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Immediate report of Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1989-90: VUWAE 34

Event Diary

Event Diary

Nov 2 Arnot, Woolfe and Zwartz to Christchurch.
Nov 3 Aircraft delaypage 60
Nov 4 Arnot, Teeling, Woolfe and Zwartz to Scott Base. Late afternoon assemble sledge trail on ice foot in front of hanger.
Nov 5 Southerlies to 40 kts, blowing snow. Repacked food boxes, sorted field gear, pumped fuel. Event Brief, advised we were not allowed to visit Escalade Peak or the Boomerang Range, phoned Barrett.
Nov 6 Southerlies gusting to 60 kts, condition 1. Ready for shake down trip. Clearance from Christchurch for trip to proceed.
Nov 7 Southerlies to 40 kts, blowing snow, minor sledge repairs, party makes itself useful around base.
Nov 8 Snow at times. Arnot and Zwartz to survival school. Teeling and Woolfe load sledges for shake down trip and finish rebuilding drum cradles.
Nov 9 Partly cloudy first thing. Party plus Henderson (Field Store) left mid-morning in fog and poor definition for the Aurora Glacier. Followed flagged route to infrasonic array in Windless Bight. Returned to Scott Base in deteriorating weather, early evening.
Nov 10 Snow and poor viability prevented any movements today, party visits Mac weather.
Nov 11 40 kt southerlies and blowing snow. Party helps the "Its in The Bag" crew set up stage. Woolfe does 2000-0800 hrs radio watch.
Nov 12 Clearing weather. Party departs Scott Base at 1400 hrs. Great send off. Travelled under compass at times, covered 72 km. Camp 1, 78°08′S 168°11′E.
Nov 13 Ice fog clearing. After a late start covered 70 km before making camp off Minna Bluff. Frontal system moving in from the south. Camp 2, 78°38′S 167°35′E.
Nov 14 Blowing snow and patches of ice fog prevented travel all day.
Nov 15 Blowing snow, visibility less than 5 m at times.
Nov 16 Blowing snow, wind easing by afternoon. Spent 4 hours digging out the train, blowing snow again by evening. Hovercraft 1 leaves McMurdo for Fishtail Point with resupply.
Nov 17 Strong southerlies and blowing snow. Hovercraft puts in depot at Fishtail Point and returns McMurdo.
Nov 18 Drifting snow and poor definition. Sledge train drifts up as fast as we can dig it out no progress again today.
Nov 19 White out. Departed at 1700 hrs in light winds, poor definition and viability. Travelled 30 km under compass. Camp 3, 78°46′S 168°20′E (D.R. position).
Nov 20 Overcast poor definition, no landfalls. Travelled 70 km under compass. Camp 4, 79°15′S 166°13′E.
Nov 21 Patches of ice fog, Bad weather over mountain front. Weather Clearing by evening. 2330 hrs, obtained fix on Teal Island.
Nov 22 Clear and calm. Departed for Fishtail Point at 0230 hrs. Arrived Fishtail Point at 1000 hrs, no sign of either the depot or the flags which the hovercraft deployed. Travelled 90 km, Camp 5. 78°57′S 162°32′E.
Nov 23 Strong winds and drifting snow, wind easing by late afternoon, heavy snow by evening.
Nov 24 Snow and poor definition again prevented us from searching for our depot, running out of many food items.
Nov 25 Snow, low cloud and poor definition, no progress.page 61
Nov 26 Snow, low cloud and poor definition, clearing slowly. Dug out sledges and camp in case the weather breaks.
Nov 27 Left camp at 0155 hrs in drifting snow and poor definition, weather clearing, recovered depot, from the Ice Shelf north of the rifts running off Fishtail Point. Departed for Clinker Bluff at 1030 hrs. Whited out after only 9 km of travel. Camp 6, 78°52′S 162°16′E (D.R. position).
Nov 28 Weather clearing. Started packing camp at 0700 hrs but white out returned before we could make any progress. Remained half packed, awaiting clearance in the weather. No H.F. comms.
Nov 29 Weather clearing from the south. Departed camp at 0400 hrs. Easy travel weather still improving. Machines ice up and totally freeze at Twin Rocks. Tracks refreeze in seconds ice keels form continuously, takes 2 1/2 hours to turn the train around in deep soft snow. Pitched camp on The Landing after travelling 70 Km. Takes 3 hrs to chip ice off toboggans and sledges. Camp 7, 79°20′S 161°35′E.
