and find things to do.

Phil and I with the rest of the Morrisons management team have been keeping going in the Piggott building, working away, running through whatever we can to help the job (hard honest work you know!). In order to keep this up, we regularly need to head back to the Laws platform for dinner and teas. The trip a mini expedition every time through the wicked sideways winds and hardly any visibility. Dressing in full antarctic gear and radio calling the Comms base every time you leave and re-appear at you destination is a necessity.

The Morrisons site team have been kept busy with pool, DVD's, videos, quizzes, etc. etc. (well we may have joined in some of them). Everyone just want to get back out on site working, the closest forecast is that there may be some small opportunity tomorrow, but unlikely, but either Saturday or Sunday. So basically a full week lost to weather with the last 2 weeks of the job - Not good for finishing works.

We are still nomads, not able to get to our rooms, having to rob towels and clean gear from wherever we can. The annex accommodation is still under snow and cannot be sorted until the winds die down enough.

We'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings...

Phil hard at work in our Piggott building office

The rest of the crew get on with things

The annex accommodation before and now, the No2 sort of indicates where our room may lie!

Crane and Lifting guy Austin on the way back to the Drewry building

Let it Blow....

2008-02-19T19:19:00.005Z

Well today the weather that has been forecast has hit. The barametric pressure has plummeted and the winds have picked up. It's the biggest 'Blow' of the season so far.
As Phils Blog will tell you, it is like the aliens are attacking and we are having to fight them off.

The winds are at 42 knots, with gusting to around 50. The snow is whipped up off the ice shelf and blasted horizontally at everything. Big snow tails form behind anything on the ground (Hence why all the buildings, new and old are on legs above the ground) creating huge mounds that block off access - which means we may not get back to our rooms tonight. We are in the annex to the Drewry building (basically site cabins in a row). The snow has built up to such an extent, we may not get back in, so it may be a night on the floor of the lounge in the Laws building!

The conditions are intersting for first timers down here, but also incedibly dangerous. It is easy to loose all bearing in the white out, pushed around by the wind, there is nothing to give you any indication of where you are and you could easily be lost. Indeed a couple of people around the site, some the most experienced seasoned Antarctic inhabitants have had problems, setting off, even in Sno-Cats and finding themselves driving back to where they came from.

We are commuting between the Laws building and the Piggott, but only because we go in teams and that there is a guide rope installed all the way between. Visibility is down to about 10-20metres. We have to radio into the Halley 'Comms before we set off and when we get there in order that any wanderers are picked up.

It is forecast to continue like this through tomorrow, but then to start decreasing from Thursday, who knows what carnage we will find then. Could be in for a couple of strange nights, hope the usual snoring competitions don't get worse!

Well I guess we have now seen a reasonable spectrum of conditions that this most curious of places can offer. Not sure what it will be like getting back to just rain, and some rain, oh, and maybe a little more rain..

Outside our room early this morning, a full days blow later and the front of the rooms are blocked off.

Me fighting my way toward the Laws building, this is earlier today when winds were only 33 knots

The line of poor skidoos left to the weather outside the Piggott

Karl Tuplin of BAS extends the guide ropes to the Piggot, tough job in the conditions (only a small clip, but gives you the idea!)

Nightmare 'Round Halley Street

2008-02-18T17:19:00.005Z

OK, we did it, sort of. Yesterday was the group ‘Walk to the Pole’.

Those who could muster the energy after the folk night (with unlimited alcohol, as opposed to the normal 2 tins a night, 4 tins on a Saturday rule), the start was next to a caboose north from the main Laws building along the base container line.

Some eager kite skiers were already out and as Phil and I, together with the rest of the Morrison construction team (who had adopted last minute to do a team pull of a happy sledge) got together at the start line around 10.15am. We loaded up our sledges with 8 sections of angle steel each (cut of bracing from the undercroft steel assemblies). These weighed 16kg a piece (confirmed by the mess room scales – used mainly by Phil to monitor pudding intake), so together with our kit, supplies of chocolate and the sledge we reckoned we had between 140 and 150kg total load each to pull!

When tasked with testing the weight, a couple of other Morrisons guys reckoned we were completely mad. After the first couple of hundred metres, I must admit I was tempted to agree with them.

So we set off on our treck, the right way around. Just to keep up with trend of the job, the Morrisons happy sledge went in the other direction, their ploy apparently to take extra supplies for handing out on the way round. As always the easy way out was to have 8 guys pulling a sledge with 4 people sitting on it, we reckoned their average pull weight was only around 60kg each – nothing compared to our stupidity.

