So it looks like I might leave for the South Pole on Thursday (plans change all the time here--3 to 4 times today--so we will see what actually happens). There are 7 carpenters that will be acclimatizing at the pole for about 3 days and then moving on to the AGAP field camp. The Pole sits at 9500 ft and AGAP is at 11700 feet. It's a process to get there safely. Unfortunately, the season is very short so the holidays are taking a back seat. I'm willing--I'm feeling engaged in this project.
We have already gone to AGAP once. We are doing 3 trips there to put up shelters that staff can come and rest in. We go for 1 hour of work and then leave to heal up our bodies from the edema etc from the altitude. It is like choreographed kung fu high-adrenaline but slow motion carpentry. We have practiced in McMurdo the set up of 3 shelters 3-4 times each. It is a strange endeavour but it will provide a restful space for us to come into when we actually arrive at AGAP to stay. The opinion of our high-altitude consultant is that it is the combination of high altitude, cold, and hard work that make people sick. From my experiences I have to agree. So the result is that we spend too much time on old military transport planes.
Here's the story, in brief, from the last one hour strike at AGAP. We went there, set up the tents and exceeded our expectations for what we could accomplish--we were feeling quite jubilant. Then the next adventure began--getting the plane off the glacier. The plane weighs over 100,000 pounds. It rests on skis that were punching through the wind crust and into the sugar snow below. It took 7 traverses-- 3 tries and 4 taxis--before the fourth try was successful. The crew went as far as to have 8 of us sitting up on the back ramp of the cargo plane, safety belted with cargo straps. This was to encourage the nose of the plane to rise. When they finally achieved the 65 to 70 knots necessary and the nose rose almost imperceptibly, they fired 8 dry rockets attached to the side of the fuselage. For 15 seconds the plane accelerated and became airborne, free of the friction of old cold snow. I stopped calculating were we would all sleep, and wondering if they could pressurize the plane all night.
Good adventure, but like most adventure it comes with some need for patience and tolerance for boredom. The next flight went all the way there and then turned around without landing because of poor weather at our refueling depot. If we land we have to be able to reach the depot because if we have enough fuel to get all the way back to McMurdo then we are too heavy to get off the snows at AGAP. So we sat in the plane for 6 plus hours and came home.
Well, I have to go and spend some time with my sweet wife before I go. Here is a picture of her at the pressure ridges on the sea ice at the New Zealand Scott base. We are calling this big red solo love.
Cheery Solstice to You All. Love and Peace,
Ben and Gretchen
P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures but I took none during our work and my pack was out of reach during the take off. More later. Gretchen will be your entertainment provider for the next 3-4 weeks.
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