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62 RGS-IBG Polar Expeditions Manual find that your feature is not on your map. Pencil it in and note its bearing. Do this again after a few miles and by triangulation you can determine its location. Maybe you could have it named after yourself. 6.8 The environment Reports of temperatures in polar regions tend to emphasise intense cold. As a rule, most polar journeys are undertaken during the late spring and early summer when the weather can be quite balmy. However, it is prudent to study expedition reports to obtain a true indication of the conditions that you will encounter. Be prepared for the worst and be pleasantly surprised with the favourable. Every task undertaken in the extreme cold will be far more difficult to complete than in temperate or hot climates. To take out the map or set compass bearings while wearing heavy gloves or mitts may be uncomfortable and awkward but, perhaps more important than when in the warm, so never skimp on the number of readings you take. In extreme cold, instruments will be difficult to manipulate. GPS or calculator batteries may not work. Electronic and computer programs could be lost unless kept above a certain temperature. Most polar journeys involve prolonged periods of self-sufficiency and commitment. There are few stores on the polar ice caps and not much chance of replacing missing or lost equipment. Ensure that everything is robust and capable of withstanding the conditions to which you will expose it. 6.9 Fog and whiteout Fog is essentially cloud on the ground. Visibility will be restricted to your immediate surroundings, 50m or less and features that had been relying on for direction will have been obscured. If you are also on snow, the sensation will be that of walking in a "ping pong" ball. Above, below and to your side will all look white. Ground features such as tracks, crevasses, dips and mounds will all merge into one. If travelling in whiteout or fog you may have to regularly stop and take compass bearings perhaps every few minutes. Once you are well practised, you may be confident to walk all day with just glances at your compass. Knowing your rate of travel will help you assess your distance travelled. The strength and direction of the wind, temperature and conditions underfoot could well influence your direction and speed. A crosswind may make you crab sideways, a headwind will slow you down. With diligent use of the compass, it should not be necessary to have a partner behind you to give corrections to your track. If you are off bearing by a few degrees there will still not be a great percentage error by the end of the day. An estimated position can still be plotted and with improvement in visibility, corrections can be made. Navigators at sea may travel hundreds of miles in fog and, on a clearing or sight of the sun or stars, very soon assess their true position provided an accurate log has been kept during the fog period. You may need to stop and await better visibility if you are requiring pinpoint accuracy or you are in the vicinity of hazards, a cache or a specific landfall. Obviously, with a GPS you can monitor distance travelled and check your location regardless of the weather.
6.10 Marking of routes Navigation 63 You may have cause to mark your route for the return journey, perhaps for following parties or to identify depots or locate crevasses. One obvious method is with rock or snow cairns although detecting a snow cairn in a whiteout or after heavy drifting can be frustrating. Alternatively and provided weight is no problem, you can take avalanche poles or bamboo canes fitted with large black flags. These are very visible against snow and should last for several months. If weight is restricted then the visibility of the cairn can be improved by attaching some dark object, e.g. a black flag wrapped around a snowblock. Should the site be very important, then lay several locating cairns at known distances apart, perpendicular to the line of travel to safeguard against cloud or poor visibility. Bibliography: FERGUSON, M. H. (1997) GPS Land Navigation. Glassford Publishing, USA. ISBN: 0- 9652202-5-7 LETHAM, L. ( 1995) GPS made easy. Rocky Mountain Books, U.S.A. ISBN 0921102410. Good overview of use of GPS for land rather than marine applications. MOTT, P. (1978) The use of Landsat imagery by small expeditions. Geographical Journal 144 (2): 271–276. Sources of maps, air & satellite photographs: British Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1223 221400; fax: +44 (0)1223 362616; email: information@bas.ac.uk Website: www.antarctica.ac.uk/ Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7591 3000; fax: +44 (0)20 7591 3001; email: maps@rgs.org Website: www.rgs.org Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1223 336540, fax: +44 (0)1223 336549; email: enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk Website: www.spri.cam.ac.uk Stanfords 12–14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LP, UK. Tel: +44 (0)207 836 1321; fax: +44 (0)20 7836 0189; email: customer.services@stanfords.co.uk Website: www.stanfords.co.uk United States Geological Survey (USGS) The USGS Earth Science Information Centres can answer questions relating to such things as map availability, map catalogues and indexes, geospatial data, publications, map dealers and product ordering. USGS Earth Science Information Center U.S. Geological Survey, 507 National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192, U.S.A. Tel: +1 888 275 8747; email: ask@usgs.gov Website: http://mapping.usgs.gov/
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Edited by Rachel Duncan 4th Edition
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6. NAVIGATION......................
