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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1968-69: VUWAE 13

Earlier Exploration on the Skelton Névé

Earlier Exploration on the Skelton Névé

The first reference to this area is probably that mentioned in Scott's The Voyage of the ‘discovery’. In the account of his return from the western journey onto the plateau in 1903 Scott notes in the entry for December 10 (Chapter XVIII), We had not been going for more than an hour in the afternoon, however, when Evansș sharp eye sighted the land, and soon some isolated nunataks appeared on both bows..... Later we rose several mountain peaks to the S.E., but cloud hangs so persistently about them that I cannot recognise anything". Two days later the party (Scott, Evans and Lashly) arrived back at Depot Nunatak. It seems likely that the peaks which they observed to the southeast would be the Lashly Mountains and some of the peaks in Warren Range, Boomerang Range and perhaps the Worcester Range.

A Map of the District near the ‘Discovery’ Winter Quarters (prepared by Lieut. Mulock, with geological information by Ferrar) was published by the National Antarctic Expedition in 1906. The area now referred to as the Skelton Névé is blank except for large lettering “Inland Ice”. Mulock shows two peaks to the south of Depot Nunatak, referred to as Lonely Peaks and Far West Mountain. Both had elevations in excess of 8,000 feet.

The topographic Map of McMurdo Sound Region (prepared by Debenham and published in 1923) which accompanied the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13 (Terra Nova) reports does not improve on Mulock's map in the Skelton Névé area. Mulock's Lonely Peaks and Par West Mountains are referred to as Lashly Mountains on this map.

Although Scott and Shackleton's southern sledge journeys took them past the mouth of the Skelton Glacier (their Skelton Inlet) they were always at too low an elevation and too far out from the coast to gain any appreciation of the inland topography. However, had these early parties climbed one of the peaks on the southern side of the Taylor Glacier, they would have commanded an excellent view of the page 11 Skelton Névé and the peripheral ranges. As it was, a further forty-five years were to elapse before the area was to be penetrated and mapped.

After aerial reconnaissance of the major coastal glaciers during the early stages of the Trans Antarctic Expedition, Gunn selected the Skelton Glacier as the most favourable overland route between the McMurdo Sound and the Inland Plateau. In the following four summers this route was to become a major highway as the many tractor and dog teams plied their way to and from the plateau.

In late January and February 1957 Brooke, Ellis, Ayres, and Douglas sledged to the T.A.E, Plateau Depot by way of the Skelton Glacier, Skelton Névé and The Portal. Mulgrew also joined this party for a short period and climbed a small rock spire on the slopes of Portal Mountain as the party moved eastwards back across the Névé. Douglas and Brooke climbed Névé Nunatak during the same journey but no other rock climbs are recorded by this party. In October 1957, Miller and Marsh with dogs, and Hillary, Ellis, Balham and Mulgrew with tractors, ascended the Skelton Glacier and traversed the Skelton Névé on their way to the Plateau Depot. No mapping or geological work was undertaken by these groups. This was left until January 1958 when the T.A.E. Northern Party, consisting of Gunn, barren, Brooke and Douglas, arrived in the area after sledging down from the Mackay Glacier. This group spent about a week in the area, making geological visits to Escalade Peak, the Alligator Peak region, and Allemand Peak. Topographic survey stations were established on Escalade, Allemand Peak, and on another high unnamed peak further to the south in the Boomerang Range. Geological and topographic results of this visit to the area are contained in a bulletin and maps (scale 1:250,000) published by Gunn and Warren in 1962. Later in the summer of 1958, Sir Vivian Fuchs crossed the Skelton Névé on his way between Plateau Depot and Scott Base.

In the post T.A.E. era two further tractor traverse parties used this route. In November 1953 Bert Crary, accompanied by Dr T. Bat her ton, led a U.S.I.G.Y. seismic party through the area and on to the plateau, returning along the same path in January 1959. In October 1959 a U.S.A.R.P. traverse, which included New Zealander page 12 Arnold Heine, followed the same route to the plateau on their journey to northern Victoria Land. Since the spate of traffic between 1957-60 the area sea no further visitors until last summer's VUWAE 1968/69 expedition.

Three maps of this area have appeared in the last twelve years. The N.Z.M.S. 135 map was published by the Lands and Survey, Wellington, in June 1957. This relied heavily on topographic data from the early expeditions but contained new information on the Steel ton Glacier and Skelton Névé areas. The rough outlines of the Boomerang Range, Portal fountain, The Portal, Névé and Halfway Nunataks, and Clinker Bluff are indicated on this map, being based on survey data gathered in the early days of the Trans Antarctic Expedition.

In March 1961 the Lands and Survey, Wellington, published the provisional edition of N.S.H.S. 175/3 at a scale of 1:250,000.

The most recent map of the area is one published in 195 by the U.S. Geological Survey at a scale of 1:250,000 (Reconnaissance Series - Mt Harmsworth). This map was compiled in 1963 from aerial photos taken between 1956 and 1961.