Anyone like to see pics not from France?

[majr]

Hello!

It might seem an odd thing to ask but I do live in an incredible place and as a very keen photographer I have a few nice shots. So, if you'd like to see what it's like here in the Antarctic and it's not against the rules I could post a couple?

Thanks Mat.

[Pierre ZFP]

I would be interested!

Even if you don't post the actual pics, I can't imagine there would be any objection to post a link to them.

[Pads]

Id like to see them too ..................[:)]

[LEO]

Hi Mat ,

I am sure a lot of people on this forum would also be interested in hearing about daily life in the Antarctic.

Straight from the "horses mouth "so to speak.

Kind regards,

Leo

[WJT]

Go on then.  I would love to see them as I'm sure many of us would. [:)]

[Baz]

Do not keep us in suspense, would love to see the photos.

Baz

[majr]

Oh sorry, hadn't checked for a while, quite a few people had looked before and none replied so thought it was not the done thing.

Here's a couple then.

This is from a few weeks back, it's our main accomodation block with an Aurora behind it, we get Aurora Australis down here, the Southern Lights, very rare.

[img]http://www.uncletravellingmat.com/d/1353-2/lawsaurora1.jpg[/img]

This is one of the science platforms, taken a few months ago on the last day of sun before we went into 24hr darkness.

[img]http://www.uncletravellingmat.com/d/776-2/piggotmoonsrgb.jpg[/img]

Here is a seal pup from last summer, first of the Weddel pups born on the sea ice.

[img]http://www.uncletravellingmat.com/d/876-2/sealpup1.jpg[/img]

Hope you like them.

Mat

[Christine Animal]

Fantastic photos Mat.  Thank you very much, got any more, please ?   [:)]

What on earth are you doing there ?!  Why don't you come to live in France ?

 

[majr]

Hi Christine.

Thanks, glad you like them, I only have another 10,000 or so! I've been here for nearly 2 years, I work on a scientific research station. I'm just in the process of buying a little hovel in the North of France, will be great to have a hideaway for when I'm back. I'm probably coming South again to spend a winter on South Georgia, an amazing island full of Albatross and other cool things.

Mat.

[Pads]

Wow .............................[:-))] More please especially of the animals , the first picture was amazing id love to see the lights in the night sky must be amazing, love to hear more about how you live to, how many of you are there living together. How long do you stay there on one shift ? What are you researching ? ect . Other peoples lives are so fasinating. Id love to get my camera out there .......................[;-)]    

[Jonzjob]

Thanks for the e-mail P. The shots are wonderful. The last the the sun, doesn't bear thinking about. We have had an overcast sky with some rain today and it felt so cold, 25C high, but overcast. I don't think that I could handle the summer never mind the winter there now.

More photos please, but you may leep the cold!!!

[Pads]

Thought you would like them , do you think if we keep pestering he will put some more on ? [:)]

[majr]

Ok, some answers to your questions.

I work for the British Antarctic Survey, I'm an Engineer here supporting scientists in there research on the effects of global warming and also the Ozone. There are 18 of us here, the base I am at now is down on the Brunt Ice Shelf and is built on a shelf of ice floating on the sea. It's very flat and very white and very cold! The summer here is short, pretty much we get a supply ship in late December that brings food and new staff, lots of science work goes on during the next 2 months then the ship is back for final supply and to pick up the old staff, this is February time, after that we are cut off completely, apart from the internet of course. We have 24hr daylight in the summer and we are just coming out of 24hr darkness. We have 115 days of no sun of which about 60 are pitch black 24hrs. It's a fairly harsh environment here, we do have a colony of Emperor Penguins about 15km down the coast, they have just hatched there eggs and we will be off to see them in a week or two, hopefully will get some nice pictures of the chicks. Other than that we have no wildlife here, too far South for anything else. On average the temperatures are around -35ish, down to -47.6 last month and when it's very windy then the temperature can rise up into the -20's. We get a huge amount of wind and snow, after a good blow the windtales around my workshop can be over 10feet high, that's just from 3 days of wind.

I'll pop up a few more pictures, last winter I was on the Peninsular, stunning place with incredible scenery.

Anything else you want to know just ask.

Mat

[Jonzjob]

Hi Mat, somewhere I have a letter from one of your adventures. It is dated somewhere in the 50s. We were encouraged to write to one of the teams there when I was at school and I had a letter from an American serviceman. It sounded incredible even to me then. More so now. I could not handle the cold now. The arthritis in my hands would put me out in minutes, but I used to work in the cold when I was an aircraft electrician in the R.A.F. Up to my elbows in freezing fuel changing tank contents senders on the top of an icy wing. No way now!!!

Keep the photos coming though. I will suffer the cold with a glass of armanac in my hand!

[Pads]

What is it like to live with the same people day in day out ? I should imagine its very hard? Is it possible to get space to your self (do you have your own rooms ?) It must be like some kind of sureal Big Brother [:'(] Not that I watch that rubbish but I get the gist of it . Being bit of a loner It would drive me nuts , but I expect they look for those qualities when your being interviewed?  How do people cope with out sunlight dont they become depressed.? It must be fantastic when you come home and can just get up and walk out the door  how does that feel ?