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INTRODUCTION TO THIS EDITION This m
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The Polar Environment 7 except for
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1.3.4 Precipitation Figure 1: Wind
Page 11 and 12: The Polar Environment 11 UK MET OFF
Page 13 and 14: Planning 13 you will probably enjoy
Page 15 and 16: Planning 15 up and identifying any
Page 17 and 18: • Litter search completed before
Page 19 and 20: Campcraft, Equipment and Clothing 1
Page 27 and 28: 3.5.5 Head and face Campcraft, Equi
Page 29 and 30: **Misc distress beacon altimeter wa
Page 31 and 32: Sportsnett Norge AS PO box 5914 Maj
Page 33 and 34: 4.2 Nutrition Food and Cooking 33 T
Page 35 and 36: Food and Cooking 35 proposed, then
Page 37 and 38: Food and Cooking 37 When melting sn
Page 39 and 40: Polar Food Suppliers: Food and Cook
Page 41 and 42: Transport and Travel 41 and from Ne
Page 43 and 44: 5.2.3 Landing sites Transport and T
Page 45 and 46: Transport and Travel 45 If it is no
Page 47 and 48: Transport and Travel 47 are a relat
Page 49 and 50: Transport and Travel 49 the correct
Page 51 and 52: Transport and Travel 51 those ‘ba
Page 53 and 54: Morale Manoeuvrability Transport an
Page 55 and 56: Transport and Travel 55 • Packing
Page 57 and 58: Transport and Travel 57
Page 59 and 60: 6.2 Compasses Navigation 59 There a
Page 61: Navigation 61 Along with your sexta
Page 65 and 66: Websites: o Zeiss Yachtmaster Navig
Page 67 and 68: Communications 67 sizes that are hi
Page 69 and 70: 7.4.2 Distress systems i) Emergency
Page 71 and 72: Communications 71 The selection of
Page 73 and 74: Communications 73 Avoid getting fue
Page 75 and 76: Chapter 8: SAFETY Safety 75 This ch
Page 77 and 78: Safety 77 For further information s
Page 79 and 80: Safety 79 There are a number of ani
Page 81 and 82: Safety 81 8.7.7 Midges and mosquito
Page 83 and 84: Chapter 9: POLAR MEDICINE Polar Med
Page 85 and 86: Polar Medicine 85 9.2.2 Food Food i
Page 87 and 88: Polar Medicine 87 Rescuers must be
Page 89 and 90: Polar Medicine 89 to undertake a sm
Page 91 and 92: Photography under Polar Conditions
Page 97 and 98: 10.6.2 Film instructions Photograph
Page 99 and 100: Appendices 99 (0)1539 737757; fax:
Page 101 and 102: Appendices 101 HERBERT, W. (1969) A
Page 103 and 104: Appendices 103 BELETSKY, L & PAULSO
Page 105 and 106: Contacts Canada Appendices 105 Cana
Page 107 and 108: IV. Greenland (and Iceland) Appendi
Page 109 and 110: Appendices 109 Flugfelag Islands/Ai
Page 111 and 112: V. Svalbard (Norway) Appendices 111
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Appendices 113 TILMAN, W. H. (1987)
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Appendices 115 OUSLAND, B. (1994) A
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Permissions Appendices 117 Under th
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Appendices 119 SALE, Richard (2002)
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