Personal experience, between 1966 and 1969, of work and life on Halley Bay, a British Antarctic Survey Base, approx 75degrees South and 800 miles from the South Pole, in Antarctica.
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Diary of a trip across the Ice Shelf onto the Land Mass - doing Glaciology

 OCTOBER into NOVEMBER 1968

The following is a daily diary of a trip assisting a Glaciologist (Paul Coslett) to check snow accumulation. glacial movement and mapping of an area on the Antarctic land mass. Hally Bay is located on the floating ice shelf and between the ice shelf and land mass there is a "hinge zone" where the snow and glacial movements flow from the land mass into the Wedell Sea. This "hinge zone", criss crossed with crevasses, between BP01 and BP10, (which change position, depth and size yearly) has to be crossed to climb upwards onto the land mass (though this is still covered in snow and ice). Annotations such as BP01, J, E, I, D1, O1 refer to land marks and flag position markers.

 

Day 1.       October 31st

Left base about mid-day in company with kegs and Internationals on there way to the Shackletons. Keith on the Eliasan was pulling the Nanseen sledge and the cargo sledge was pulled by an International to permit the Skidoo (called Mol) to travel light and run in a number of drive belts. Each sledge was loaded with about 1100 pounds. At I, we turned round and returned to base to collect an item forgotten by the Tractor party. Both vehicles were taken to J and we then travelled on to base with Skidoo only. On returning to J the Skidoo towed the Nansen from there on and the Eliasan travelled light, as the Skidoo was a faster vehicle. Shortly after Keith was thrown off the Eliasan which then ran on. It was stopped after a mile and a half chase. We then went on to E, where the Eliasan's bottom track guides broke. These we replaced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thereafter Mol was troubled by snow in the carbarettor, which necessitated a number of stops. Arrived at BP01 at 0330 and camped.

(29.6 miles)

 

 

 

  

 
 
 
 
 Day 2.      November 1st

Up at mid-day. Vehicle inspection showed that Eliasan track guides were again broken. The tractor party agreed to carry the Eliasan to X- roads where attempts would be made at repairing it. In this way, we still had the benefit of travelling through the crossing in company with the tractors.

Left BP01 at 1500 hrs. Tried pulling both sledges with Mol, but proved impossible so had to relay. Keg assistance was required to get up  slope at BP09. Shortly after BP10, the carbarettor iced up for the third time, and so from there, both vehicles and sledges were pulled behind the tractors. Arrived at X-roads about 0630.

 

(18.9 miles) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Day 3.        November 2nd                     Up at 2000 hrs for radio sked with base.

 

 

 

 

 

Arranged tellurometer sked for 1000 hrs tomorrow.

 

 

 

Spent day working on Eliasan repairs with Dad Etchells advice. The work was greatly eased by the tools carried by the tractor party. The tellurometer sked proved unsuccessful as it was blowing on base and Andy did not come up. Turned in at 1500 hrs, It had been blowing for the latter part of thee day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 4.     November 3rd

 

 

 

Up at 2100 hrs for departure of the tractor party, and then turned in again to get back to normal hours.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Day 5.      November 4th

  Continued track guide repairs.

  

 Tellurometer sked with base in afternoon but circle unreadable. Tried sun OB (obervation), but Vibration caused by wind too great for self-leveling instrument.

  

Day 6.     November 5th

Latitude ob at noon. Tellurometer skeds in afternoon to Andy at D1 and O1, Longitude OB attempted in afternoon but too much vibration despite windbreak. Vehicle repairs continued.

 

Day 7.     November 6th

Vehicle repairs continued. Skidoo fuel tank and pipe cleaned of snow and rear suspension changed as two springs had broken.

 

Day 8.    November 7th

Vehicle repairs continued.

 

Day 9.    November 8th

Tellurometer sked with survey B. Longitude by East sun and Latitude at noon but sun was not visible for Longitude by West sun.

 

Day 10.   November 9th

Vehicle repairs again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 11.     November 10th

Vehicles both running again today.

 

 

Day 12.    November 11th

Azimuth and Longitude by West sun. Andy failed to find 5. No work from here for the time being finished so prepared for move next day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 13.      November 12th

Left X-roads about mid-day, with total load between two sledges of 1900 lbs, including 75 galls of fuel. Progress was very slow. Double heading of both sledges together was tried and this made life easier in the soft snow, but at times both vehicles were needed to pull each sledge. Eliasan fuel line needed repair during the day. Between Z4 and A5, whilst relaying, Eliasan lost power, So made camp, about 2000hrs.

