27th November - 20th December (6):

This was the most difficult area we were to cover, from depot we travelled West down an unnamed Glacier to the Sledges, following this to the Rennick. We depoted two 44 gal. drums of fuel off Mt. Soza and continued North to Frolov Ridge. Warm temperatures at this stage forced night travel. This area is very broken and only two outcrops were visited between the Carryer Glacier and Frolov Ridge. The same as visited in 1963-64. From Frolov Ridge we returned to Mt. Soza then headed West to the Marazumi Range. We camped four miles to the East of the Range visiting Littol Rooks enroute. Had our first major breakdown of a toboggan when a wooden track runner collapsed fracturing the chassis and wrenching the holding bolts straight through the metal. Temporary repairs were made and we tried to conserve the use of it except for actual sledging. 2 men parties made extensive trips down the Eastern side of the Range and a 5,500 Ft. granite peak North of Berg Peak was climbed. (Wilson Snow Petrels were seen here). Surface of the Rennick Glacier is very difficult for travel, hard sastrugi and Blue ice knocked the toboggan about very much. We returned to Mt. Soza, collected food and fuel dump and headed back towards the Leap Year Depot. Side trips up the Carryer were made but heavy crevassing and ice falls restricted the areas visited. The lower Sledgers Glacier was not visited as heavy crevassing did not warrant the risk. One toboggan at this stage sheered off a driving gear and had to be towed back to depot on sledge. We arranged for a replacement, also another manhauling sledge to replace one we had broken prior to this to come in on the re-supply. We arrived back at the Leap Year Depot on December 20th to receive our re-supply which was due on the 21st.