Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

delicate colouring - in parts a very deep olive grey/black and in others reddish due
to oxidized iron. Derek's hammer shaft broke and we pressed on round the corner
and then up the edge of a snow slope to the foot of a gully.
We left our skis there and climbed up the ridge to the south of the gully. I
changed to climbing boots, as we were on slippery pond ice. Then up to the col - very
heavy going and difficult. At one point Derek got stuck and became rattled, so we
retraced our steps and up again more to the left. The loads made the climb more
difficult. I went on to the col and waited; I took off my socks and rubbed my feet, as I
couldn't do anything else to prevent frostbite. Once at the col the worst was over and
the slope eased off, though still very icy. The dyke was like a cockscomb on top and I
took two photos with Derek to give it scale. The rock was a beautiful red-brown with
a purple lustre, and a blue sky behind gave contrast. On then, to the summit and a
terrific precipice with a corniced edge and vertical, if not overhanging, for the top
300-400 ft. We set up the theodolite and plane-table, got to work about 2.45 pm. and
worked until just after 4 o’clock. The temperature then was -24°C and it felt very
cold. I got all the points on the Cragsmen (Cuillins) and in Marshall Bay, also Iceberg
Bay, Reid Island and most of the hinterland, but the high peaks were mostly in cloud.
From the top we could see 12 Weddell seals in Marshall Bay, 4 in Leopard Bay and 8
in the strait.
Pack ice stretched to the horizon with leads to the southwest and southeast. A
large concourse of bergs lay around and beyond the Robertson Islands and from a
line south of Return Point to the western horizon; there were a few off Clowes Bay.
One large lead of open water ran south from Cape Vik and parallel ones towards
Norway Bight. The ice appeared to be fairly stable.
We left a visiting card in an empty Heinz mayonnaise jar and, having completed
our first 'ascent' on Coronation Island, and feeling frozen hurried down at speed,
along the north ridge to the top of Half Moon Glacier. From there down to our skis
with a halt for coffee and chocolate before the sun disappeared. We skied back to
base in the gathering gloom, myself leading carrying the theodolite and plane-table
equipment. Derek took the rucksack with the tripod. We made good time and saw
the light from the hut; it was quite dark at 6.10 pm and at one point Derek fell down,
so we stopped and talked about England's green fields and woods and rivers and the
South African landscape. Then on again still talking about South Africa, which Derek
knew. We got back to base at 7 o’clock, thawed out in the warmth and light and went
to bed early after supper.
A month later, on an exceptionally fine day, we made another trip away from the
island. The three of us left about 9.30am for isolated Gerd Island (to the north-west of
Signy), but Derek, whose stomach was upset, accompanied Ralph and me only as far
as Stygian Cove. It was very warm and we stopped to remove jerseys. From Stygian
Col we noticed fog moving up from the south -; evidently there was much open
water down there; but we pressed on. We had a good ski run down the slopes on the
West side, but Ralph had a bad spill at the bottom. We couldn’t see Gerd Island but
went on across the ice, using a big tabular berg we had noted, parked in front of the
island, as a landmark. The ice was very pressured and hummocked as far as this berg
and then we had a smooth surface to the island. The Weddells were in much greater
numbers than last time I was there (?) , confined to within 3-400 yards of the island.
The tide crack appeared to be larger. There were Dominicans about, but the
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