The Real Antarctica

The summer expeditioners have been in Antarctica nearing a month and are all getting into the day to day groove of life around Casey Station but are beginning to ask such questions as, So what is over that hill? and, Where are the magnificent vistas I have been told  about?

Suddenly on Monday morning a plain bulletin was placed upon the station noticeboard declaring in bold lettering "Field Travel Training."  After recently experiencing Survivor Antarctica the group were quite hesitant in approaching the FTOs (Field Training Officers) for more details of these imminent training days.

Our worries over potentially having to go through the whole sleeping in a twistie packet on snow and ice again were quickly laid to rest when the FTOs carried out their briefing the night before departure.  Field training is about helping the expeditioners gain the necessary skills to travel around the area between field huts and base and to be able to cope if the conditions turn against your travelling party.  Out of the field shed came five quad bikes fully loaded with our personal survival packs, bike retrieval kits, special bike bivvys (bigger twistie packets to be tied between bikes so you can shelter against the weather) and enough food to sustain five hungry men for a few days. 

 

 

Off into the wilderness we rode kitted out with radios,GPS and the usual map and compass to test our skills in navigating around the Mitchell Peninsula.  Ian our FTO was very patient with the group of lads who were all gobsmacked with what we had just been exposed to.  Out through penguin pass we travelled towards the obscurely named hut "Kenny".  The source of the name soon became apparent as we crested the hill to finally spot our lunchtime resting location.

Kenny is one of about six field huts which can be used for science bases or for weekends away from base.  Our party took some respite from the quads and enjoyed lunch in the most pristine environments imaginable.  From Kenny we continued to navigate our way around the peninsula practicing different survival techniques and improving our bike handling skills as we travelled.  Our destination for the overnight stay was Robbo's hut approximately 20km away from Casey Station so after safely arriving and radioing back to base that we had arrived safe and well we explored the area aound Odbert Island.  There were Adelie penguins everywhere on the island and snow petrels swooping all aound the skies.  Unfortunately the sea ice was too unpredictable for travel so we had to admire the scenery and the fauna from afar.

 

 

 The view from Robbo's.

Jarrod the Chef and Dean.

Dean at Robbo's.

A little Adelie Penguin going solo.  Check out the glacier tongue in the background.