Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

at the base with Clive Johnson (GA). Tim Jefferson (Palaeontologist) was the other
man currently in that field unit. Ken Back had repainted the huts and cleaned the
base up. Stores were now under cover and it looked in very good shape. Rhys came
in to land and refuel. He was going to sledge 'Sierra' (Howard Thompson and Simon
Stevenson) about 30 miles down the Sound, so I decided to go with him instead of
returning to Rothera. We found 'Sierra' but unfortunately they weren't expecting us
and it took about an hour to break camp in drifting snow and load the aircraft. By
then it was getting late and Rhys decided to spend the night at the Bluff. We had a
pleasant evening's talk and went to bed at 10.30 pm. I had one of the four bunks,
Rhys slept in the caboose near his aircraft and Clive slept on the floor.
We were up at 7 o’clock on 24 February. The weather looked good and so I
returned to Rothera with Clive and Howard. The conditions were generally
improving and in the forenoon Garry did an ice observation flight for the ship with
Hugh O'Gorman. Monkton and Rhys flew down to the Bluff again to collect a depot,
while Garry collected the others at the Bluff. Later, as I was about to return to the
Bransfield, it was decided to try for a flight to sledges 'Delta' and 'Hotel' at Charity
depot, placed near Mount Charity rising to 2650m on the Palmerland Plateau – the
southernmost peak of the Eternity Range comprising Mts. Faith, Hope and Charity. I
flew with Garry and we got as far as Stonington before he decided it wasn't on. So
we went down low to look at Stonington and the Argentine Base at the Debenham
Islands (San Martin). Then over to Horshoe Island, where I noticed conspicuous
copper stains on the cliffs - malachite, and then back to Rothera in time to see the
ship leaving for the Jenny Island anchorage, the only safe one around. I had another
night at Rothera, hoping to fly again next day. It was a beautiful clear evening. I
helped to put floor sections of the phase 3 hut in place - everyone was mucking in.
They have made great progress. If only people worked like that in Britain the country
would have no problems.
Next day I was awakened by Garry letting me know that the flight was on. A
quick wash and shave, breakfast and then up to the skiway on the back of a skidoo.
Looking back to the east there was a beautiful sky and mountains reflected in the still
waters of Laboeuf Fjord. We took off just after 8 o’clock in excellent weather and
flew over Stonington, seeing excellent distant views of Alexander Island, rosy in the
morning light - and 130 miles away. We passed through superb mountain scenery,
then over the plateau, a featureless desert with very few nunataks piercing its
surface. We saw Faith, Hope and Charity Mountains and landed at the Charity
Depot, a tiny pimple to the south west. Two plane loads of gear were quickly
stowed. Two field parties, Julian Paren/Tim Fogg and John Reynolds/John Jewell
had been there at 7,400 ft in temperatures down to -25° for a few weeks. They had
dug a large ice cave for storing ice cores for their glaciology. We could see Mount
Andrew Jackson (13,500 ft) and Eland Mountain clearly, about 80 miles distant. Our
flight back followed the outward route but we diverted to look at the Adelaide
airstrip and ramp; both were in atrocious condition and now unusable. (We had
made the move to Rothera just in time. Bransfield was standing off the base and we
could see people ashore. The yacht Damien II (Jerome and Sally Poncet) was there
too. We had an exciting low-level flight back to Rothera where we landed at 12.30
pm. and were down to the base in time for lunch. I had a talk with Dave Fletcher
after lunch and with some of the others and had a walk around the point.
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