New Video from BAS

The summer field season has officially begun in Antarctica. Check out the British Antarctic Survey's brand new video which will transport you to one of the most extreme and beautiful places on Earth, and explain why our research matters to you – and to everybody.              

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGH-9W6446s 

Sea Ice

My day off yesterday was a quiet one, with the weather not really being the type to be out and about in. The Dash 7 arrived from sky blu bringing back a couple of field guides, it was planned to re-fuel the plane with the intention of taking 5 passengers to Punta, as they have now completed their work and are due back in the UK. Visibility was very poor and getting worse forcing them to stay another night, having to remake their beds and unpack certain items.

We had 'SIT REP' (situations report)  after lunch in which we were told that the ship has had to turn back and is now heading for the falklands. 

The sea ice is too tight and too thick for it to punch it's way through. They will be trying again around the 21st December, if they can't get in then it will be 14th January. 

So no freshies for the next 2 or 3 weeks, my meal tonight will be a Lasagne and garlic bread as we are very low on tinned and powdered potatoes.

The pictures show the ice surrounding Rothera, with satellite images taken from our Info screen.

 Walking in a blow to our accommodation block

 Rothera's runway and hangar shows icebergs locked in sea ice

Aerial Tour of Rothera

We should be in the middle of relief at the moment with everyone on base assigned to a specific task. Unfortunately The JCR (James Clarke Ross) can't get through the sea ice and has been at the ice edge since Saturday, waiting for a lead or crack to appear in order to force it's way through to drop off much needed supplies.
I was on duty yesterday and cooked a Sunday dinner of roast beef and yorkshire puddings, roast tinned potatoes, frozen carrots, and the last of the fresh cabbage. We now have no fresh food on base and eagerly await the JCR docking at the wharf.
Lewis did a great job with the freshies that came in from Punta last March. By preparing, freezing and preserving a lot of them and by correct storing and turning frequently, he managed to keep fresh ingredients for most of his winter.
When i arrived back in October we were still using the last of the potatoes eggs fruit and veg although we soon exhausted our stocks with the extra people arriving on base. We haven't done too bad though considering where we are and what we have to work with. They certainly do not starve!......

These pictures are all from last season

With the JCR safely docked at the wharf in clear water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3r4jrKmuBo 

This link is an aerial tour of Rothera Research Station, It was filmed last season by Matt Bell using a DJI inspire1 quadcopter. Matt is one of our vehicle mechanics and will be wintering again this year as our generator mechanic.

You can see widespread sea ice around Rothera point. This footage gives a great view of the base from the air and shows not only all the buildings, but how the snow and ice affects us and what the ship has to contend with this year.

So It Begins...

After nearly five weeks at Rothera, of settling in, being busy and very slow internet connections, I thought it time to update and kick start my journey.

Having completed my Winter Training In the peak district of Derbyshire back in September, I was asked to fly south earlier than expected due to the increasing numbers of people flying into Rothera. I was to be on the 2nd Dash in to help Lewis, (the outgoing winter chef) with the extra mouths to feed.

The flight south was quite painless this year, with no delays and not that much hanging around at airports. We didn’t have a stop off this time at Puerto Mont which shortened the time from Santiago to    Punta Arenas.

We were in Punta for a couple of days and nights, waiting for the pilots to tell us we had a good weather window into Rothera.

Once we got the word we loaded our gear onto the trucks and set off to board the Dash 7, the plane that flies passengers and cargo into Antarctica for BAS

Approx 4 hours into the flight  and nearly at the ‘PNR’ (Point of no return) the captain announced the weather had changed at Rothera with low cloud making it very difficult to land, we had to turn round and head back, this gave us another night in Punta.

We eventually made it to Rothera after approx 5 hours in the air. The weather was not good and nothing of Antarctica could be seen through the window due to low cloud. Here the Dash can be seen above Rothera on It’s final approach.

It was an exciting landing with the pilots having to abort, powering up and going round again for a 2nd attempt due to cross winds, it was a very bumpy landing and visibility was not good, we could see nothing until we were virtually on the deck. The pictures here are actually from last season to show what we would have seen had it been clear.

Once on the ground we were met by Mike Brian our summer station leader and while the welcoming committee unloaded our bags to distribute them to our accommodation blocks, we made our way to New Bransfield house for a de-brief and dinner before settling into our rooms.

Another Antarctic Season

I can't believe it has been 4 years since my last blog from Halley research station on the Brunt Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Time has gone by so quickly and a lot has happened since then work wise.

Briefly I left Halley making my own way home, calling at Novo (The Russian base camp) then flew into Cape Town South Africa, where I stayed for a couple of weeks before taking the blue train on a beautiful journey overnight to Johannesburg. From there I drove to Waterburg and spent a week on Safari before heading to Kuwait to visit my sister.

I wasn't back in the UK for very long before I was heading to Palma to work on a Super Yacht for a season cooking around the Mediterranean. That ended in September and after a few weeks I was back down south for yet another summer on Antarctica. I have been alternating between the Med and the Antarctic seasons since 2011. 

This summer however, I spent working in the UK to gain a qualification to become a nutritionist. This will enable me to advise on nutrition for sports and exercise, nutrition and weight management, childhood nutrition and obesity prevention, post natal nutrition and behavioural change. I have been studying this for 2 years, in between helping to look after the players at Leicester Tigers rugby club and Trent Bridge Cricket club. 

I have recently submitted all my papers along with the results of an 8 week case study that I had to do on nutrition and weight management. I eagerly await the results!

I am currently back at Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island for my 7th season, only this time I will be here for 18 months as the wintering chef.

So this blog will be to record how the summer season on Antarctica differs from the winter?  How the few left on base cope with the isolation, the constant dark, the lack of fresh ingredients and the falling temperatures.

I'M ''EXCITED'' !!