I got up today at 5:15 am with great excitement, knowing that in a few hours I would be boarding my flight for Antarctica. Here is a summary of this exciting day.
Headed to Antarctica!
The day before we had left USAP at around 4:00 pm, and later on went for dinner in Christchurch. I went to bed at about 10:00 pm and woke up feeling well rested and refreshed. I picked up my luggage—which I had already packed the night before—and checked out of Pavillions Hotel. A bus came at exactly 6:00 am to pick us up, as we had been instructed to report to the USAP offices at 6:30 am. There were about eight people in the bus, including three IceCubers: James, Hans and I.
5:56 am: Boarding the bus that took us to the USAP offices in Christchurch, New Zealand.
A few minutes later we arrived at the facility. We picked up the extreme cold weather (ECW) gear that was handed down to us on Monday and put it in. This is standard procedure when flying to, from or throughout Antarctica. No one is allowed to board or unboard the airplane unless wearing the red USAP parka, boots, plus four other key items. There were multiple posters on the walls detailing all procedures and explaining everything to us.
6:44 am: Getting ready with my ECW extreme cold weather (ECW) gear.
At 7:20 am we went in for a briefing explaining all aspects of travel to Antarctica that USAP participants and grantees need to know. Travel logistics were again explained to us, as well as security and safety precautions. There are also strict ecological guidelines to abide to while visiting Antarctica. At 8:00 pm we took yet another bus that took us to the airfield and started boarding. Engines were started and we took to the air at exactly 9:25 am. Flight time to McMurdo Station would be exactly eight hours, just as we had been told.
8:25 am: Boarding the plane to Antarctica!
This flight was different, as we traveled in a ski-equipped cargo airplane. Thirty-six people were in the plane: 32 passengers and 4 crew. There were among us a number of participants of the Antarctica New Zealand program, who were headed for Scott Base, which is located in Ross island just steps away from McMurdo Station. Once inside the airplane we were allowed to shed part of our gear, on condition that it remained in hand for use immediately after landing.
9:37 am: Flying down to Antarctica!
Cargo aircraft such as the one we flew in do not really have passenger cabin windows, like regular commercial airplanes. But there are usually two or three small windows on each side, and I was fortunate to sit exactly by one of those. I watched out and started seeing drift ice in the ocean like halfway during the trip, which would translate into a latitude of approximately 60 degrees south. Later on—from about three quarters of the way, onwards, latitude 70 and beyond—I saw large packs of ice.
2:24 pm: The view from the airplane window, around latitude 64 degrees south.
4:14 pm: The view further on, around latitude 73 degrees south.
The airplane landed in the Ross Ice Shelf about 12 kilometers from McMurdo Station, at 5:25 pm. There are at present three runways serving McMurdo, and I am almost certain that the one that we used was Williams Field. The actual landing of our ski-equipped airplane felt softer than that of commercial airplanes, and the aircraft glided over the ice for a few kilometers before finally stopping down. The gliding was absolutely graceful. Although fast, it was extremely smooth and stable.
5:25 pm: Arrival at the McMurdo airfield, 12 kilometers away from the main station.
Ross Ice Shelf is a large piece of ice floating atop the ocean, but the section we landed in is next to Ross island, which itself is very near the coast of Antarctica proper. And I can say that landing in the ice shelf was quite an experience! Ice is everywhere, and the ground looks completely bleached. Then, it was partly cloudy, so the sky also looked whitish. I felt that it was a beautiful, impressive sight, but the view may be overwhelming for the unprepared.
5:26 pm: This is how it looked like around the airfield. Latitude is almost 78 degrees south.
A USAP bus was already there waiting for us. We went up a hill on an unpaved—but very well kept—road built over dark, volcanic gravel. As we were told, safety is paramount in Antarctica and vehicles must observe strict speed limits. The ride to the station proper took like half an hour, which included a stop near New Zealand's Scott Base to leave some eight passengers. Around 6:00 pm we officially arrived at McMurdo Station and were welcomed by the station manager for a 30-minute briefing.
6:11 pm: Arrival at the McMurdo Station.
Around 8:30 pm I went out with Hans and two other people, walking through town and taking a number of pictures along the way. Time went past like a snap of the fingers, and before we knew it was already eleven in the evening. The Sun is up all the time, so one simply does not notice how late it gets. I was out wearing my sunglasses, which is vital in Antarctica, as the ozone hole in the atmosphere opens up just above the continent and dangerous levels of ultraviolet light from the Sun reach ground level. But then, I realized that I did not recall ever wearing sunglasses at 11 pm!
11:11 pm: Wearing sunglasses at eleven in the evening!
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