The Two Amigos - Before the nightmare

The Morrisons team ready their Happy Sledge, including Lenny as '118 man!'

As we were trecking round, trying to keep the creeping harnesses from riding up too high where you end up pulling the weight from your shoulders, Phil and I realised how ironical it was, that Hugh Broughton Architects, and Merit Merrrell Technology, were once again having to carry the excess steel from Faber Maunsell! (those involved with the job will understand!).

I must make a point here, as we went on our first lap, taking a route past the new build site, toward the CASLAB and down the far perimeter of the base, I realised how everyone had been lying to me. I had endless people telling me that Halley was as flat as a pancake and a snow desert. Certainly a snow desert, but flat as a pancake?? No way, the damned incline we had to endure up toward the CASLAB was backbreaking. Liars the lot!

Phil and I finished our first lap and admittedly, after detailed consultation over sugar rich cakes and stuff at the caboose, we opted to dump 2 sections of steel each, reducing to 6 the number for our second lap. Cheap way out maybe, but we couldn’t face the thought of another nightmare lap. The next one felt just as bad though.

Half way around the second lap, Phil became interested with one of the common lines of advice when coming to the Antarctic – don’t eat yellow snow. So he had a go at making some yellow snow, not sure what his conclusion was, but I opted for water and another bar of dairy milk!

We called it a day with the sledges after 2 laps. Minus 13 degrees, half the lap into a 8 knot wind and hills that we thought were not there conspired against us. We were cold, very cold. So we packed up the sledges and shipped off the steel, getting frozen hands at the handlebars of an Alpine skidoo. I headed off for a hot shower, Phil decided to go back out and walked another 2 laps without sledge – very impressive.

Later on, I was daft enough to also go back out, but to ski a lap, which knowing what I did of the course, and what little I knew about skiing, was another challenge in itself. I managed to get around with only a few falls, and felt better inside at having made another effort.

In the end, the total number of laps was 212, well short of the target 320, but still raising some good funds for the charity. One point to note is the monumental effort of a certain Andy Rankin – one of the Halley Scientists. He ran around the base, the laps ticking off as the day went by. He finished doing 18 laps!!! That is a total of 90km, or 2 marathons. TWO marathons in a windy Antarctic -13 degrees! Mad.

Talking of mad, I now realise just how mad our Dave Mitchell must have been to do what he did back in ’97. One day, 2 laps with less weight and we were beat. 90 days plus, hard terrain and more weight? – really mad!

But we have done it, all after the folk night which was very good. A good effort on behalf of quite a few people made the night a success, music, jokes, comedy routines all helped create a good environment, given that we were in the skidoo tent which was unheated and it was minus 16 outside. A good point to the evening, was the ability of Pompei (Ian) to get all involved in a chorus of ‘Sweet Chariot’. Getting all involved meant getting a Welshman (Lenny) to sing the words with Ian and Mannie (a South African!) to go along with the moves! Not very often that happens.

So that was the weekend, tiring as it was, we are all back up on site today, it was another beautiful morning, but has now deteriorated into quite a blow, it was forecast, but as yet it isn’t as bad as we thought, but as ever here, it could change just as quickly either way.

One amigo (Phil) - during the nightmare

The other amigo (me) - during the nightmare

(P Wells Photo's Inc.)

Phil Testing out the 'Yellow Snow' theory

And Finished at last - well finished!

In Training

2008-02-16T18:15:00.002Z

Phil and I have been in training – for our mammoth ‘manhauling’ walk to the South Pole. It is a daunting task, many have gone before us (Amundson, Scott, Shackleton (well, nearly there), Palin??), but we intend to make it much quicker than they ever did. We are not even taking the Clarkson type route to the North Pole (using a Toyota Pickup). We intend to walk, with enough weight of supplies and kit to last us our entire trip just pulled behind us on a sledge, no assistance, and do it all in day!

OK the assistance bit may be misleading, there will be probably be around 30 or so others doing there bit, and all our distance adds up, hopefully to make enough to reach ‘The Pole’.

On Wednesday night, before tea, we filled our sledges with snow, donned our harnesses and set off. It wasn’t too bad, although we didn’t know what weight we were pulling of course, so it may be a false sense of security. We did about 1000 metres, but then it was time for tea, so a quick trip to dump the snow (eagerly accepted by the lone guy shoveling snow for the melt tank at the time) and then in for tea. Just like a proper expedition.

