Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

What was different was that the ice had receded markedly since my last visit in
1987. Sunshine Glacier and Laws Glacier had both lost depth, revealing moraines,
previously covered, and their fronts had receded. Instead of a steep snowslope
giving access to Sunshine Glacier, there was a chaotic region of crevasses stretching
well into the glacier and a big curve in the ice front, a small bay, was visible. Similar
processes applied elsewhere – most notably perhaps Wave Peak had lost the cornices
that used to top the ‘crest of the wave‘. Some of the rock features emerging from the
inland ice are much more prominent and rock exposures generally seem more
prominent.
I spent a lot of time on the bridge as Jerry took the ship through dense pack 2-3 m
thick. We passed some five crabeater seals, one with a pup, two leopard seals and a
Weddell. There was a number of large floes that were c. half a mile across. One of
these he broke through after repeated attempts - rushing forward, reversing, then
forward again to gain a few yards. It took a long time and eventually he called it a
day at 7 o’clock, when about two miles from the base. The sun went down and the
pack ice and mountains assumed a flat whiteness in the long twilight. There was not
to be a colourful sunset.
Next day when I rose, the ship was moving fairly fast through smallish floe,
edging closer to Signy. Eventually we came to rest about 120 yards from Bare Rock,
having cut out a channel through the fast ice which extended to Retthval Point.
Martin Davey talked to the Signy Fids about the relief and I listened in. We had two
skidoos on board, bound for Rothera, and two small cargo sledges to move the cargo.
Andy and Alistair checked a route to base and marked it. It crossed several cracks in
the fast ice. After breakfast the relief began and about 9 o’clock I went ashore in a
sledge towed by Amanda on a skidoo. Soon after we started she turned a bit sharply
and the sledge overturned throwing Rod and me onto the ice. It was quite violent
and painful, as I fell on my lower back onto hard ice (which felt like concrete) going
quite fast. Rod suffered similarly, but he’s younger and tougher! I picked myself up
and checked that I was all right. I saw Jerry watching through binoculars from the
bridge. Everyone was concerned – a message from the Captain – etc., but I pushed
on.
There were elephant seals on Drying Point beach – four females and a male, plus
another bull, and some pups. Arriving at the base I saw the changes. The ‘plastic
palace’ and Tonsberg hut were still there and also the old genny shed (now a store)
and the fuel tank. But there was a new living hut and science hut, a generator shed,
with reverse osmosis equipment to make fresh water, workshop etc. A fuel store
stood behind. The Cape pigeons were ‘chirring’ loudly on the Bluffs behind as of
yore. I walked up to the old base site near Berntsen Point and wandered around
over rock and snow, having a taste of nostalgia. The full view was obscured by low
cloud. I walked over to Gash Cove and up to Berntsen Point, where a new collapsible
anemometer tower stood.
I looked around inside the new huts. The living hut has photos on the walls of
the base for many years of its life including 1947, but sadly not 1948. There is a
portrait of Signe Sorlie and I was pleased to see the flag from my time:
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