Following the exciting four-week journey down to Antarctica on the SA Aghulas II (see previous issue), which included a more than two-week navigation through the pack ice, we reached Atka Bukta (bukta means “bay” in Antarctic lingo). One of the principal missions of the SA Agulhas II to Antarctica is to act as a resupply vessel. Atka Bukta is used as the offl oading site because of its close proximity to the German base, the South African summer station, and the fact that the ice shelf at this point is only about 15 m high, enabling the use of the ship’s crane to offl oad cargo onto land. The ship carried cargo which resupplied not only the South African base (SANAE IV), but also supplies cargo for the German (Neumayer) base. Offl oading of all the German and South African cargo took just over two hours. The SANAE52 overwintering team came through to the bay, with SANAE’s “cats” (Caterpillar bulldozer vehicles), to meet the ship. Following the offl oading, members of the old and new overwintering teams headed off on the slow and steady inland journey by “cat train” to the SANAE base (approximately 300 km inland). The ship headed off to Penguin Bukta, where we fl ew by helicopter to the SANAE base. Moving to this bukta decreases the fl ying time to the base by about an hour each way. The terrestrial team could now make its way to SANAE to get started with their work. Together with my colleague Catherine Paverd and fi ve others of the land-based group, we were the fi fth fl ight to the SANAE IV base. As a safety precaution, you are kitted in your cold weather gear which, much to my delight, always includes a chocolate bar (while travelling with a chocolate bar close at hand was new to some people, it is really quite normal for me). I had never travelled in a helicopter before. Who would base), and weekly tasks such as base cleaning and have believed that this fi rst trip would be on Christmas garbage recycling. In addition, containers of dried Day (an amazing present for 2013), and a fl ight over food, veggies and meat had to be loaded and unloaded Antarctica no less. The fl ight took roughly 90 minutes at different times during the take-over period. and, for the most part, the landscape is fl at and white, Container off-loading was both strenuous and good with a few occasional views of crevasses (actually fun. Long human chains were formed and goods were scary to see how many of these there were) and a few either passed (tossed) into or out of the base. All protruding nunataks (mountains in Antarctic jargon). container clearing seemed to build up to the grand- fi nale of unpacking the meat reefer (refrigerator), While one might perhaps consider this a rather where meat packs of 20 kg had to be moved from the monotonous landscape, it is none-the-less a spectacular container into the base freezer. Luckily my meat- and extraordinary experience, and when the base comes tossing muscles had been built up by the previous into view it is a truly exciting moment to see this base weeks’ physical duties. situated in such a harsh and hostile environment. SANAE IV base is situated on top of the southern buttress Before we knew it, our time at the base was over. of Vesleskarvet nunatak (“Flat-topped mountain” in While we had hoped to be there for six weeks, we Norwegian). The base is mounted on stilts, which were only there for four weeks, due to the extended enables wind to blow snow under the base over the travel time needed to get through the ice. During this 200 m cliff face situated 50 m from the base itself. The time the SANAE 53 team had learnt all it could from cliff face is thankfully roped off, but during the stay you the SANAE 52 team, and the reins were handed over are frequently reminded of remaining conscious and after the take-over games (which included soccer, vigilant of this danger. pampoen-skoen tossing, table tennis and bully beef eating competitions, among others) at the formal It felt great to fi nally be at the base and to be able to take-over dinner. get down to the work that we were brought there to do. Base life had a very different rhythm to ship life. A few days later it was time for us to leave the base We were now settled into an 8 to 5 work day. Much and fl y back to the SA Agulhas II to make our way of the volunteer work was outside and very physical. back to Cape Town. Coming with me would be the This was great after the relaxed trip we had had on the memories of skidoo rides, the wonderful friendships ship. Work involved performing routine maintenance of made, and the most amazing sensory stimulus of the science equipment, such as cleaning out hatches experiencing complete silence and blinding contrast (the hatches are electrical supply links between the between pure white snow and blackest nunataks. base and the science instrumentation), which become coated in ice crystals, replacing poles eaten away by On arrival back at the ship, we had a few treats blowing snow, digging out and laying of power cables, in store before heading back. We were given the and reinstallation of a new, very low frequency (VLF) opportunity to get onto the pack ice, something we radar mast. This ongoing work was taking place in had missed out on when the ship based scientists conjunction with the installation of South Africa’s new went on Christmas Day. The absolute delight of digital SuperDARN radar, built by SANSA to study the having a group of inquisitive Adelie penguins come and mysteries of space weather. check us out, having the equally inquisitive, but aloof, Emperor penguins approach our group, and getting a Base life was frequently a collaborative effort. From the closer look at the ice shelf, were all cherry toppings science side we got involved in a number of the other on an already enormous cake of experiences. projects, lending a hand where needed. On perfect weather days with very low winds, we helped with By all accounts, the return trip was smooth sailing. balloon launches for the NASA BARREL project, and Ten weeks after our initial departure from South occasionally got to join the Rhodes University team on Africa we returned to Cape Town, with hard disks full some of their fi eldwork trips. These excursions away of memories which captured this amazing journey and from the base were, to me, among the highlights of experience with the wonderful team that made up the base time, as it gave us a chance not only to enjoy the 2013/2014 Antarctic summer take-over journey. being outside and explore a little further than just the I really thank SANSA for giving me the opportunity base and its immediate proximity, but also to get a feel to be part of their Antarctic science team, and the for some of the biological life on the Antarctic mainland Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for making (primarily lichens). this journey possible. Besides the science work, we participated in basic base Contact Dr. Nicky Knox, SANSA, upkeep. This involved base skivvies such as kitchen [email protected] (cleaning up after meals) and smelly duty (throwing snow into the ice smelter to provide water for the