Clive Meets The Penguins
When Antarctica needed a good spring clean, there was only one man for the job - OUTDOORSmagic member Clive Clasby. This is how he sorted out the mess...
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I'm a professional Environmental Scientist I am paid to be
boring, dull and matter of fact. But I could not contain my
enthusiasm when I applied for and was accepted onto an
expedition to Antarctica - not to scale some unscaled peak
or plumb the depths of some monster crevasse, but to shift
over 1000 tonnes of scrap metal, oil and general debris
accumulated at the Russian Base of Bellingshausen during its
life from 1968. Hell someone has to do it.
Questions that are now in your mind are:
1. Why can't the Russians get rid of it
themselves?
Answer: They can't afford to.
2 . Why don't the Russians get rid of it like everyone
else?
Answer: Everyone else does not get rid of it, the Yanks
at Mc Murdo float it out on the sea ice and wait for it to
fall in the sea, other countries get rid of the easy stuff
but everyone has some heavy bulky or difficult stuff to get
rid of.
3. Why have the Russians got more heavy etc?
Answer: Have you ever seen a Russian lorry?
4 Why the hell did you want to do it?
Answer: I can't afford to get to Antarctica for a
holiday.
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Those pesky Russians
never put anything in the
bin...
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Travelling to Bellingshausen for us was much like
travelling anywhere, flights to Ushuaia in Argentina then a
ship out to King George Island where the base is located.
The journey over the Drake Passage was enlivened slightly by
13-metre swells and the most appallingly rude American woman
I have met. When learning her neighbour at breakfast was
Canadian she complained, "I spend my life trying to get away
from damn Canadians." Hoots of disbelieving laughter from
the British contingent. She fell over later and hurt
herself, shame.
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Apart from the foggy weather the first thing that struck
me about the Antarctic was the voraciousness of the skuas.
These things are about the size of a greater black-backed
gull (big) with all the peace-loving characteristics of a
drunken Glaswegian spoiling for a fight and the nastiest
hooked beak you have ever seen. They also are amongst the
most amazing fliers in the world. Our kit was savaged by the
skuas as it was stored overnight on the freighter we would
be loading the scrap onto.
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That's more like
it.
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When we finally went ashore we were shown our accommodation.
Known euphemistically as "The English House" the place had
been the sat com hut, but had been used as variously a
storeroom, a fish-drying shed and had more recently been
scheduled for demolition until the daft Brits turned up who
were willing to put up with such conditions. It is the only
building I have ever stayed in that leaked when it rained,
snowed or was sunny and dry. Ice had filled the twin skin
roof and heat from the building melted it at quite a rate,
hence it leaked all the time. The electrical arrangements
were regarded as lethal, however I always got other people
to plug things in for me so I never had a problem.
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The sanitary arrangements were an under floor tank. That
was it. The smell after a week was worse than
overpowering.
As can be seen from some of the pictures the beach itself
was a rather daunting prospect. The heap of scrap was a good
fifty metres long by forty metres wide and about five metres
high in the middle. Estimates ranged from 700 tonnes to
1200. In addition there were several vehicles scattered
around the base that were due to go including one tracked
personnel carrier, a huge amphibian vehicle and a worryingly
heavy looking bulldozer. Further inland still were over one
hundred barrels of oil, diesel and paint waste.
"How can someone f**k a place up this badly in the name
of science?" One of the lads summed it up neatly.
The next few days were taken up in unloading stuff from
the freighter. A minor panic was caused by the terrible
weather making the ships anchor drag and as she was unable
to start her engines in time she ran aground on a sand bar.
Fortunately she lifted off on the next tide.
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The wildlife gets matey
with the scrap - Chinstrap Penguins in
strokable
proximity to the work area
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Work, once it started, progressed well. It was an odd
experience to have to chase penguins and seals off the beach
first thing in the morning to allow us to load the barge.
Once the machines started moving the wildlife stayed out of
the way.
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Weather
Every day was guaranteed to bring at least 3 different
types of weather. Favourites were Fog followed by snow
followed by rain or snow, rain, dry or the worst for us
rain, wind, and more wind!
Although the temperature was generally not much lower
than a hard winter in the UK the real challenge was the wind
chill. 40knot winds were an everyday occurrence and if the
temperature is already minus 7 that makes for unpleasant
working conditions especially if you are soaking wet due to
rain or being swamped by an unusually big wave.
Wildlife.
Despite the fact that we were making a tremendous noise,
shouting, swearing, engines, angle grinders and the
infuriating reversing bleeper on the Telehoist, there was a
surprising amount of wildlife.
Chinstrap penguins would sit within 3 metres of the
working area and (for those who could afford the time) would
allow people to stroke them without getting up and moving
on. Gentoos had a bit of an attitude problem and Weddell
seals would breathe fishy breath at you but they too could
not be bothered to do anything. I don't know of anyone keen
enough to approach a leopard seal!
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Ash-covered glaciers on
Deception Island viewed from the air courtesy of
the Chilean Air Force
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We only had two-and-a-half days off to look at the sights
but on one of those days we were taken on a Twin Otter
flight with the Chilean Air force. A superb sight especially
the volcanic ash-covered glacier on Deception Island.
Time seemed not to matter after a bit. We would measure a
day by the number of barge loads. A three-load day was OK
but a little disappointing. A four-load day was a good,
solid effort. A five-load day, well that was a real
achievement! Five loads was about 100t onnes of scrap and
usually involved working from seven in the morning until ten
at night usually without stopping for the deeply unpleasant
midday or evening meals.
International communications were maintained by shouting
and swearing and lots of arm waving. Much like Englishmen
throughout the ages really!
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Finally that was it the last load went out and we looked
at an empty beach with a few oil stains and rust particles
on it. The collective sigh of relief was premature though as
the weather changed and disabled our boat. The kit was
re-loaded onto the ship with the aid of a South Korean
Zodiac and we left, again courtesy of the Chilean Air
Force.
That seems a bit brief! Well yes I suppose it is remember
I was working 12 to 17 hours a day we had two-and-a-half
days off and the food was ... well, I suppose vile would be
the best way to describe it. I could not go sightseeing and
it was no holiday. Was it pleasant? No way
Was it worthwhile? Most definitely
Would I do it again? Yes.
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And after. 'Would I do
it again? Yes.'
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Ok the photos show the way the place was, not majestically
wonderful. The industrial bit of Antarctica. It was a right
mess when we arrived. It was just a little bit less of a
mess when we left. Help us keep it that way please. Visit
www.missionantarctica.com
sign the pledge of support (no money needed just a
petition)
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Discuss this story
Wow! That's some trip. I've got loads of questions. The most important thing first: what does it feel like to stroke a penguin? Do their feathers ever dry out or do they always feel slightly clammy? And then I'd like to know what happened to the scrap metal. Was it recycled or just dumped in the sea? --Mjausson Ps: Any more penguin pictures?
Posted: 06/02/2002 at 00:09
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