PERSONNEL

LOCALITY

Executive Committee Range, western Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Isolated range of extinct volcanic cones. Latitude 126°W 77°S to 4181 m /13,713ft altitude.

TIMETABLE

Originally planned for two months in the field, this event was held at Scott Base for 40 days waiting for air transport. The event return to Scott Base was also delayed five days. The period in the research area (December 23 - January 24) allowed only a shortened programme to be undertaken.

REPORT

This report is directed towards comment on NZARP organisation, selection and training procedures, field equipment, transport, logistics, communications and safety. The geological studies will be published in the academic journals by the geology specialists.

Notes listed as "minor" are those I consider to be matters of personal choice, unlikely to have a major impact on future events. They are included for consideration by Field Leaders involved in the detail of planning remote field events. "Major" comments are those I believe may contribute further to comfort, utility or safety.

EMPLOYMENT SELECTION

In the main, the selection process for 1989/90 worked well, judging from the atmosphere at Scott Base, the ability and cooperation of DSIR staff at Tekapo and Scott Base, and the high level of experience evident in people chosen for the field events.

K048′s composition as an international event meant only the two NZ members were directly responsible to, and chosen by, Antarctic Division, DSIR. BAS and NSF were each involved in the selection and funding of their own representatives. I was very happy with the company and experience of all our team members during the summer.

TEKAPO TRAINING

There is a great deal of value in the Tekapo Training, both because of the opportunity it offers for administrative, logistic technical and field staff to spend time together preseason, and for the venue to pass on to "first-timers" the experience of previous events.

I am personally pleased to see that scientific presentations have been de-emphasised over the years, as I have found many of them too over-long, poorly structured and lacking in good audio-visual support. In a word, boring!

PRE-EVENT ORGANISATION

Due to the very high level of experience within K048 and the assistance of Scott Base staff, pre-event organisation was virtually painless, and accomplished in the time available at Scott Base.

On the downside, my request for a technical manual on the Alpine skidoo was first made at Tekapo and followed up by later contact with Antarctic Division, Christchurch but never produced any result. The lead-time for technical information is perhaps longer than that available to field staff selected just prior to Tekapo.

FIELD EQUIPMENT/STORE

K048 received a lot of willing assistance and courtesy from Doug, John and Willy at Scott Base. Only the smaller items were required from Ant. Div. as the McMurdo BFC were supplying the eight sledges for the event.

Major comments: we used handheld radios extensively in the field, with US solar cells to recharge batteries. I feel that the greater range, speed and reliability of the new Alpine II skidoo will encourage everyday use of handheld radios. The Yuasa FT23 is one model of handheld that I have used on Himalayan expeditions in Pakistan and Nepal. It is small, light, reliable and (relatively) cheap. It can use battery packs of AAA cells, of AA cells, or a rechargeable NiCad version.

Minor points:

1.	The NZ bread is greatly superior to the US supply, but good items from the BFC events include tortillas, hotdogs, American pancake mix and maple syrup.
2.	The BFC teflon non-stick fry pan and coffee percolator are very good.
3.	A "jaffle-iron" (toasted sandwich utensil) would be worth bringing as a personal item for NZ.
4.	The large, thick foam mat is a very comfortable alternative to several (smaller) karrimats.
5.	The Met. Service daily weather notebook (Met. 807 3rd ed. 1989) lasts 30 days per copy and is easy to use.page 76
6.	I would prefer a tube tent door twice the height of the current model.
7.	Some of the NZ cheese and chocolate slipped through the system and arrived in the field past expiry date.
8.	Field leaders should be aware that NZ primus-priming "meta tabs" will be treated with deep suspicion if presented openly to the US cargo-packing facility. They refused to allow our supply to fly on the "put-in" aircraft, and we had to adopt alternative strategies.

SURVIVAL TRAINING

In consultation with the Survival School Leader (Charlie Hobbs) and the Operations Manager (Don Hammond) we arranged our own programme for 89/90. I assisted as a temporary instructor for survival school on some courses by request.

FIELD EQUIPMENT

Sledges were provided by the US BFC facility. We put handlebars on three of the eight.

