20/01/2007
One year ago I made a difficult decision which led me away from something which should have been a good opportunity and directed me onto a completely different path. That decision was inspired by a preference to do what I wanted to do, rather than what I felt I should do, and has now landed me at the bottom of the world at the southern end of the largest glacier in the world. I have spent the last week below 74 degrees of latitude camping in the snow at the base of several mountains. This is what is known as the ‘deep field’. In a small party of three we travelled south and were left at a place called Wilson Bluff and a few days later we moved onto another rock formation called Dalton Corner. These large rock outcrops jutting out of the ice are part of the Prince Charles Mountains which are scattered amongst the Lambert Glacier. We camped alongside the glacier and I took great pleasure in knowing that we were over 700km from the nearest other people. Although we were at an elevation of roughly 1500m and a long way from the coast we were fortunate to have reasonable weather with tolerable winds and temperatures no less that negative 20 degrees.
The reason for our visit to the deep field was work related and involved repairing GPS stations which had not been operational for nearly two years. These GPS sites are part of a network of deep field stations which contribute to studies of continental motion in Antarctica. We found the Wilson Bluff GPS site had been absolutely devastated by the Antarctic winds. It looked like a massacre had occurred. Cables had been split apart, the solar panels were smashed and the wind turbine had snapped off. We sifted through the wreckage and recovered what was still operational and set to work rebuilding the site. Two 15 hour days working flat out was required to get the GPS station back to life, repairing damaged equipment and installing new replacement gear.
While working I was often distracted by the mountains around me and would find myself staring up at the peaks above. We finished work at midnight on the second day at Wilson Bluff and although I was completely exhausted I decided, out of the blue, to go on a trek up to the top of the mountain I had been admiring from my work site at the base. This is a perfect example of taking advantage of the endless sunlight in the Antarctic summer. Finish work at midnight and you still have light to go exploring. I’m not sure how this fits in with the promise I made to my parents “not to do anything stupid” but it re-enforced my belief that I always have the most fun when I make spontaneous decisions. A co-worker and I set off over the rubble and made our way up the ridge line. It was a one hour climb to the peak, scrambling up the slope with rocks slipping and falling beneath every step. It was a hard slog but when we reached the top it was an extraordinary feeling and the view was incredible. The rock flattened out to a plateau which we wandered across to admire the sight on the other side. Nothing but ice from where we stood to the south pole. Spectacular.
We were given a few extra days at each of our deep field sites, due to poor weather conditions elsewhere, and put the time to good use. It was like our own natural amusement park. Kite flying on the glacier, frisbee, long walks in any direction just to see what is over there and three man sled rides down the side of the glacier.
The glacier is an impressive feature. A seemingly infinite mass of ice with large rock formations poking out of it, similar to the icebergs in the ocean. The glacier has distinct curves and waves in it and drops off significantly around the rock outcrops where the heat absorbed in the rocks has melted the surrounding glacial ice. This makes for a great slope for three man sledding, although you do need to be mindful of the crevasses. When the wind died down and everything was still and quiet you could hear the glacier cracking. Creaking and cracking sounds sneaking up on you from all different directions.
The work we did out there was physically demanding and involved a lot of hauling of heavy equipment up and down steep slopes and over long distances. I enjoyed the challenge of these endurance efforts and often pushed myself to the point of exhaustion. I walked everyday I was out there for work and fun, as I was determined to absorb as much of the amazing country as I could. I look forward to more bush walking when I return to Australia.
In
The Art of Travel the point is made that no matter how far you travel or where you go, you always have to take yourself. I was in top form for the trip and got as much out of the spectacular environment as I possibly could, enjoying my time out there immensely. I was in no way overawed by my first adventure into the deep field of Antarctica and would not say that the experience changed me in anyway. I simply appreciated the opportunity to visit such an extraordinary place. I made a great decision at the beginning of last year and look forward to enjoying the experiences choices I make in the future bring.