What conclusions have they come to about gobal warming ?[:)]

How often do you get mail?

[majr]

Here are a couple of very low res pics so sorry about the quality.

This is the Antarctic peninsular, few iceburgs.

[img]http://a361.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/18/l_4b1cb88e882dcad4201012107eeac6e0.jpg[/img]

This is looking out from the wharf at Rothera Research Station.

[img]http://a7.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01146/60/00/1146440006_l.jpg[/img]

This is a King Penguin on South Georgia

[img]http://a735.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/9/l_a671dfc3209318349e75e1ef5a578c66.jpg[/img]

This is me! Yes I really am this rough, I am an Antarctic explorer after all. The beards are standard issue, if you have seen "The Thing" then you will understand.

[img]http://a774.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/110/l_704c38ca684d5826724207d09a8bcf75.jpg[/img]

[Pads]

Oh...... The penquin didnt come out , will you try again? the Pictures have an unreal quality to them ..............amazing

[majr]

That's great jonzjob, there is a lot of history here, we have photos on the wall here from every wintering team, lots of old sledges too. You don't have to tell me about freezing temps and fuel, all the vehicles I run here have to use Avtur, aviation fuel, it's the only thing that will work in these temperatures, it's pretty unpleasant if you get it on you.

Mat

[majr]

Good questions Pads, you've hit on the hardest part. The base here is very old, it's not that comfortable, walls are just a sheet of ply. It's warm though and the food is excellent being as we have had nothing fresh for 6 months now. The hardest bit is being with everyone else. Like you I am a loner and struggle at times, I have a big workshop on skis though so spend a lot of time there. I'm really into music too so spend a lot of time writing and playing songs. I don't have a problem with the lack of sunlight but this is my second winter, I keep a strict routine and have a very busy job, some people do struggle though. I think it's best that I don't impart my thoughts on global warming, a lot of people have very strong views, I don't know the whole story and I work with people who research it! People read and believe what they want to, there's a huge amount of information out there, the BAS website is a good place to start.

Mat

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="majr"]That's great jonzjob, there is a lot of history here, we have photos on the wall here from every wintering team, lots of old sledges too. You don't have to tell me about freezing temps and fuel, all the vehicles I run here have to use Avtur, aviation fuel, it's the only thing that will work in these temperatures, it's pretty unpleasant if you get it on you.
Mat
[/quote]

Tell me about the avtur. I still get dermatitus from it and I left the R.A.F in 1974!! I will see if I can find that letter?

Lovely photo of the king penguine. It's lovely to think that they don't fear humans too!

[Pads]

What happens to your waste ? bath water , toilet waste , rubbish ect ? How do you get mail parcels from home? Do you have a live in chef / cleaners ect? Or are you all good cooks? The more I think about this the more questions I have , tell me to buggar off if I get on your nerves[:)]

[majr]

All waste is bagged up and removed each summer, it's a huge operation. All water is recycled and goes through stages from consumption to flushing toilets and heating. Heat energy from the generators is used to heat melt tanks for snow we dig. It's a complex set up. We have a full time Chef as part of the team, this year the guy is incredible, I have never eaten better than I do hear, seriously good food. We take it in turns to do base jobs, cleaning and helping out the chef, about once every 3 weeks we have a day working in the main accomodation building. We all work a week of night shifts too to make sure everything is safe. We have a huge amount of training in everything from fire fighting to advanced first aid, I trained with Paramedics so I back up the Doctor if needed. We are totally self sufficient the 18 of us so if it needs doing we have to do it.

Mat

[Pads]

You said that you had nothing fresh for 6 months , that must be hard , is it not possible to grow your own ? under artifial lights like people who grow grass inside? Is all your food frozen and dried ?

[majr]

We don't have hydroponics here, I think the new base that is being built at the moment will have provision for growing basic things but I'm not 100% sure. Everything we have is frozen, the fresh veg lasts a little while but it is brought in South America or the Falklands so it has already spent a few weeks on the ship before it gets here so it doesn't stand much chance. The next fresh food will be a small amount of salad that gets squeezed on to the first plane here in November, the main on the ship at Christmas. We get one post a year on the ship so family and friends get together and send a box.

Mat

[Christine Animal]

I expect there's a lot of tinned food Pads.  This is absolutely enthralling, so glad you joined us Mat.  It's funny to think you are there right now, yes you certainly must all be well trained and self sufficient to live in such conditions.

I love your photos, you must have a very good camera.  I keep looking at that penguin one, it's marvellous.  It's funny because you and the penguin are nearly dressed the same !

I wonder what time it is there right now.  You said you have photos on the wall of teams in the past, you could even take photos of that.

Looking forward to more news and photos.    [:)]

 

Edit : So no tinned food ?  I wonder why.