The site work is progressing, the upper nose cone is now fitted to one end of the module being clad, I will add some pics later when all the machinery is out of the way.

Last night was a spectacular sunset, late into the evening, a low mist descended across the entire base. The resultant light effects as the sun went down were amazing. The Halley VI modules were backlit in the mist, the Simpson and Piggot buildings were half submerged, the light bouncing off their windows and reflecting in the mist.

I set off on a skidoo (another excuse to play I know), to try and get some shots around the site and base. It was fun weaving in and out of the other half of the base who had all come out with their cameras as well! Never miss and opportunity for a good shot that might get published in the Halley mags or may even win one of the competitions. There must be hundreds of thousands of digital images snapped up around the base, particularly with the site construction as well. So here are a few more attached.

The next update will probably after our Pole Expedition on Sunday, so watch out. We have a ‘Folk Evening’ tonight, where anyone can get up and do a turn, it is an unlimited alcohol evening as well, so we expect some non-starters for the charity walk/ski/kite on Sunday!

Phil and I in training pulling our snow filled sledges, every bit the explorers

Off on a Skidoo, again, for some photos (this one courtesy of Simon Gill - Morrison Construction)
with full cheesy grin!

The first module with cladding moving on..

The strange effect of the setting sun, mist and futuristic new base

The even stranger effect - the Simpson building like a landing space ship!

Apology

2008-02-16T10:29:00.002Z

I'm afraid I made a big mistake in my previous blog entry, for which I humbly apologise.

I referred to Dave Mitchell as being half of an "English" pairing, forgetting of course that Dave is actually from Wales! As most will know this is a bit of an insult, so Dave, please accept my apologies.

The revised blog is highlighted in red below.

I'll try and not make any more such mistakes in Future!

Thanks - Andy

It's Early, Stupidity, and the Roof

2008-02-14T17:50:00.004Z

The promised Valentines day sunset was early! When we got to tea last night, there was a notice on the board saying first sunset at 10.03 local time.

Around 21.50 everyone started gathering and sizing up the best photographic opportunities, was it on the Laws platform, or down by the Halley signpost, or out near the build site?

Personally, whilst initially wanting to get some great shots, I couldn’t care too much at the end. Minus 21 degrees Celcius, stood outside in not the best choice of wear for the evening, and with a camera battery taking its last gasps of life, I opted for jumping back in the door and popping back outside just when the sunset was about to happen.

There was some debate as to whether the sun did actually set. All of the base scientists were certain it was going to happen. Time ticked on by, but at around 22.20 local time, the consensus was that we had seen the first sunset of the 2008 Antarctic year!

About 10 minutes later dawn broke and the sun rose again!!

It seems a bit strange this 24 hour daylight, but things should change rapidly now, unfortunately the falling temperatures probably the most!

After that, there was another milestone on site today, the roof was raised into position on the first module of Halley VI being clad. The planning went well, the rigging team got to work, the rigging team were frozen, up on cherry pickers in -20degC temperatures isn’t good, and we all retired for a nice warming cup of tea.

Now for the stupid bit - my travelling colleague Mr Phil Wells of Hugh Broughton Architects, has rather landed himself in it. On Sunday, there is a sponsored ‘Ski’ around the perimeter of the Halley Base. The aim is to jointly achieve 320 laps around the base, to total some 1600 kilometres. The significance of this distance, is that it is that far to the South Pole from here, so it would be the first “Halley ski” to the pole. The aim is to raise money for the Lifeboat RNLI charity.

Phil has proposed to not ski, but walk the route, pulling a loaded sledge to reflect the actual weight you would need to pull if you actually did a walk to the pole, based upon the provisions and kit you would need.

Some good advice has been sought from our past colleague Mr Dave Mitchell, formally of Morrison Construction (who in 1997 was the Welsh half of a pairing to be the first British men to walk to the North Pole unsupported (i.e. with no assistance, just them and 2 sledges with all their gear) sorry Dave for raising this, but it was some achievement – we are not worthy!) and the result is needing to walk an average of 22km a day, with a sledge which weighing around 150kg!

So not being one to let someone suffer alone, I have pledged my support also and will undertake the same onerous task. To achieve the distance, the target will be 4 laps of the base, not sure if we will manage this, but it is worth a try. Hope the weather is kind with no wind and sunny skies, if not it could be tough. Whatever the temperatures will be around the minus 20 mark!

