06/01/2009
The last week has been spent in the Southern Prince Charles Mountains (PCMs) at two sites either side of the southern sweep of the biggest glacier on Earth, the Lambert Glacier.
We flew out in the twin-prop C212 aircraft, which first headed southwest around the Ingrid Christensen coast and then over the Amery ice shelf to refuel at a depot at Beaver Lake. We then continued south over the Lambert glacier and passed by many mountains and nunataks as we made our way through the PCMs to Wilson Bluff. Flying over the glacier and mountains it is hard to grasp the magnitude of what it is you are looking at. The grand scale of the place is extraordinary as the glacier overwhelms the mountains peaking out at the surface.
At Wilson Bluff we quickly setup camp of two polar pyramids in a sheltered valley of snow adjacent to our work site. Over the next three days we got all the work done and were then gifted two extra days on site due to new years and poor flying weather. Seeing in the new year as the sun passed behind a mountain in one of the most remote places imaginable and at the most southern place I will ever get was a real thrill. We scrambled up a small rock outcrop which afforded 360 degree views around our local area and opened up the sight across the ice to the nearby mountains draped in snow. With the bonus time we also went on a few exploratory walks around the base and up to the top of the bluff. I had been to Wilson Bluff before and it was interesting to visit again. It definitely wasn’t as enchanting an experience as the first time. It seemed as though nothing had changed and the place had just remained still waiting for my return. I was the last person there two years ago by the way.
After five nights at Wilsons the aircraft returned and flew us over the Lambert glacier to Dalton Corner at the southern tip (or corner) of the Mawson Escarpment. I had been to Daltons two years ago as well and was surprised at how quickly the memories and details of the local area returned to me. At Daltons we simply had to pack up some equipment but this was made more difficult due to the location of the gear two kilometres and quite a way up from the landing site and camp. Over the course of a day we slogged up and down the rocky glaciated soil and piece by piece transferred the equipment to the ski-way cache. Again we were given an extra day on site, this time due to a station imposed no fly day. We didn’t mind as we could think of worse places to be left waiting, such as on station. We made use of the time with a bit more exploring and then mucked around doing some crevasse travel training and mock crevasse rescue.
The grandeur of the ice and mountains in this area is truly spectacular, while little things like the patterns of clouds in the sky and the creaking and cracking of the glacier can be breathtaking. One evening when the wind had a rest and everything was still I took great enjoyment in lying on a rock absorbing the warmth of the sun while gazing up at the wild brush strokes of cirrus clouds dancing through the blue sky.
At the end of the trip we were collected by the aircraft and treated to a rare gift, a flight at low level along the Mawson Escarpment with the back door slightly open so we could lie on the rear landing and look straight out at the mountains, glaciers, crevasses and pools of melt as they passed below. This joy was repeated as we travelled back around the coast, over sea ice, ice bergs and islands, and made our way back to station. Not to let on too much about the amazing time we had.
