Chapter Six - Fins & Things
So
what's left to tell, well quite a lot really, but as I'm off South again pretty
soon I better get this polished off before I go.
Outside
of walking around the point there was plenty of daylight, 24/7 generally, to
get up to Vals & fall off ski's, snowboards & skidoo's as well as taking
in the breathtaking views. Having cleared it first with the BC a couple of the
GA's organised to take the lads in small groups down one of the crevasses that
litter the upper slopes, so having been instructed in the use of belays &
crampons we set off to conquer the icy wastes. Actually it was fascinating but
tiring way to kill a Sunday afternoon, you couldn't in your wildest dreams design
the curves & flows of the light as it refracts through the ice from above.
Alas a camera as humble as mine does no justice to what was seen & most
of the pictures taken quickly ended up in the recycle bin however be assured
it was pretty groovy.
On
a more mundane level most people on base looked for ways to keep themselves
in trim, personally I disdain the weights room & just couldn't face circuit
training however table tennis, badminton in the hanger when the plane's were
off base, endless cycling around the runway perimeter & football on the
apron were weekly regulars, I even managed to be one quarter of the base championship
volley ball winning team. It's the custom when visiting ships come ashore that,
apart from BBQ's & beer, lots of beer, a football match is played to satisfy
honour, several games were played against the crews of the RRS James Clark Ross
& the RRS Shackleton as well as the HMS Endurance & the American research
vessel the Laurence M Gould, unfortunately the only game won by base team was
the latter, honest Referee we was robbed. Towards the end of the season a game
was finally arranged between me & the Morrison boys & BAS, it was a
good game actually & honour was satisfied as it ended up a 1 - 1 draw.
Other events to fill the hours included the Sunday night film show, pool competition, I lost in the final, bugger, darts, fancy dress party, why do men like putting dresses on so much, & a couple of quiz nights, I even managed to pull off a "Universally Challenged" night complete with picture & music rounds, between, yeah you guessed it, Morrison's versus BAS, the BAS team won, but only just.
Apart from the wildlife already mentioned there were quite a few whale sightings around the island, particularly as the season drew to a close, the majority of the sightings were within South Cove, but then again this was where the bulk of the diving was carried out but even so it did seem to attract greater numbers. By far the most common sighting were Antarctic Minke's with occasional Sei & Humpback's as well as Orca's.
As the season drew to a close it became apparent that despite all the efforts of the lads working six & a half days a week for nearly five months that we weren't going to finish what we were there to do & that a return would be required the following season & so as the BAS winter crew began their preparation's for the darkness to come we battened down the hatches & made ready to depart on the JCR mid April.