So anyone wishing to remotely sponsor me would be much appreciated, there are details at: http://www.justgiving.com/ski_to_pole

Just get online and pledge some support.

I’ve got to go and get some serious training ion now with only a couple of days to go, I’ll keep you informed of how we get on. There are some more details on Phils blogsite – address in the links section above.

Kirk - The Halley Base Cameraman and Field GA recording the first sunset

The Laws Platform glowing in the setting sun

The Halley Aerial array and Satellite dome

And now for the roof....

Getting on With Things

2008-02-12T22:05:00.000Z

We have now been here at Halley for a few days and are adapting to life in the Antarctic.

Here at the Halley V base, life adapts to the environment, for instance you need to plan ahead to go anywhere, even to the loo. To go outside involves getting into the thermal boiler suits or coats, muckluk boots, hat, goggles, gloves etc. Everything takes several times longer than usual, so advance planning is really needed.

The weather on Sunday I referred to got pretty bad (well, to Phil and I, but by Antarctic standards it was nothing, apparently). The winds increased and the blow of snow across the whole base really wiped things out. The photos below show the morning sunny weather, and then the evening as we were walking back from the Piggot building – things can change pretty quickly. The temperature with windchill got down to -27 degrees that night! By the morning, it had blown through and we have had unbroken clear blue skies since. Strange.

The temperatures are beginning to drop significantly, it was -16.4 degrees this morning, warming to a positively balmy -9.5 degrees around lunchtime with the effect of the sun! The first sunset of the summer is anticipated on 14th February, then its gets really cold!

So other than getting stuck into the site works, we haven’t been up to much. I’ll post a bit more over the next few days on the lifestyle here and some pics around the base, so until then, bye for now.

Sunny in the morning....

Not so sunny in the evening!

One of the space age looking modules takes shape

The module and the nearly setting sun

Its a long way home.... (in km by the way)

We're Here !!

2008-02-10T18:36:00.001Z

WE ARE HERE!!!!

We finally arrived at Creek 4 (one of the main landing possibilities against the sea ice for Halley access) on Friday morning, settling alongside the ice at about 6.30am.

The initial views so close to the ice shelf are absolutely stunning. The distant and intermittent sun revealing different outcrops of ice in shadow and brilliant highlights.

An advance welcome party of 4 skidoos came to assist the Shackleton in tying up. The ships crew sprang into action (after breakfast, naturally) to get the ship secure. This entails dragging out the 4 mooring lines approximately 200m across the ice, drilling deep holes for stakes to be buried in to secure the ropes and covering them back in.

After this was done, we were allowed for the first time onto the ice (escorted of course), a quick whiz round on a ‘happy sledge’ towed behind a skidoo (driven by Base Commander Vicky) for some photo opportunities and then back on board for some lunch before departing for the base.

The trip to the base was by the same happy sledge to the ice shelf and then by Sno-Cat to the base. An ingenious bit of kit resembling an old land rover raised up on high axles with triangular tracks attached, but mighty capable in the conditions.

As we crested the brow of the ice our first distant views of Halley were revealed, after working on the project for so long and listening to so many views of the base and Antarctica, it felt strange to actually be getting here.

On arrival, first we were shown our accommodation, sharing hut number 2 of the annexes to the Drewry building (sharing with 2 other guys from Morrison Construction). Then it was off to the main ‘Laws’ platform for base induction and a tour.

As soon as we had finished a tour of the main platform, finding out where we eat and where the bar is, we had another trip on another ‘Happy Sledge’ towed by Karl Tuplin, the BAS Halley VI Project Manager, giving us a tour of the entire base and the new site.

Then the first really good bit – Skidoo training by the base vehicles manager Martin Bell (who we realised is like a kid in a sweet shop, I guess he loves his job dealing with all the boys toys!). Some quick instruction and a basic driving test and we are qualified, and suitably warned of the dangers of rounding objects, hitting snow tails and crashing, all whilst several amateur camera’s are, no doubt, directly trained on your demise!

And that was it, we were at Halley, we had seen the base, a quick insight into the operations and we joined in with the rest of the team. We had a decent tea, and eventually retired to our new beds, ready for a days work at Halley VI the next morning.

At the sea ice with the Shackleton moored alongside in the background

The Shakletons First Officer, Alan Newham - inspecting the parking job.

