A couple of days since my last post. I've been on my Antarctic Field Training on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then today's been pretty busy, so I haven't been near the computer long enough to update the blog. I've split them into the two days so that its not too intense, so this is obviously day 1...
So I'd already done half of the first day earlier with Glen as his refresher, so I met the group after lunch when it was time to head out into the field. We packed our gear into the Hagglund and piled in- literally, we were sitting on top of all the gear in the back, which made for a rather comfortable ride!
Anyway, we cruised over to the AFT spot which is near the A-Frame (which I'll talk about in the next post). This is east of Scott Base, on the Ross Ice Shelf, so the ice is really thick, and in this area (called Windless Bight) is covered in a lot of snow.
Here we learnt how to set up the polar tents (a design thats hardly changed in the last 100 years), and general stuff about Antarctic camping (like using the toilet tent!). It was really good to get out there and experience some of the conditions and get amongst it.. We also covered building shelters in the snow, which was cool.
The best thing about the polar tents is that the floor isn't attached, so u can dig a hole in the snow in the middle of the tent that lets you put your boots on comfortably! How awesome is that!?! I reckon its brilliant!
So our instructor got us started, then headed off to the warmth of the A-Frame and left us to it. We cooked our dinner, and went for a walk, then generally headed off to bed. I, however, decided to keep going with the building of my snow shelter (a trench with blocks over the top), in the hope that I could sleep in it that night (even tho the weather was supposed to turn ugly). After another hour of digging and tidying up, I was happy enough with it to attempt to get ready for bed (it was about 11pm by this stage (and obviously still light)). So I struggled for about 10-15 minutes to get all my gears sorted and get into my sleeping bags, and crawling along into my trench (cos the roof on it was so low). By the time I got in there, I realised that the roof was so low that whenever I breathed I was knocking snow off the roof, and if I needed to get out in a hurry it would be quite a mission! So, I ended up bailing, and moving into a tent. If the shelter had been about 12" deeper it would've been fine, but as it was it was just too shallow.. I mean in an emergency it’d be sweet, but well, this wasn’t an emergency.
In the tent I was ridiculously warm (I’m a hot sleeper anyway (if I do say so myself)), so it didn’t really feel like a night camping in the Antarctic! We’re probably going to be camping at Cape Roberts this weekend in mountain tents, so the experience may be somewhat different, we’ll see..
Anyway, now for some photos from the first day, then I’ll write some more about the second day...
Loading up the Hagglund.
Me in the back of a bumpy Hagglund!
Setting up camp- Erebus in the background.
Our camp.
One of our team members is down doing a virtual fieldtrip for the LEARNZ project. They go around doing these fieldtrips, and the kids sit at school and get to follow them through the internet. Some of the schools send in these mascots which gives the kids a bit more of a connection with it. It sounds like a great programme- the website's http://www.learnz.org.nz/
So these guys are sitting down to dinner. I really wish we had projects like this when I was a kid. So any teachers out there- check it out!
We did a little video with each of us doing a shout-out to the schools with the mascots saying what we're doing down here. I might post it, however apparently I look like I'd scare the kids!
Sitting down at our snow block table with Erebus in the background.
Flag jousting!
A couple out for a walk with Mt Terror in the background.
Self portrait. This is the look which makes me look like I'd scare the kids. The mask is a neoprene one to try and cut down on my breath fogging up my goggles. It kinda works.
On an evening walk. Our camp on the right, the A-Frame to the left.
A lovely evening for a walk..
Naomi in the shelter I built.
About 11:30pm on the Ross Ice Shelf. We were in the shade from a cloud, but you can see that White Island in the background is still in full sunshine.
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