Edited by Rachel Duncan 4th Edition ISBN 0-907649-91-2 London ...

Transport and Travel 47
are a relatively new expedition tool and lessons learned will benefit others. Always wear a
helmet.
Be extremely cautious if travelling over glacial terrain and take local knowledge or
probe an area on foot/ski first. The ground pressure of a snowmobile is less than that of a
person on skis.
Never travel in white-out or in poor visibility. Crevasses, sudden drops etc. can
appear all too quickly on a snowmobile. Never travel away from camp without safety gear
enabling you to survive should the snowmobile break down. A snowmobile travelling over
sea-ice can really move. Beware of leads, pressure, melt pools etc. Again, exercise extreme
caution and do not be seduced by how fast you can go.
If travelling with a snowmobile, look after it as you would yourself. Preventative
care is paramount. Ensure you are familiar with its workings and have spares: plugs, drive
belts, left and right rear springs, starter rope, spare carburettor, spare bogie wheel set, a
selection of nuts and bolts and appropriate tools. Cover the snowmobile when you stop for
the night to make sure no blowing snow gets into the engine and fuel tank. Keep the fuel
tank topped up, especially overnight, to ensure there is no space for condensation build-up.
Be particularly careful handling fuel in the cold. Fuel on your hands or clothing
will freeze at a lower temperature thus exacerbating any cold injury. When hiring the
snowmobile, you should be able to hire a sledge, which may be light aluminium and
connect directly into the back of the machine.
For the armchair traveller, it is hard to imagine driving an open vehicle at
temperatures below –30°C, temperatures at which, with wind-chill, exposed flesh will
freeze in a matter of seconds. For some people in the polar regions such environmental
demands are a daily event. Extra warm clothing, footwear, headgear, and mitts become
essential. Observe what the locals do.
5.4 Small boat travel
Boating is an efficient means for covering long distances up-river or along the coast and
for reaching start-points for subsequent travel inland. Most polar travel is undertaken
during the summer when seasonal winter sea ice will be dispersing. Apart from the basic
equipment there is some similarity between polar boating and its temperate counterpart;
although one concern is the lack of Coast Guard cover in polar waters.
As with aircraft and snowmobiles, boats can be chartered for drop-off/pick-up
to/from your field location. As a result of various incidents in the 1980s, Svalbard no
longer allows locals to drop off or pick up expedition groups in small boats. Instead an
expedition group must hire or provide its own small boat or get a larger charter vessel to
drop them off. In addition to the skills required in temperate waters there are additional
hazards to deal with:
5.4.1 Cold
Sea temperature will be similar or lower to North Sea winter conditions. At 0ºC (sea water
freezes at –1.7ºC) an unclothed swimmer would have about 5 minutes before serious and
possibly fatal muscle cramp sets in. The usual requirement for wet and cold weather