 

(sledge 7.9 mikes)

  

Day 14.      November 13th

Calm sunny day. Eliasan carburettor stripped, ice cleared from it, and then replaced, whilst jets were being re-set, the engine seized. Keith started removing engine and I went on Mol to cargo sledge at A5 to get Eliasan spares. It was found that the front bridges of the cargo sledge were broken. So this was taken back to camp for repair. The Eliasan engine was taken tnto the tent and stripped. We were greatly helped by a sled with Ken on base.

(Sledge 7.9 miles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 15.    November 14th

Work continued on the Eliasan. Bridge on the cargo sledge replaced. Holding down belt on skidoo replaced. Two skeds with Ken during the day to discuss engine.

 

 Day 16.    November 15th

Engine put back on vehicle again. When it was run, an unusual noise was heard, which could not be traced. Decided to leave Eliasan and proceed on with skidoo. Set off about 1630 leaving Eliasan and its spares, together with 5 gals of fuel. A further 5 gals was left at A5. Relayed as far as depot 70 (stake 39) and from there skidoo pulled both sledges down slope to 21 where we arrived at about 0400 hrs.

 (sledge 24.4 miles)

 

 

 Day 17.        November 16th

 Blowing so layed-up.

 

Day 18.       November 17th

Wind about 15 knots with snow. Blowing at 01 where Andy is camped so no tellurometer sked.

 

Day 19.      November 18th

Snowing and Andy still layed-up so no tellurometer sked.

  

Day 20.     November 19th

Clear weather again. Tellurometer sked to Andy at 01 and D1. Camp dug out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Day 21.     November 20th

Manky pit dug and densities measured.

 

Day 22.   November 21st

 Went with light sledge to re-flag 22, 37, 25, 24, 61, 38, and 35. Getting back just in time for radio sked. 37 was completely covered over, as 14 and 28 close by showed 249 cm accumulation since they were last visited last Autumn. Failed to find the food depoted at 22.

(Sledge 17.7 miles)

 

Day 23.      November 22nd

Tellurometer skeds to base and survey E. Moved away after skeds with basic equipment. Visited 33 and 76, and then headed towards 58. Could not see it, so went to other flag we could see, which was 38. Then visited 75, 72 and 36. We then headed towards 32, but decided it was not approachable from that side without a great deal of time being spent. Returned to 75 and headed again for 58, but again failed to locate it. Camped at 0030 hrs. The depot at 76 was not found. 

(Sledge 22.9 miles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 24.     November 23rd

 

Had a good look around at 58 in the morning, and concluded that it was down. Decided that the time necessary to visit 29 and 32 amongst the icefalls was not worth while as there had been very little accumulation there the last time that they had been visited. Travelled back to 21 via 76, having to relay up the hill from 76 to 35 even with the light load. Keith relayed the Nansen sledge on to stake 24 whilst I lashed up the cargo sledge. From 24 skidoo managed to pull both sledges up to 39 and then along to the Eliasan, Picking up the 5 gals of fuel at A5 on the way. Reached the Eliasan at 2000 hrs and pitched the tent before skedding with base. The Eliasan engine was then checked and put together again and remounted. We got going again about 0200 hrs, arriving at X-roads at 0340 hrs, with the Eliasan pulling about 40% of the load.

 

(Sledge 34.6 miles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Day 25     November 24th

Tellormeter sked with base at noon, which this time proved succesful. Packed up, leaving various items of equipment for returning tractor party to take back to base. Departed from X-roads about 1800 hrs, Fuel line on Eliasan broak again near BP17 and a temporary repair was made. Near BP02, Eliasen track guides broke again and damaged track. Skidoo took own load on to 01 and then brought on Eliasan and it's load in two further trips. At 01, reloaded sledge, with Eliasan on the cargo sledge with part of it's load and the rest on the Nansen. The Nansen was lashed up, And Keith relayed this on while I lashed up the cargo sledge. Keith shortly returned to announce vehicle trouble. This turned out to be a fractured pin holding the cam to the driver pulley shaft. The slippers on the cam had melted, and we had nothing with us which could replace them. Made camp and had a meal. I then skied back to 01, 1.6 miles distant, to fetch sleeping bags and lilos.

(Sledge 21.2 miles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Day 26.        November 25th

Woke up in time for sked with base to ask for keg recovery. Start made on digging pit, but soon turned in again to catch up on some sleep.

 

 

 

Day 27.        November 26th

Carried on with pit. Keg with Chris Sykes, Murry Roberts, and Dave Finch arrived about 1400 hrs. Struck camp and then went on to 01 to pick up sledge and aquipment there. Skied down onto low shelf there. We then returned to base, arriving back about 2400 hrs. 

(Sledge 25.2 miles, behind Keg.)