Christmas On Ice

The time is 9.30pm on Christmas day, I have just finished the evening shift having fed 20 people in the Drewery.

I usually have 30 to feed but today the shackleton came in and it was all hands on deck. It was supposed to have arrived on the 21st but it got stuck in pack Ice, so everyone involved was on standby, no one really knew when the supplies would actually arrive. From a chefs perspective it did not really affect us much, we still had mouths to feed, the only difference would be that a few of the workforce would be going onto nights which meant having dinners ready for them at breakfast. It is very bizarre as there is no real night, what, with a 24 hour daylight. Everybody does a 12 hour shift which starts at 7.30 the only difference being AM or PM. 

Now yesterday, 24th Dec Christmas eve we did every one their christmas dinner. So the room was decorated by Tony, who Had made paper chains out of girlie magazines, which went down a storm with the guys while the chefs had managed to save a few breasts of turkey for the event, along with sprouts, parsnips, carrots (all frozen) all the trimmings and even xmas pud with brandy sauce. We had wine on the tables and crackers and the whole evening was a total success. It was a good party atmosphere, and when the meal was over we went over to the Laws building where they had done the same christmas meal, and we met in the bar for a couple more drinks. Most of the conversations that evening was about the Ship. I left and went to bed at approx 11.30pm.

In the morning I had a little bit of a lie in, when i got down to the kitchen i had been told the supply ship had moored onto the Ice shelf and everyone was busy doing what they should be doing, apparently like clockwork. Although I did wonder as to what state some of the guys were in. So within the last few hours there have been John Deer tractors, running backwards and forwards to the coast pulling laden sledges, Challengers pulling containers, skidoos whizzing about and the comms guys busy communicating between the Ship and the vehicles on the ice. The dinner of Lamb wellington, Dauphinoise potatoes and mixed veg, followed by a rhubarb crumble and Trifle went down well with everyone this evening. Relief is still ongoing and will be a round the clock operation until the ship leaves. It will take about 10 days to unload her. The fuel she is carrying for Halley V and VI will take 5 days to offload as there is approx 3,000 Drums

. 

So while work goes on I am off to bed.  I have a lie in on a Sunday as we start at 10am due the fact there is no smoko to produce. I reflect on the day and i look back at all the Christmases i have worked over the years, and i have to say that being at a research centre at the end of the planet, on Antarctica with 24 hour daylight certainly takes some beating........

The Halley Signpost

The Laws Building with the Garage in the background, and a few of the machines used in the relief operation, with some of the containers in the background.

And finally there is always time for a cup of tea on the verandah.

I still can't believe it's christmas. I did have a white one though.

I will post more about the Relief later in the week when i have had the opportunity to get down to the coast and see the Ship moored. watch this space..

Up the Creek

I can't believe the weather we are having at the moment. While the UK has temperatures of -15 degrees, and colder in parts and everyone is trying to stay warm, with pipes freezing, cars getting stuck and generally having a hard time of it, I have no problem getting to work, we have quad bikes, skidoos, skis, track vehicles and snowcats to get around in. Not to mention the weather, in spite of all the ice and snow as i write this blog the temperature outside is + 3 degrees and the sun is blazing. I walked across to the Laws building yesterday in just a jumper and trousers and of course sunglasses and sunblock. Everyone here is overheating. It's Amazing...

I have now been moved to work in the Drewery kitchen, which is the accommodation block where i live. It is a smaller kitchen but caters for less people, 30 in total and we have the added benefit of not having any smoko's, although as it is quieter we do help out the Laws building by making their bread rolls and afternoon smoko's daily.

When i came down for work on Sunday and Chris, the chef i was working with for the day, told me that there was a penguin trip to Creek 3 and after lunch i could go on it, and he would be fine doing dinner on his own. So as soon as lunch was over i was dressed in extra warm clothing (as it would be a lot colder at the coast) and off i went to meet outside the Laws.....

Walking to the Laws where the Snowcats are waiting with sledges attached and for everyone to sign out as being off perimeter

Once we were tagged out i made a bee line for the snowcat wanting to be inside the cab and not sitting on the sledge, only because i had already sat on the back of a sledge when i went drum raising to the coast on my last day off, and i wanted others to experience it you understand!.... And NOT because it was bloody freezing on the sledge....

Brett was our driver for the day and is one of the Mechanics that work in the garage, here he is opening communications with the Comms guys at base, having to stay in radio contact at all times. I asked Brett if there was room for a little one in the back, and suggested that if not he won't get fed...It's amazing the power a chef has in Antarctica...

So with Brett's permission I walked round to the back of the snowcat and climbed in. while the rest made themselves comfortable on the sledge.


Myself, Pat, Paul and Rory the co-driver all nice and snug inside the cat

 While the rest look for a space that isn't wet to sit on, and wrap up nice and warm.

