Training

So much winter training has had to be completed since my last post, that i have not had a spare moment to update the blog. 

Winter training is classed as work and is done during core hours, the problem for me is that if i did the training during work hours no one would get fed, so i have to sacrifice my time off in order to complete the necessary skills needed for a winter. 

Throw into the mix ships arriving, the Dash 7 bringing in fresh ingredients, food moves, more people arriving on base as well as preparing, preserving and freezing fresh foods to help see us through winter and all of a sudden the time has gone and we are at the end of the season.

So the training i have had to do is essential for the winter, as the skills are needed to keep us all safe while we live together in this remote part of the world. We are essentially the emergency services down here and have to look after each other. All winterers have to be proficient at first aid, donning BA (Breathing Apparatus) kits, in order to go into smoke filled buildings, operating the Hyperbaric Chamber for the divers, also being an internal tender to go into the chamber at depth. We also need crevasse rescue skills, knowledge of Hyperthermia and cold injuries and training on how to crew and cox the boats. 

A lot of my time has been spent getting in and out of suits, in and out of chambers and in and out of boats. It has been a lot of fun and some very valuable skills have been learnt. The training has been invaluable not just how to react in an emergency, but having the knowledge of how to prevent emergencies happening in the first place and that will be much easier when the ship has taken the last of the summer team and we are left with our team of 22.

Me and Will in BA kit

Where's the fire

Maz and Ben monitoring the chamber, while Zoe

is inside as Internal Tender

3 are going in to be taken down to depth

Maz watching the time and instructing

while i operate the pressures and watch the dials

Time for diver medicine training

Jen Doc, shows what you should be looking for

The Expedition cruise ship comes to Rothera

So this was announced just after we had been told that the winterers were going on a pleasure flight on the Dash 7 to recce the areas where we could potentially go on our winter trips.  

I had finished chamber training early and managed to get to the kitchen in time to do lunch, when we heard that the Expedition Cruise Ship was coming into Rothera to drop off a couple of our scientists that had been out in the field. They were picked up by the ship and were to fly out on the Dash a couple of days later. The ship could not get in to the wharf as we had divers in the water so it stayed in the bay, we were told that a few tour groups would come ashore in Zodiacs (Their boats) and that i would be able to get on board to chat with their chef, another opportunity to get some nice ingredients for my winter.

I took Rob with me straight after lunch, as he was on a day off and Lewis was on duty for dinner. We had to get into boat suits in order to be ferried across to the ship, so once we were kitted out we made our way to the pick up point to catch the boat. I was just about to get onto the boat when their tour guide told me that the hotel manager and chef could not see me until 4:00pm, by this time Rob was already on a boat and winging his way over to the ship. I on the other hand could not go as i would not be back in time to make the winterers flight, so we called Lewis on the radio to see if he could go in my place? He could and made his way over to meet me, where we had to swap clothes. He got into the boat suit i was wearing and i had to put his shoes and jacket on because mine were in the boat shed. Before you knew it Lewis was on the ship negotiating for some goodies and i was preparing for my flight.

The Expedition Cruise Ship off the Wharf

The pickup and drop off point with a tour group 

from the ship

Tour groups being ferried to and from the ship

One tour group in

Rob on his way to the ship

Another Zodiac coming in

Lewis ready to board, having got into my boat suit

Winterers Flight

This was decided at the last minute due to the weather being glorious, this will give us a chance to see our local area from the air to determine where we would like to go and what we would like to do on our winter trips. Everyone gets to go on a trip during their winter, this gives you the chance to get off base for a few days and take a bit of a break, as well as giving you a real Antarctic experience. It also doubles as training on how to pitch tents, cook in the field, adapt to your environment, ice climb, walk tied on to each other and gives you knowledge as to what the field guides and scientist have to do every season when they go into the field. 

The Dash is ready as we start to board

A view of Rothera from the air with sea ice and bergs

to the north along Piedmont Ridge

Flying over the mountains

Our Doc Jenny, on the jump seat talking to the pilots 

in the cock pit

Lovely views as we leave Rothera in the distance

Carvajal The Chilean base camp. It used to belong

to BAS and this is where i would like to go for my

winter trip.

A closer shot of Carvajal

Round the tip of Carvajal

Then on to Fjords, looking through the cockpit window

Cutting through the channel of the Fjords

Captain John Bowland mapping the way

Co-pilot Andy Vidamour enjoying the scenery,

flying at 1000 feet

ice cliffs and glaciers

Coming back to Rothera, you can just see the caboose 

in the middle of the picture at Vals, which is where 

everyone skis

Flying over Rothera with the Expedition ship to 

the south of the runway

Coming into land, flying over the icebergs

Our first winter team picture

That was a busy day and most days have been the same since, but the science is now finishing and the season is coming to an end with quite a few people going home now. Although we do have a team of Chilean drillers on base at the moment, they are here drilling the seabed for samples ready to start the redevelopment of Rothera next season, starting with making the wharf bigger in order to take the new polar ship "Sir David Attenborough".   I can't wait until all the summer staff have gone, I'm itching to start my winter now.