The edge of the Brunt Ice Shelf - Stunning

Home for a few weeks - Red Drewry building (left), grey annexes (middle), Orange-ish Laws Platform (right)

A Bit of Work

2008-02-10T18:16:00.000Z

The reason why Phil and I are here, is to look over the construction to date of the new Halley VI station, assist with anything needed and get a plan together for getting things moving for next season (Dec 08 to Mar 09).

The job has moved on well, progress generally looking better than expected. Our offices are based in the ‘Piggot’ building, which depending on conditions is a good 10-15 minutes walk to the sire and a few minutes to the main Halley V base ‘Laws’ Building, another few minutes beyond to our accommodation adjacent the ‘Drewry’ building (we are in the new annex buildings, hut number 2).

Last night there was a glimpse of the sun beginning to get near the horizon, it will be dropping below in a few more day’s time, it has been 24 hours daylight here since December. The setting sun signaling the onset of the winter season.

Today we managed to get one of the temporary wintering tents onto module H1 during a nice sunny morning. After lunch the wind picked up and the snow increased, creating a near whit out situation. It is very strange to not be able to distinguish snow/ice from sky, and to not be able to see a large wind tail of snow immediately in front of you. It is our first taste of the alien things that are Antarctica.

I’ll post some more details in a couple of days.

Me getting some 'Skidoo' training! (Photo courtesy of P Wells Photos Inc.)

The first signs of a nearly setting sun, the Skidoo fleet and the Piggot building behind

The reason why we're here - Halley VI construction (Marketing shots for Merit!)

The walk back to the office, -20 degress with windchill (guess where the sky starts?)

Stancomb Wills...

2008-02-07T23:37:00.000Z

Late afternoon we are at Stancomb Wills, indeed the ice has closed in, but not too badly. The Captain has control of the ship up in the ‘Conning Tower’ (the Crows Nest with elevated views forward of the ice). The Shackleton weaves and turns to thread a path through the patches of ice, gunning at full throttle for areas blocking our way, crunching into them and splitting the thick ice around the hull. Only once was the ship brought to a standstill by the ice, otherwise some momentum was maintained as the ice slowly conceded defeat and parted ahead for a run to more patchy ice and water.

So in the end we got our wish of some decent ice breaking, not as extreme as many runs down to Halley, but completing the full travelling experience for us before we disembark.

Our estimated time of arrival at ‘Creek 4’ (the current Halley ‘Ice Dock’ in use this season), is around 6.00am tomorrow morning. We are 3 hours behind UK time, so that is 9.00am in the morning there. Not sure how quickly we will be off and headed across the ice to the Halley site, but I am getting my gear together tonight, a pile of thermal and bright orange clothing being piled up ready for the onslaughgt of the Antarctic cold.

So this will be the last blog entry from on board the Shackleton, our home for the last Fortnight. Overall it has been a good experience, I think the ship and her crew do a great job. The food is excellent courtesy of the Galley Cook and his assistant, the ship is maintained well and is always clean, thanks to her engineering crew and the chief steward for who we undertake our Gash duties. And as always the Captain and his officers guide the best passage possible given a variety of conditions.

It is thanks to all them and off to another totally new and alien experience. Not sure when I will be able to add more, I’ll need to find out what the arrangements are up on site, so watch this space…

On our way to Stancombe Wills, ice forming

Ice closing in around the Shackleton

The Shackleton casts her shadow over the ice being ripped apart

The cracks appear and 'the Shack' moves on

A Leopard Seal barks at the ship, disturbing its day

Drab mornings, Sunny afternoons...

2008-02-07T23:06:00.001Z

Today started pretty drab and grey. The sea looked grey, the sky was grey and the ice shelf coastline was grey as well.

The prospect was for not much ice. The crew were over the moon with this, we were wanting the full Antarctic ice breaking experience!

The ship was in open water to begin with, with just a fine crust of sea ice beginning to form on the surface, the sheets being split and stacked up on each other as the ship pushed on through.

On the horizon a bright sunny patch began to appear and with the unending slog of 10 to 12 knots ships pace, mid morning this opened up and presented some spectacular views of the Antarctic ice shelf coastline. Our route for the best part hugging the coastl and following a fairly clear water path, passing the Drescher Inlet and Lydden Ice Rise.

Prospects were looking good for a clean passage through to Halley, a reconnaissance flight of one of Halleys Twin Otter aircraft flew the route up to us and reported a ‘7 tenths’ ice formation generally along the route, but with a clear strip between coast hugging fast ice and the floating sea ice of approx 200m width. That was our target route set.

