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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1976-77: VUWAE 21

(a) Event 12/12A

(a) Event 12/12A

In the course of the expedition on the Taylor Glacier one Polar tent and one Italian tent were badly ripped, one manhauling sledge badly damaged, and one combination sledge slightly damaged. One toboggan cover was lost. Several breakdowns occurred with the toboggans as were detailed in Section A, FIELD NOTES.

Most of this damage occurred in a severe southerly storm on November 5 and 6, when the camp was located near the Kukri Hills, on smooth flat ice of the transection between the Taylor and Ferrar Glaciers. Prior to the storm the usual precautions of tying down equipment, boxes etc. around the tents had been taken. The katabatic winds common on these glaciers made this essential. The three sledges were tied to (tent) pegs or tubular ice screws in the ice. The toboggans were pointed towards the southwest, the direction from which the katabatic had been blowing. The toboggan covers were fastened or tied down at three points: the ski and the bar on the outside of each footrest platform. The tents were securely pitched with ice screws anchoring the south and west facing guys. The tents were pitched on a north-south line, 1 metre apart.

The toboggans were not turned to face the south after the southerly struck. Eventually they were both blown over (probably by the same gust) and sent sliding across the smooth ice. The toboggan covers must have partly inflated to assist in the blowing over. One cover came free of its toboggan, probably due to poor knot tying, and was blown away. The other remained tied to its toboggan and acted as a sail so that that toboggan travelled further on its side. Contents in the space under the seat were spilled and some blown away when the seat fastenings on one toboggan broke open. One of the sliding toboggans knocked an anchoring sledge peg out so that the sledge was also able to slide away. It was chased for about 100 metres before it was last seen sliding across the ice and then lost in blowing snow. The toboggans were righted and turned to face the south. They were undamaged. Thereafter they were tied via the front bumper bar to pegs in the ice. The strength of the wind and the smoothness of the ice made it difficult to move around outside the tents. It was decided that it would be foolish to search for the lost sledge and other lost items at that time.

At this stage a 2 − 3 cm long tear was noticed against the northeast facing pole in the outer wall of the southern tent. Owing to the severe weather conditions it was decided to leave the repairs until the wind abated. About 3 hours later the same tent was found to be badly ripped for about 3 metres along the same pole and along the bottom of the east side. The inner wall was ripped along the bottom of the east and west sides and up the northwest facing side near the northwest pole. The contents of this tent were put into the other tent. The two tents were then tied and braced with a climbing rope and more ice screws were put in to secure it. All the party slept in the unripped tent that night.

After the storm a search was made for the lost equipment. Everything was found except the toboggan cover although some items were almost three kilometres away from camp. The sledge was found about two kilometres away with all the bridges broken at the corner along one side.

More strong winds a few days later further ripped the badly ripped tent which was considered too badly torn to repair in the field. It was able to be slept in, however. A small tear by one door guy developed in the other tent which was patched immediately it was noticed and no further ripping occurred.

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Ten days later some of the party returned to the put in site where the Italian tent had been left pitched covering some loose equipment. It had been badly ripped at its lee end and most of the poles and some equipment were missing. However all the poles and missing equipment were found and the tent tied down to prevent further damage. It is assumed that this damage occurred in the November 5 storm.

The two Polar tents and the Italian tent were all in excellent condition before the storm. It is possible that the badly ripped Polar tent had spent time on Erebus where the strength of the fabric could have been impaired by volcanic gases. However it is also possible that this tent ripped because it bore the brunt of the wind's force, being to the windward of the other. The incidents with the Polar tents illustrate the desirability of immediate patching of small tears.

The failure of the party to turn the toboggans directly into the wind caused an unfortunate chain of circumstances which ended in the wrecking of the manhauling sledge.

The combination sledge had one of its side longitudinals broken in one place on landing at the put in site. This may have been due to poor loading on the helo skid, but it is possible that a small bump in the ice pressed up against the longitudinal as the helo landed. The break was splinted before the sledge was used. Another break on the same longitudinal, but on the other side of an adjacent bridge, occurred some time later when the sledge was loaded and running. This was also splinted soon after. These splints required only a little attention during the rest of the expedition.

The only damage to sledge runners occurred on the manhauling sledge. One runner began splitting at the sides due to the rough ice. It was roughly repaired before the sledge was wrecked (as described above).