Volume 20, 1970 - The Arctic Circle - Home

VOL. XX TLIE AITCTIC CIRCUI,ARIITravei.ling conditions deteriorated after mid-May withdeeper snow, increasing frequency of open water, and finally,in late June, with slush and huge melt-pools. In July andAugust 1968 the expediti-on camped on a 6 nile multi-year floe.Septernber travelling conditions were bad with new snow overlyingmel.t nools, and large areas of open water. After one of theparty injured his back, winter canil was nade in Septenber on theseme floe that nad provrded a home for the sunmer, Duringboth suinmer and ro'inter a scientific program ilras conducted whichincluded an energy balance study, air-sampling, magnetometer,iveather and aurora obsenrations. By sledging daily around thelocal area fracturing and ice growth in fracttrres was recorded.Pressuring and/or fracturrng was observed on an average of 1day in 4. Fracturi-ng near the Parcoll hut in October forced usto makc a movc to ir more substantial floe a nile away. By thistirne the 6 rnile floe of July had broken to forn 10 individualfloes. Fracturing r{as disturbingly common in December, Januaryand Fehrmary and b1'late February the originai floe bras inabout 50 pieces. On the morning of departure for Spitsbergenon February 23, i9r59, fractures approached to within 10 yardsof the hut and one ran through a working tent, fortunately vacantat the time"Cold weathel in ir{arch (a minimum of -54oF and arnonthly average of -soF) slowed down both the dogs and men.Clothing was dj-fficuLt to dry out and the diet of 5,000 cals.a nan per day seemed inadequate. The return and rise of thesun, even without any increase of air ternperature, madetr;lvelling and camping easier and more enjoyable. Once theexpedition left tire heavy ice of the Beaufort Gyral (betweenBarrow and the North Pole) and entered the TransPolar DriftStream the rate of pt:ogress improved. Up to the North Pole themaximum daily mileage t{as 15 miles but beyond thc }role dailyniileages of over 20 rniles hrere occasionally made. The furthesttravelled in a day t,,as about 28 route mi1es. This distance wasachieved by the lead sledge in 8 hours of alnost continuoustravel lvith 3 15 minute rest half rvay through the day and oneor two pauses for manoeuvering over narrow fractures or throughi)ressure ridges. Greater rate of progress beyond the Pole wasin part due to irnproved dog driving and in part to greaterfaniliarity with tl're ice conditions, but also to easiertravel ling condi. tions .The expedition r{as picked up by HIt'tS Endurance off thenorth sirore of Spitsbergen after having travelled over 3,000mi les to cover sorne 27 degrees of latitude.