The last worry for the Captain and his crew was the dreaded ‘Stancomb Wills’, a final peninsula of ice shelf to round before a straight approach into Halley, where the ice regularly comes together in a consolidated mass. Could be tricky, but overall the prognoses was good.

A grey morning start over the Antarctic coast

The combination of grey clouds and ice made this iceberg appear to be burning

But the weather picked up.... 'T' shirt weather!

The stunning ice shelf coastline

Hi to All

2008-02-06T20:43:00.000Z

Hi to Everyone.

Thanks for the odd comments being left on the blogsite, feel free to add more, it's good to get some feedback from home.

Not much has been happening today, we have been in and out of ice, there will be more ahead before we get to Halley so I will post some more pics then.

Does anyone back home have any detail how Martins trip to Tanzania went??

Bye for Now.

Fire in the Sky

2008-02-06T00:36:00.000Z

Into the evening and the almost setting sun (at this time of year it is still almost light for 24 hours, there are a few ‘twilight’ hours as the sun just dips under the horizon for a short while), there are some fantastic views presented with distant icebergs seeming to burn in the setting sun.

A lonely looking penguin went floating by on a piece of ice, must be wondering what that big red and white noisy this is doing in his garden.

If today is anything to go by, then the experience to come will only be better and more fascinating as every day trips past.

As overcome as we are with the place, we need to buckle down and get into everything that is Halley VI now. There will be a host of issues to sort out on site and much planning needed to put in place solutions to enable the next season to achieve the most progress.

Lets see what tomorrow brings….

The broken field of ice

Fire in the sky...

A Lonely Emperor Penguin

GASH and XBT ??

2008-02-06T00:23:00.001Z

Meanwhile, it has been Phils turn on GASH duties today, he seems to enjoy himself far too much though! Maybe a message for home – Phils enjoys vacuuming, mopping and peeling spuds, best get a domestic rota set up for his arrival home!

Also, whilst we are admiring the view and answering e-mails from site, the XBT duties (which I now know stands for ‘Expendable Balythermograph’ – well that makes that a whole lot clearer!) continue. We have had a few difficulties getting the various bits of kit and software to work, but we continue anyway. Through the daytime these are now done at 3 hourly intervals. My last on at 6.00pm went fine.

Phil and I discuss the days tasks

Phil gets stuck into his tasks, a little to eagerly

Spuds?.... no problem...

AB Andy Campbell (in Cossack style hat) launches the 6.00pm XBT

At Last.... Antarctica!

2008-02-05T23:56:00.000Z

Well today, after what seems an age at sea, we have finally got some ice. Not a lot by Antarctic standards and those who have been here before will understand that, but to us, we have made it, finally we get to see Antarctica!

We are following a route along the coast of Antarctica, through a clear passage (well, quite a bit of ice, but clear by the ships standards), currently passing the Fimbulisen and Jelbartisen Ice shelves, heading toward Halley. Our current position as I write is about passing where the South African ‘Sanae’ base is located inland.

Watching the ice flows pass and icebergs in all their varieties, seeing the Antarctic shelf coastline in the distance off the port (left) side for the first time is amazing. We have suddenly realised that this is real and we are headed for Antarctica, a very special place. To be here in this relatively untouched area of the world is quite extraordinary and I feel very privileged to be here.

The Shackleton is now coming into her own. Whilst the ice is still very broken and relatively thin, the ship cuts through the sheets of ice in our way with consummate ease. The ice is simply barged out of the way or pulled beneath the hull and split apart by the ice breaking shaping and reinforcement to the bow of the ship. The sudden thuds, bangs and ripping sounds are a little disconcerting however, when you are onboard. The ship lurches aside as it hits sections of ice and the sounds and shudders that accompany it are heard and felt throughout the decks.

Yet this is viewed as ‘nothing’ by the ships crew, ‘wait until we get into solid pack ice, then you’ll here and feel a few things’ they say. Not being a seasoned Antarctic traveler I can only imagine what else may lay in store, but for now I think the Shackleton is doing a grand job.

The thin line on the horizon is the Antarctic ice shelf

Entering the ice...

Was that a near miss....???

Icebergs thro' components of the ship

More Ice

2008-02-04T11:54:00.000Z

The icebergs are growing is size and regularity, a count from the bridge yesterday morning revealed about 13 in view at one time. The colours vary with the type of 'berg and ice, deep blues and greens as well as standard white.

