Immediate report of Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1988-89: VUWAE 33

EVENT DIARY

EVENT DIARY

28 Oct	Gillespie and Woolfe to Scott Base (after 2 days delay in CHCH).
29 Oct	Event brief, preparation of field gear.
30 Oct	Preparation of sledges and toboggans, test run to Turtle Rk.
31 Oct	Repacking food boxes.
1 Nov	Modification of sledge ropes, towing and personnel lines.
2 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Henare in CHCH (weather).
3 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Henare in CHCH (weather).
4 Nov	Henare to Scott Base, party to ice fall for snow and ice travel in evening.
5 Nov	Shake down trip to Aurora Glacier with K221 and leader of survival School.
6 Nov	G7 dropping gear box oil, Gillespie and Woolfe return Scott Base to pick up oil, then return to Aurora Glacier. Party returns Scott Base.
7 Nov	Henare on day 2 of Survival Course.
8 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Recce flight cancelled due to weather.
9 Nov	Recce flight abandoned, bad weather in Darwin Glacier and at Allan Hills. Used 4.30 hrs LC-130 support.
10 Nov	G7 and G8 on test run to Windless Bight, G7 still dropping gear box oil; recce flight, Darwin Glacier completed, Allan Hills abandoned due to bad weather.
11 Nov	G7 test run, still dropping gear box oil.
12 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Put cancelled due to weather.
13 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Scott Base invitation golf classic.
14 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Put in cancelled due to weather.
15 Nov	Aircraft Delay: Put in cancelled due to weather.
16 Nov	Put in to Darwin Glacier near Richardson Hill. Crevasse opened on first drag, but aircraft too heavy to take off, K047 and K221 put in. Moved camp to Colosseum Ridge 79° 48′S 156° 25′E.
17 Nov	Strong westerlies, recce Colosseum Ridge.
18 Nov	Geology northern end of Colosseum Ridge.page 50
19 Nov	Geology Colosseum ridge to Trail Ridge.
20 Nov	Cross Smith Glacier on foot, section measuring Haskel Ridge,
21 Nov	Camp Move: Return landing site to pick up fuel, move to plateau side of Haskel Ridge. Travel difficult, crevasses, hummocky blue ice and sastrugi. Threw track off G7. Arrive camp 0330 hrs (79° 42′S 155° 48′E).
22 Nov	Rest day.
23 Nov	Recce route on to Hatherton Neve and geology of Nunataks westward from camp. Section measuring Haskell Ridge.
24 Nov	Section measuring on un-named nunatak westward of camp.
25 Nov	Bad Weather prevents trip to Turnstyle Ridge. Night move to Hatherton Glacier 79° 56′S 155° 48′E.
26 Nov	Rest day.
27 Nov	Geology upper Hatherton Glacier.
28 Nov	Local geology, sort day due to 30 kt westerlies.
29 Nov	Gillespie and Woolfe to section J3, Henare local geology.
30 Nov	Local Geology.
1 Dec	Gillespie and Woolfe cross Hatherton Glacier on foot for section measuring, Henare local geology.
2 Dec	Henare and Woolfe local geology, Gillespie repairs and maintenance at camp.
3 Dec	Local geology.
4 Dec	Local geology.
4 Dec	Moved camp to lower Hatherton Glacier (79° 52′S 157° 14′E).
5 Dec	Local geology.
6 Dec	Local geology.
7 Dec	Travelled up Hatherton Glacier to un-named ridge 4 km above camp.
8 Dec	Travelled to Junction Spur, geology. Marked out site for air drop.
9 Dec	Air drop arrived mid-afternoon, change back to working days.
10 Dec	Moved camp to 6 km SE of Mt Hughes (48 km).
11 Dec	Tentacle Ridge, geology.
12 Dec	Tentacle Ridge, geology.page 51
13 Dec	Spot Height 1960, north of camp, geology. Discovered abundant fish remains near summit.
14 Dec	Packed camp set off for Island Arena.
15 Dec	Arrived at put-in site early morning, then moved camp to Island Arena (79° 50′S 156° 25′E) distance travelled 58 km.
16 Dec	Partial white out, probed landing site for crevasses but probing near useless with crevasse bridges being largely undetectable.
17 Dec	Partial white out, low cloud and snow.
18 Dec	Partial white out, low cloud and snow.
19 Dec	Aircraft Delay, low cloud and snow.
20 Dec	Aircraft Delay, gale to storm force westerlies.
21 Dec	Aircraft Delay, strong to gale force southerlies packed up camp.
22 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Pull-out abandoned, plane breaks through crevasse on first drag.
23 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Visited Trail Ridge, geology.
24 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Received airdrop in early morning, low cloud and snow by evening.
25 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Low cloud and snow.
26 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Low cloud and snow, left late for Roadend Nunatak, steering by compass at first.
27 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Arrived Roadend Nunatak (79° 49′S 158° 05′E), low cloud and fog.
28 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Low cloud and fog, local geology.
29 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Recce flight early morning unsuccessful because of mid-level cloud. Moved camp to Mulgrew Nunatak.
30 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Local geology.
31 Dec	Aircraft Delay: Returned to Roadend Nunatak.
1 Jan	Aircraft Delay: Heavy snow.
2 Jan	Aircraft Delay: Local Geology, recreation day.
3 Jan	Aircraft Delay: Marking out new strip, low cloud etc.
4 Jan	Aircraft Delay: Weather clearing slowly, packed up camp and moved to new landing site.
5 Jan	Party returned to Scott Base, Henare returns NZ.
6 Jan	Preparation of field gear, packing rocks.page 52
7 Jan	Gillespie and Woolfe Helo to Elkhorn Ridge (76°40′S 161°06′E)
8 Jan	Local geology.
9 Jan	Marginal weather, local geology.
10 Jan	Cross Towle Glacier on foot, measured section on Mt Naab, returned to camp by late evening.
11 Jan	Rest day.
12 Jan	Local geology. Barrett to Scott Base.
13 Jan	Local geology. Barrett to Survival School.
14 Jan	Crossed Northwind Glacier on foot, geology at Flagship Mountain.
15 Jan	Helo Delay: Snow and low cloud.
16 Jan	Helo Delay:
17 Jan	Helo delay:
18 Jan	Barrett joins party, party moves to Allan Hills.
19 Jan	Local geology.
20 Jan	Local geology.
21 Jan	Local geology.
22 Jan	Local geology.
23 Jan	Local geology.
24 Jan	Party returns Scott Base.
25 Jan	Packing rocks, cleaning and return of field gear.
26 Jan	Packing rocks, return of field gear.
27 Jan	Barrett and Woolfe to Christchurch.

Home | Advanced Search | About | Help

© 2016 Victoria University of Wellington | Contact us | Conditions of use