 The weather is overcast and quite dull with temperatures of -7 degrees centigrade. Which is not bad for Antarctica

As The Cats start the journey the sledges get pulled and boy am i glad I'm in the cab, It's looking bleak out there..

After about an hour of travelling we eventually come into sight of the cliffs at Creek 3. Which is where the Shackleton will moor with the relief supplies

 Up ahead you can not only see the line of sledges and containers that have been positioned in readiness for taking the supplies from the ship to the camp, but also a seal just to the left of picture....

Once there we had a brief and were split into 4 groups of 9. The first group was to go down the ramp to the colony of penguins while the second group could watch from the top of the ramp and have a go at sledging.
The other 2 groups had to wait at the caboose for their turn.
 

I was in the last group with Rory, who had suggested we go and look for the seal we had seen earlier

 This was my group. Right to left is: Kirk the GA, Pat the Chef, Lenny and a few Morrisons workers, and at the front of the picture left is Penny BAS Admin.

Off we went in search of the seal, and there it was hiding behind the sledge line, it was a tremendous feeling of excitement to actually see it in it's own environment. It was not at all bothered by our presence.

We positioned ourselves strategically for a photo opportunity and then just watched as it went about the business of  lazing in what to him was a very warm climate.
 

I loved the way it moved over the ice, so relaxed and slug like...

 We stayed for a while the four of us happy to just watch one seal in the vastness of this immense cold desert.

 It was soon our groups turn to make our way to the top of the ramp for a little extreme sledging.

 The view from the top of the ramp which is basically the cliff top was amazing with Icebergs floating aimlessly by the Sea Ice

The other group on the Sea Ice

The first view of the penguins, walking from the sea edge to have a look at us having a look at them.
 

 The Intrepid tobogganists having raced down the ramp, now face the long walk back up..

 Pat walks in front dragging his sledge as Brett and Paul follow

Magnificent shoreline, with penguins along the seafront

You can make out a large crack in the Ice cliff, these are what break off to form Bergs

Then eventually we get to walk down to meet the penguins, only to be followed by our seal. It was very comical to see it actually get to the ramp and slide down it passing us as we walked. I have to say he was a lot faster and had a lot more control than any of us on the sledges....

Then finally onto the Ice and a great shot of the seal and the penguins together.

Ian the GA, pointed out the crack on the Sea Ice, which is where the Ice Shelf that Halley research station is on, joins the sea Ice. It is essentially a hinge attached to the Shelf, and because the sea Ice is so thin (5 metres at present) it flows up and down with the motion of the sea, causing stress at the join. This crack is  probably 1 to 2 metres thick and is a potential risk. But even if it were to break off completely, It is so cold that it would refreeze and seal itself again setting like concrete.. It was amazing to think that it could break away. but hopefully not at any time soon, as this is where the ship will moor and bulldozers will be crossing backwards and forwards pulling trailers full of supplies.
 

 The penguins where great and gave plenty of opportunity for us all to get some good pictures

And here we have three Antarctic Heroes Paul, Brett and Rory

 This Ice cliff actually cracked and broke off while we were watching, it was an amazing noise that shattered the silence with an explosion and fell into the sea. Ian said that it was only a few months earlier that they were Ice climbing that same cliff.

 The line of flags is to mark the Ramp for the Dozer drivers and Skidoos down onto the ice for relief when the ship comes in.

 Ian the GA checking the ice for cracks.

If you kneel or lie down the penguins will come to you.

One inquisitive penguin looking at me taking It's picture

And just to prove i was there, here is a picture of me with my new friends.

They look so funny waddling around then flopping onto their bellies to slide gracefully.

Pat and Mark taking pictures.

A loving pair.

These two came right up to me it was pretty spectacular.

The feathers on theses penguins are really tight knit and almost look like scales
a real work of art close up.

Standing tall they are about waist height, fascinating creatures.

 Kevan in his Attenborough pose.

 Two Antarctic Chefs dancing on Ice.

 One Richard Sands in a penguin suit.. He is the Science Meteorologist and he is mad!!

 I cleared away the surface snow to see the Ice below and it looks like you could fall through it.

 The penguins heading back to the sea shore, with a large Iceberg in the background.

Ian showing pat the Ice cracks. The fascinating thing is that the Sea Ice they are standing on is frozen sea water and full of salt therefore unsustainable. Whereas the Ice shelf itself is pure frozen freshwater, and drinkable. Which is where we get our water from at base camp. Hence digging the melt tank daily

Back at Halley, and I walk over to the Drewery to see how Chris got on with Sunday dinner...I was greeted with an amazing sun over my accommodation block. what a nice end to another great day out..

And before I finish this post, I can't close without showing you a picture of the penguins actually at camp. Apparently thinking that the drum line were penguins followed them the 12 kg back to Halley research station.