Incidentally Phil Wells also has a blog site with some amusing views on our trip, he has a link to mine, so I had better include a link to his:
http://into-the-freezer.blogspot.com

I’ve just finished my early morning stint on GASH duties, just having a rest before hitting the lunch time clear up. That will do for now, keep watching for the next installment, we are assured by the Captain that we will get to the Halley base at some point, but the days are melting into one another now, a long time at sea!!

Oh – PS – this one is especially for Sam C, this photo is of the mess area where we all gather to eat and that today on my duties I have to help keep tidy and clear, hope I don’t have to keep doing the same when I get home!!

Science and Engines..

2008-02-04T11:34:00.001Z

A few things have been happening over the last day or so, we (Phil Wells - HBA and I) are now scientists in training, we have had an exhaustive tour of the ships engine and thruster rooms, and the icebergs are multiplying by the hour and getting bigger (and arriving in a variety of colours!).

Our introduction into Antarctic science is courtesy of being involved in the XBT launching and data logging. Not sure what the right science terms and descriptions are, but here goes an attempt at some explanation:

Within the Antarctic ice flows, there are numbers of totally clear areas appearing (i.e. no ice, just sea) in the middle of the ice (correct scientific name - polynas). Scientists are trying to find out what is causing them (possible sea temperature differences/thermals melting the area of ice etc.). So, anyone who is on the area on shipping routes contributing to the exercise, within the sort of 50degree latitude line south, are launching sensors to monitor the sea temperatures at regular intervals.

This is the XBT bit (still not sure what it actually stands for, will try and find out for the next entry!). Basically a probe on a very long very thin copper line is launched from a very imposing looking 'gun'. We were looking forward to seeing this 'launch' the first time, expecting a big bang and some probe thrust out to sea by some explosive charge, indeed even warned by the Chief engineer that full PPE must be worn!

The reality after discovering the Chief engineers ruse, was to pull a pin out of the sensor tube loaded in the 'gun', to let the probe gently drop out of the end into the sea. Very exciting! Glad I wore my padded suit, steel toed boots, gloves, hard hat, safety goggles, life vest, harness, knee pads, elbow pads, ear plugs.....

So the probe is connected by the wire to the tube in the 'gun' via sensors, to a cable, finally connecting to a PC on which data logging software is loaded. The sea temperature is then logged as the probe falls (down to a total 760m in depth). The file is saved and e-mailed to the Met office for their use as well.

These launches need to be at 6 hour intervals, even right through the night, we have a rota set up, I have just completed my 6.00am launch with results logged. Interestingly, the results show a half degree increase in temp. from yesterday at Noon, it was then around 0.4 degrees, today it was around 1 degree. So as we are getting further south the sea is getting warmer??

Good to know we are doing are bit for scientific research, soon no doubt to also be attributed to global warming!

Phil watching expectantly for the first XBT launch
(He's the one on the right)

The XBT data log screen, the temperature against sea depth

Also on Saturday we had a full tour of the ships control room, engine room and other engineering spaces of the ship. All interesting to an engineer such as myself, but nothing that I will bore you with too much here, I don’t think Phil followed too much of the explanations, but was keen to get around and observe markings on the floors for escape routes – always thinking of the job!

The Shackleton is a pretty clever but of kit though, and is used extensively through the summers in the North Sea serving the rigs where her abilities with side thrusters and retractable 360 degree azimuth prop enable her to keep very close position for essential tasks.

It still bounces about a lot on the sea though! the front mounted accommodation meaning all the ships movements are felt by those held captive (sorry, guests on board).

The Ships main engine room, engines at the back,alternators middle and gear box/clutch housing at the front.

Phil looking a little apprehensive at the size of the engines!

Me in my bright orange BAS thermal overalls with Caroline Lewis of BAS (note the fancy glasses!!)

Ice with that..?

2008-02-01T14:05:00.000Z

Friday 1st February 2008, 13.10 hrs (GMT -1)
Another first today - our first Icebergs spotted. Until now there have been only far sightings on the radar, but these passed by within about a mile of the ship on the left side (port, I believe). We are now past the 50 degree latitude line at about 53 degrees, still heading south, but on a slightly different heading, taking us slightly south westerly as the ship needs to take some ocean depth readings (recently varying between some 1500 and 5100m in depth!! crikey!). The journey from Cape Town to Halley is not a usual run for the Shackleton, so they are gathering what data they can for scientific and future travel needs. Also the sea temperature has now dropped to fractionally above freezing (about 0.4degC), so not a time to take a swim.
Thankfully the seas have calmed a little overnight, allowing a bit more sleep than usual. The past 4 days or so have been like having your bed on a fairground big dipper ride, compressed into you matress one minute, thown off and sideways the next.
Here's to better weather.....

