Blog 8 February 2009

We entered a totally different environment, washed in a beautiful blue light, and with a whole network of caverns to walk or crawl through. Every resident of Rothera descends into the crevasse at least once a season, and then you understand what is actually going on beneath the seemingly peaceful snow-covered surface. The glacier is moving permanently, and places you can walk or drive over safely one day have fractured to form a deadly abyss the next. But it was an unforgettable experience, and it is surprising how easily you can squeeze through a little hole.

Putting up a tent that can withstand gusts of wind of well over 100 km an hour is a bit different from what we are used to in Europe. The pegs for example are stainless steel tubes five centimetres in diameter and the guys are nylon ropes as thick as your finger. An experienced couple can have a tent up and running within two hours, including the connection to Rothera by HF radio, and a first cup of tea to warm them up. Yesterday evening, we were able to perform the whole procedure, with coaching, in calm, relatively warm conditions. In those circumstances it all seems rather pedantic and over-organised. But imagine if you can hardly see anything, and you are wearing such thick gloves that you have very little control over your fingers, and you then have to start figuring out what goes where. Everything is packed in advance, colour coded and in a precise order, so that you can, in principle, put up the tent almost without looking. The crates in the centre of the photo of our tent are arranged in a set order, with the hinges mounted in such a way that the things you are most likely to need are within reach. Researchers must in principle be able to survive independently for up to ten days in and around one of these tents. Sometimes that means waiting inside for days because conditions make it impossible to work. Fortunately, that was not the case while we were there and after a night with just the sound of the howling wind for company we were back on Rothera for breakfast.

We then tried to reach a few field stations by Twin Otter (the Antarctic workhorse, as they call the plane here). Two of the glaciers on which we had planned to land had become unsafe because fissures had formed, and the others were shrouded in mist. So I got the opportunity to make my first landing on skis on the glacier behind Rothera and the sixth continent in my logbook.

This afternoon we went by boat to Anchorage Island to visit one of the Dutch projects. First we visited the shelter where researchers can spend the night, and carry out experiments in peace with sensitive equipment. The shelter was well guarded (see photo). We then went to the research area at the end of the island, where open-top chambers create microclimates, and the sides either block or allow through radiation of various kinds. This allows the scientists to study the damage caused to plants and the time it takes for them to recover. This project, which is being run by Dr Ad Huiskes together with British and other scientists, is unique because it is long-term, and has thus yielded a wealth of information. It is being carried out at different places, at different degrees of latitude, to enable comparison. For the details, go to [link]. This project is another highly successful joint venture, and the British gave us many subtle and not-so-subtle hints that they very much hope we will continue to take part in it.

On the way back from Anchorage Island to Rothera, we were treated - at very close quarters - to a performance by two humpback whales, with, as grand finale, two waving tails. After sending this last message from Antarctica (which has proved to be very difficult, given the limited bandwidth, which has to be used for all verbal and non-verbal communication), we are attending a formal dinner, at the invitation of our British hosts. This gives us the opportunity to talk to all these wonderful people again, and to thank them for their hospitality. They are doing very useful and important work, and our stay here was impressive and unforgettable.

Willem-Alexander