Major recommendation: I have felt for some time that the NZ tank system has its good points (can be detached and used as tent floor) but that it is not long enough. Too much time is spent tying items individually fore and aft of the NZ version. The US tank is full-length with ends as well as sides to the canvas "well". But not detachable. I would like to trial-run a detachable, full-length tank with the complete canvas well.

SNOW-MOBILES

We used three US Bombardier Alpine I skidoos.

All our operators were experienced in the use of snow-mobiles, and Bill McIntosh is a particularly skilled mechanic. A wide variety of spares and tools were taken, but very little was used. There were no major breakdowns, and only minor maintenance. Quite a few changes were made to jet size and needle position in the carburettors to maximise power on the days we were gaining or losing a lot of altitude. Travel ranged from 6000′ – 13000′. The #250 jet was standard, with #240 and #230 sizes used as replacement with increases in altitude. Power, speed and spark plug colour were used to evaluate carburettor performance.

I recommend the Bombardier carburettor tool kit (P/N 404 1120 00) and the High Altitude Technical Data booklet (P/N 480 1208 00) be taken for the Alpine S03 model. There is a High Altitude Kit (P/N 881 7253 001) available for the Alpine II, but I do not know if it contains tools, information or both.

Fuel consumption overall was 1/3 less than usual at 8.8 km/gal or 5.4 miles/gal. (The gallon referred to is the US gallon). We used the manufacturer's recommended 1:50 oil/gasoline radio, which turns out to be one 12oz beer can of oil to one jerrycan of fuel. First you have to empty the beer can of beer!!

Fuel was transported in 55 gallon drums, which are heavy and hard to handle. I recommend equivalent volume of 12 gallon drums. We took 18 jerrycans, and filled these from the drums for daily use.

Some form of ear protection is recommended.

LOGISTICS

Logistics into the field are properly the concern of the US Navy and the Scott Base Operations officer and the SENZREP. Navy scheduling is not yet flexible enough for areas such as Marie Byrd Land, which has many short periods of weather suitable for field landings, but an overall pattern of low cloud, flat lighting and snowfall. We are, however, appreciative of the efforts that were made, and particularly thankful to those who managed to reinstate K048/SO81B at the last minute after 40 days at Scott Base.

FIELD ACTIVITY

With only a short season available, effort was concentrated on the two large volcanic cones (Waesche and Sidley) in the south of the Executive Committee Range, with one very long "day-trip" post Mt Hartigan to Mt Cumming. We travelled immediately (23/24 December) from the "put-in" site SW of Waesche to a campsite on the southern moraine of Waesche itself, at 2000m. After nine days of day-trips from this camp we moved to another camp west of the caldera rim of Mt Sidley, at 2380m. Nineteen days were worked from this Sidley camp, including the Mt Cumming's trip, before returning to the put-in site (19 January) to wait for our aircraft. We left the area late on 24 January. Weather was continuously poor, but only two days were restricted to camp.

While we travelled from camp to camp with sledges linked to the skidoos, it proved ineffective to tow sledges to and from the outcrops each day. The volcanic slopes were too steep for this established technique. Instead we reconnoitred the outcrop routes with either a skidoo and sledge or two skidoos, and flagged the established route. Subsequent trips along the flagged line were then made by one or more machines independently, each machine carrying two personnel.

The likely fate of two persons on one machine if they break through a crevasse roof win be immediately obvious to anyone with relevant field experience. However, we felt that we kept this hazard at an acceptable level by checking and flagging the route, and by sticking to the flagged line. If this technique is anticipated, the level of experience of the party members must be such that the route which is accepted and flagged will be unquestionably safe.

FIELD OPERATION

Scott Base/Field Party Relationship

This was very good this season. Due, I believe, to more effective staffing levels and job descriptions at Scott Base which helped reduce stress. Also, to the selection of Scott

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Base personnel. All members of K048 were very experienced in Antarctica, and we hope had no unreasonable expectations. Good relations were maintained with McMurdo BFC over the summer, and with the US snow-mobile mechanic.

Our thanks to all concerned for a safe and enjoyable time on the ice.

Bill Atkinson

MOUNTAIN GUIDE