Icebergs off the port side:

Another changing view from the porthole:

On The Move

2008-01-30T10:20:00.000Z

Just a couple of pics from the journey so far...

The Shackleton cutting the South Atlantic waters, the red hull reflected in the spray

We have been joined by some other guys - this ones called 'Albert Ross'

Changing Views

2008-01-28T09:29:00.000Z

My Shackelton Cabin - No 408 for those that know

View from the porthole leaving CT - The Twelve Apostles

View from the porthole a day later, guess there will be a few like this!

Away at Last

2008-01-28T09:00:00.000Z

On the Waterfront in Cape Town, our Shackleton hotel in the background

A final send off by the local gulls

The last views of Cape Town as the Shackelton leaves

Lots of water, just lots and lots of water

Well we finally managed to get away from Cape Town, the delay being receipt of the generator part that needed to be fitted. This came via Jo'berg and arrived with box but no part. Eventually it was found, fitted and trialled overnight, allowing the ship to sail the next day.
The temerature was pushing 30DegC in the shade, so all the crew were not too happy at having to leave that to head for 5 weeks against the ice in Antarctica, shore leave didn't seem so appealing there.
A pilot boat saw the Shackleton safely out of harbour and into open seas, there were a few seeing the ship off on shore, mainly tourists watching from in front of the posh Cape Town waterfont Hotels and Malls, next to which we had been berthed for a few days.
The views of Table mountain, the Lions Head and Rump, the Twelve Apostles and Cape Point (the so named mountains, hills and final most south westerley point of South Africa) were stunning as we turned due south to head for the Ice.
We are now a few days at sea and that is pretty much all there is, lots and lots of sea to see. We have had some pretty good weather since leaving, with some sea swells causing the Shackleton to bob and sway around quite a bit. I have so far managed to keep everything down with the aid of pills, although my travelling companion - Phil Wells of HBA Architects, hasn't faired so well to date, but suffered an initial bout sea-sickness. The forcast is for us to be running into some pretty rough weather late tonight/tomorrow morning, which we will aparantly be in for around 3-4 days! I just hope the pills continue to work.
Due to the restrictive environment and repetative nature of the days on board, we have begun to start the day over breakfast (7.30 to 8.15am) with lines such as..
'Day 3 on the Big Brother ship, today the shipmates have again managed to keep their breakfast down..'
The similarities to the BB house (not that I particularly watch the mind numbing programme) are there, its just not as confined. It makes you wonder how on earth they manage to survive at all for so long.
Well that is it for now, I don't expect to be posting much more over the forthcoming days unless something presents itself, it will more time at sea. Hopefully when we reach the ice there will be some more exciting pictures to post. Bye for now.

2008-01-23T07:27:00.000Z

Cape Town Waterfornt

The Ernest Shackleton at Berth in Cape Town

Still in Cape Town

2008-01-23T07:19:00.000Z

I arrived in Cape Town at the start of the week expecting the Shackleton to be sailing pretty shortly afterwards, however, the late arrival of the temporary tents (to see the Halley modules through the winter without cladding), repairs being carried out to one of the Cats brought back from Halley and a part needed for the generator have delayed the sailing date.

It now looks like we will be sailing late Thursday/Early Friday. Feedback from site seems to be that there will be lots to do when we ge there. Still, the temperature yesterday was around 35degC with unbroken sunshine. This morning seems to be going the same way. I guess there are worse places to be waiting!

The Start

2008-01-03T17:44:00.000Z

Just received confirmation of the tickets to get me to Cape Town today along with a sudden realisation that I will actually be heading off to Antarctica in 2 weeks time!!

Apart from the sudden desire to go and buy loads of thermal underwear, I need to get my head around what I do need to take. Some good advice to be sought from Dave (Windy Miller) Mitchell on this I think.

So the last 18months of hell in getting Halley VI to the point of being able to be built, now means that it needs to be built. I'll try and post regular photos of my trip (short though it is) and let all know how things are going.