On Friday we went to the McMurdo Dry Valleys region to do some work. In the late 1980's, survey beacons were installed on trig marks throughout the region for survey work. In NZ we tend to use the sort of triangular black and white trig beacons that you've seen around on top of hills, and beside some roads. Down here they used two or three old oil drums stacked on top of each other bolted or welded together, guyed down and filled with rocks! These days the techniques for positioning down here such as GPS don't really need that sort of infrastructure, so we're taking them out. They're also a bit of an eyesore, and an environmental risk as sometimes they go 'missing' off the tops of the hills. This can be a problem in delicate places like the Dry Valleys, which is an Antarctic Specially Managed Area. And it's never good to have big drums rolling round the place.
So Glen and I were really lucky, as the seven of these beacons that are left are all in these Dry Valleys (which are the ones I would've got first, haha). We were planning on getting four on Friday in the Kukri Hills and the Asgard Range, and then on Monday picking up the remaining three from the Olympus range. The Kukri Hills are between the Ferrar Glacier and the Taylor Valley, the Asgard Range is between the Taylor and Wright Valleys, and the Olympus range is between the Wright and the McKelvey Valleys (for those playing along at home). We managed to get 6 of the sites done in one day, which is pretty good. The beacons came down a lot easier than we were expecting- only one of them was welded together, and there weren't many warratahs to bash out.
The scenes were absolutely spectacular- the english language doesn't have the superlatives for it really. To have seen so many photos of the place, and then to finally get there was just stunning. I've been getting similar emotions down here, but this one took the cake. I'd rate it as one of, if not the best day of my life so far. Epic.
I think that one of the most intense things I'm kinda struggling to get my head around is that all this stuff is in darkness for a large part of the year! I dunno, it just seems stranger than it being in light for the same length of time. I guess its because as humans we'd find it so much more difficult to function... Hmmm.. thats my deep thought for the day!
Anyway, onto the photos. I've got some panoramas from this trip as well, but I'll upload them seperately, and I'm still working on some of them. Also, the photos from the helo have some smudgy marks on them- its reflections and stuff off the windows. I didn't really want to open the door!
The eastern end of the Kukri Hills, looking north. We're flying over the Ferrar Glacier.
The first beacon we got to- and it'd been blown over!!
Looking towards the Upper Taylor I think..
Searching for the survey mark- the mark was called Glen, so we looked quite hard. Unfortunately we couldn't find it.
The Commonweath and Canada Glaciers in the lower Taylor Valley.
Getting ready to carry the drums to the helo.
Taking the drums down the hill. For the record, I was carrying all our heavy tools, so didn't get out of work!
A cool little rock feature, with the upper Taylor Valley in the background.
Our lunch break.
So each of the beacons had 2 drums, and we were able to fit 6 in the back of the helo, with three of us as well- just. There wasn't much room!
At the Marble Point refuelling facility. The NZ one's the one in the middle- HNO.
This one was welded together, so we had to chisel it off- hence the earphones.
Still chiselling.
Towards the upper Taylor Valley.
Lake Vanda!!! The NZ huts are at this end of the lake- you can't quite see them on this downsized image. It used to be quite the NZ outpost- a few people even used to winter over here!
The Upper Wright Glacier, with the Labyrinth to the left of it. Rob the helo pilot wasn't too impressed with my "Where's the Lower Left Glacier?" joke! haha...
The top end of the McKelvey Valley.
Our beacon. One of the Guys had snapped, so it was on a bit of a lean.
Looking down the McKelvey. Bull Pass comes off to the right.
It says something about a place when your helo pilot who's been flying down here for something like 18 years gets out his camera and starts taking photos!
Chris, one of the base staff, about to attack the beacon! I think we couldn't get to one of the nuts so chiselled it.
The Upper Wright again. This mesa landscape is stunning.
HNO with the barrels ready to be loaded..
The Wright Valley.
Soaking it all in.
More of the Upper Wright.
HNO again.
The insignificance of the man eh?
About ready to go..
The last beacon of the day. Apparently its a four hour walk up from Vanda if you're keen. And the McKelvey Valley is in the background.
The reasonably narrow ridge we landed on.
Attacking the beacon!
Glen inspecting the mark.
Trying to fit 6 drums in the back again..
Awesome.
I got to ride back in the front! Whoop!
I wasn't allowed to touch anything, cos I had the live controls in front of me too.. I reckon with my flight sim experience I'd be able to have a good go at it, haha.. Again, Rob wouldn't have been impressed.
Bull Pass.
Glaciers of the Lower Wright.
View in the rear-vision mirror thats below your feet!
Coming in to land at Scott Base after an amazing day in the field.
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