Nov 30 Fine and calm. Travelled 80 km, set up camp near a rock rib on the north east corner of Mt Metschel (Camp 8).
Dec 1 Light snow by evening. Local geology, Mt Metschel. No comms with Scott Base (am), CW comms only (pm). Resupply did not arrive.
Dec 2 Light snow, poor viability and definition. No resupply.
Dec 3 Strong westerlies and blowing snow.
Dec 4 Strong westerlies and blowing snow easing slowly. Helo arrives with resupply late morning. Party leaves Mt Metschel 2330 hrs, with bad weather approaching from the south.
Dec 5 Dirty fuel received in yesterdays resupply causes numerous break downs. Party over run by snow and poor definition. Arrived base of Portal Mountain 0700 hrs. Camp 9A. Heavy snow and fresh westerlies by evening. Arnot, Woolfe and Zwartz depart for local geology late evening.
Dec 6 Arnot, Woolfe and Zwartz return at 0130 hrs still snowing. Weather clearing by afternoon. Teeling and Zwartz depart with G7, G8 and one sledge at 1830 hrs to establish a camp near the summit of Portal Mountain, Camp 9B. Arnot and Woolfe depart 1840 hrs for exposures on the northeast ridge. Bad snow conditions hamper climb. Camp 9B is established, Teeling and Zwartz do some local geology.
Dec 7 Arnot and Woolfe return to Camp 9A at 0130 hrs having been unable to reach the outcrop due to bad snow conditions. Weather deteriorates during the morning. Teeling and Zwartz set off to help move Woolfe and Arnot up to camp 9B but are forced back by fog and poor definition. Both parties do some local geology.
Dec 8 Fine and calm, light snow by late evening. Teeling and Zwartz move Woolfe and Arnot to outcrop above dolerite sill on north east ridge and then move all remaining equipment up to Camp 9B. Arnot and Woolfe measure section on north east ridge.
Dec 9 Weather closing in Arnot and Woolfe complete section and meet up with Teeling and Zwartz above Camp 9B, Arnot and Teeling descend to camp. Woolfe and Zwartz collect paleocurrent data from Lashly A, returning to camp in thick fog at 0300 hrs. Weather clearing late afternoon. Party moves camp to Mt Crean, Camp 10.
Dec 10 Fine and Calm. Arnot and Teeling set out for the south ridge and the Weller Coal Measures. Woolfe and Zwartz traverse Mt Crean via the north east ridge to meet up with Arnot and Teeling on the south ridge.
Dec 11 Both parties return to camp around 0845 hrs. Helo resupply at 1530 hrs. Rest day.page 62
Dec 12 Woolfe and Zwartz leave for east ridge at 0500 hrs. Arnot and Teeling pack up and leave at 0730 hrs for Pivot Peak, establishing Camp 10B. Poor viability prevents work on Pivot peak, snowing by afternoon at Mt Crean.
Dec 13 Skeded at 0200 hrs, blowing snow and poor visability. Weather remains bad at pivot Peak all day, but clears slightly at Mt crean, Woolfe and Zwartz do some local geology.
Dec 14 Skeded at 0200 hrs, weather not too bad. Arnot and Teeling complete a good day in the central valley of Pivot Peak. Woolfe and Zwartz start section on south east face of Mt Crean but are forced back by deteriorating weather.
Dec 15 Skeded at 0200 hrs, marginal weather all round. Woolfe and Zwartz do some local geology in afternoon, weather remains bad at Pivot Peak all day.
Dec 16 Fine and calm, both parties complete a successful day's geology.
Dec 17 Fine, fresh Katabatic. Arnot and Teeling depart Camp 10B at 0730 hrs for Mt Crean, arriving 1130 hrs. arnot and Woolfe visit diamictite exposure on south east face, Teeling and Zwartz purge fuel drums and prepare depot for retro. Entire party leaves for Mt Fleming at 1800 hrs.
