November 25, 2007
Once again we had a ’snow day’ due to the bad weather and it was great to wake up this morning and find the weather had eased enough for us to move on. We are in the middle of changing our location so that we can carry out some more science in a different area. It’s not just a question of walking down the street. Changing sites is a serious mission. Tents down, everything packed in sledges and then hauling everything up a slippery slope with skies on. It was a difficult morning of pulling and we seemed to slide backwards more than forwards. We also had to negotiate a treacherous crevasse field where one foot wrong would have seen us plummeting down an icy crack in the ground. Some of the crevasses were so deep you couldn’t see the bottom and all of them were covered with a fine layer of snow, so it was difficult to see them. We finally got safely to the top of the hill where we had laid a depot two days before. Then we had to start the mammoth task of lowering the sledges down the other side of the steep hill. Six pulks all roped together with a pulley system and four teachers roped to the pulks to try and control the sledges on the descent. It was like walking six disobedient dogs. Those sledges had a mind of their own. We got half way down and the weather closed in. Snow and such poor contrast you couldn’t tell the ground from the sky. It became too dangerous to travel because we had no way of seeing any crevasses. So we have put the tents up half way down the hill and are hoping we can carry on the descent tomorrow. Our aim is to get into the valley of the Connell Canyon where we will spend a few days collecting some more science data. It’s really exciting to be on our way to a new area and a little frustrating that we couldn’t get there today. Everything in Antarctica takes so much longer than you ever think! You definitely need to have a lot of patience. Hopefully when we get to our new study site we’ll be able to send back some news of more science. I’m looking forward to getting the chance to look for my lichens.
I’d like to say a special well done to scientists in Years 10 and 11 at Higham Lane School for completing your GCSE modules. It’s been great to hear that some of you think that your exams have gone ok I really appreciate getting your messages! I’d also like to wish Mr Masters from Higham Lane a belated happy 50th birthday. I was thinking of you on the day Mr Masters and hope that you aren’t feeling as old as you look Thanks for all the questions and comments. Great to hear from so many of you. Better get back to scraping ice from my boots!
