Status Update

Today’s activities: Met obs + GPS trial continues. Snow sampling. Despite several brief partial clearances conditions remain poor with visibility down to less than 10 meters for most of the day. Cats kept running round the clock with 2hrly checks. General caboose maintenance. All OK. Intentions for tomorrow: Normal obs. Domestic scrubout. Conditions permitting we will start moving fuel scoots…

With the Ice Team getting ready to start their long journey home any moment now, I thought I would momentarily distract you all with this wonderful picture of our dear trustee Joanna Lumley and friends during her recent visit to Bangladesh. Joanna was joined by expedition leaders Ran Fiennes and Anton Bowring on a short trip to the country to help raise awareness of Seeing is Believing, t…

We might be ready to move but the weather has other ideas! With the temperature up to -28℃ for the first time in ages we are all feeling the heat but with the mild air has come cloud and snow as well as the ever-present wind. Visibility has been less than 50 meters all day and at times considerably less than that so it’s just not been sensible to think of moving. The day has not been lost…

We have followed your reports with much interest and enjoyed seeing the splendid photos.  It is most encouraging to us lesser mortals to see you weathering the situation so well. Keep it going, we are proud of you. John Blashford-Snell and the Scientific Exploration…

Well, its time has come. After 100 or so days of being parked up and not turning a cog at -55C and  with winds gusting around it to chill it to the bone, Rover’s dig out time has come round. We all got stuck into clearing away the snow with shovels, ice axes, pry bars, welding rods and brushes.  Most of the morning (Monday) was consumed with removing the surrounding mounds of drift snow that…

After a day of dozing snow away from the cabooses and hand-digging snow from under the Science Caboose,  both cabooses are now almost ready to move. At long, long last and all being well with the weather, the Ice Team will be ready to starting moving the fuel scoots north tomorrow!

Current position: S72 51′ 13.5″     E023 33′ 50.2″ Altitude: 2752m Temperature: -43C Wind speed: 26 knots Today’s actions:  Second Cat dug out, again, and engine compartments cleared, pre-heated and started. Currently warming and will be moved tonight. Both Cats will be left running round the clock with two-hourly checks throughout night. Manual snow clearance under Science Caboose, plus…

All work and no play. Watch this video from Antarctica showing the team trying to get the Cats dug out and started.

Further snow clearance around camp and fuel scoots using the Cat that is being kept running around the clock. High winds and heavy drifting snow has so far prevented further work to get the second Cat started.

It is in stark contrast that, while the expedition team busy themselves with their scientific studies in the remotest part of the world, Ranulph Fiennes, Joanna Lumley and I spent a few days last week in Dhaka,   Bangladesh. Dhaka is one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Whereas Brian, Ian, Richmond, Rob and Spencer have an area the size of Britain between them and their nearest…