Dec 18 Camp 11 is established at Mt Fleming by 0100 hrs. Total distance covered from Pivot Peak 95 km. Fine and calm, party leaves for recce of the north east ridge at 1630 hrs, Arnot and Woolfe continue out along north east ridge while Teeling and Zwartz return to camp and then drive to Horseshoe Mountain for recce.
Dec 19 Arnot and Woolfe return to camp at 0100 hrs, Teeling and Zwartz return 0230 hrs. Arnot and Woolfe leave for northeast ridge at 1700 hrs, Teeling and Zwartz remain at camp to meet in bound helo. Helo forced to make emergency landing near Lake Fryxell and does not arrive. Teeling and Zwartz depart for Horseshoe Mountain at 2355 hrs, Arnot and Woolfe return at 0000 hrs.
Dec 20 Horseshoe Mountain proves to be very exposed to the katabatic, Teeling and Zwartz return to camp very cold at 0950 hrs. Arnot and Woolfe leave on foot for the northeast ridge at 1210 hrs. Resupply arrives mid-afternoon. Arnot and Woolfe return to camp at 2045 hrs.
Dec 21 Fresh katabatic, bad weather over the Plateau. Teeling and Zwartz leave on toboggans for Horseshoe Mountain at 1150 hrs, Arnot and Woolfe leave on foot at 1215 hrs for the ridge to the south of camp and the valley below. Arnot and Woolfe return to camp at 2045 hrs, in gale force westerlies and blowing snow. No sign of Teeling and Zwartz. Believing Teeling and Zwartz would have returned to camp early in view of the weather, Arnot and Woolfe prepare to recce the route to Horseshoe Mountain. At 2130 hrs a request is made to Scott Base to place the SAR team on Standby. Teeling and Zwartz return to camp, safe and well at 2205 hrs, after working in fine weather all day!
Dec 22 Marginal weather prevented work today.
Dec 23 Fresh katabatic easing. Maintenance and local geology. Christmas helo arrived md-afternoon.
Dec 24 Snow and poor visability. Arnot and Teeling leave for north east ridge but return finding all the exposures snow covered. Woolfe and Zwartz complete a successful day (in the sun) at Horseshoe Mountain.
Dec 25 Katabatic to 40 kts, easing but fog over the Plateau prevented us from moving to Mt Bastion.
Dec 26 Strong katabatic all day, unable to move.
Dec 27 Fine and calm, party moves to Mt Bastion establishing Camp 12. Low cloud by evening.page 63
Dec 28 Partly cloudy, light winds. Party sets off for the platforms on the east side of Mt Bastion. The route down consisted of mixed frozen scree, soft snow and blue ice, party returns via the east face and north ridge in threatening weather.
Dec 29 Strong katabatic with blowing snow, unable to travel.
Dec 30 Low cloud and poor definition.
Dec 31 Cloud thickening, snow later. Flagged route to Robinson Peak but forced to return to camp ht heavy snow and viability below 200 m at times.
Jan 1 Heavy snow and low viability.
Jan 2 Low cloud, poor visibility and periods of snow.
Jan 3 Low cloud and snow.
Jan 4 Fine light winds. Party travels to Robinson Peak, Arnot and Teeling descend to the Weller Coal Measures, Woolfe and Zwartz examine exposures of Lashly. Party returns to Camp 12 in fresh easterlies.
Jan 5 Arnot, Teeling and Zwartz leave for Mt Dearborn at 1315 hrs, but return at 1500 hrs in moderate snow and poor visability.
Jan 6 Low cloud and snow. Constructed helo pad for our pull out.
Jan 7 Heavy snow and poor visability. Prepared helo loads for our pull out.
Jan 8 Patchy low cloud and snow showers, visability less than 200 m at times. Woolfe and Zwartz recover flags from route to Robinson Peak. Pull out abandoned.
Jan 9 Fine and calm, Arnot and Zwartz return to Scott Base on first shuttle. Next shuttle takes four sledges to Vanda and 1000 lbs of cargo to Marble Point. Weather closes in. Next Shuttle lands but is clagged in. Helo and Crew spend night on Mt Bastion. Arnot and Zwartz pack rocks back on base.
Jan 10 Low cloud and fog, helo returns Teeling and Woolfe to Scott Base via Vanda. Arnot, Teeling, Woolfe and Zwartz return to Christchurch. Two grizzlies remain at Mt Bastion.