Lorry Loader Course

Driving the Nodwell.

Going for a walk with the
"want to be boat"

Right, so after doing a chainsaw course, which sounds funny enough, we now also got to do a lorry loader course. Yes, I can assure you guys, I do have a marine biology related job and am going to Antarctica... So, chainsaw for making holes into the ice! However, during the summer we have to be able to get the boats into the water! As there is no proper slipway, but a wharf, we can use a crane to launch the boats over the side of the wharf. Hence, the lorry loader course as they use pretty much the same crane. We had 3 days with an instructor to get us trained up on the crane. This meant repeatedly doing the same tasks over and over again including giving each other’s signals, setting up the crane and moving a small trailer which we pretended was the boat. It was all good fun but a bit embarrassing as I needed help putting the heavy legs up from the crane which is going to be put down as a note on my crane license...  Lots and lots of practice and I hope I won’t have forgotten too much by the time I get to Rothera.

Chainsaw Course

Chainsaw Course

A couple of people have expressed their concerns when I informed them that BAS is going to train me in how to use a chainsaw. I guess I can be glad that mental health was not assessed beforehand in too much detail? We left Thursday lunchtime to drive back to Derby for the one-day course. On Friday morning we found our way to a farm on the countryside and were welcomed by the farmer. After having a cup of tea/coffee/squash, we went into the shed and had a look at some chainsaws. We were taught how to take them partially apart and afterwards back together. Before lunch we went out and started using the chainsaw. As usually the class is less likely to consist of females, I ended up wearing boots which were about double the size of my feet. But luckily I managed not to fall over with the chainsaw in my hand! Unfortunately, I failed in the first instance: I was not able to start the chainsaw. However, I was allowed to use a joker and could ask someone for help ;)
Lunch consisted of some really nice homemade food! Afterwards we went out again and were allowed to play around with a bigger blade. We were also able to practice sawing from the top down, introducing the blade vertically into the wood (like we would do on the ice). In the end, we all learned how to fell trees properly (make them fall into the direction we want them to); all around a really good day with lots and lots of hands on practice and surprisingly no powerpoint. Luckily, our instructor did not tell us what a group of BAS people were told a couple of years ago with a different instructor: do not use the chainsaw below knee level (doh? Cutting ice?!) and do not stand on slippery surfaces (ai! Try that when cutting ice ...)!

 

Oban

After coming back from the chainsaw course on Friday evening, we left for Oban on Sunday morning, picking Belinda up on the way. The next week was spent with the National Facility for Scientific Diving (NFSD) which is part of the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences (SAMS). Four of us (Matt – base commander, Bel – marine biologist, Peter – diving officer and I) went diving in Oban for 3 days. The three of us had to get used to the kit BAS uses (NFSD uses very similar kit) and it was good to go diving together so we could get to know each other much better. So Monday to Wednesday we did two dives each. It was pretty relaxed: the morning started with tea/coffee, eventually we went out for two dives (20-30 minutes each); then we came back to fill cylinders and have sandwiches and went out again at some point in the afternoon to do the second round of dives; by 5pm we were finished each day. One evening we had scallops which we had collected on one of the dives. I tried them for the first time in my life and unfortunately am not too fond of them... On Thursday and Friday we had chamber training which was really interesting as we learned how to operate the chamber and how to act as a chamber attendant. Just in case something happens down south, so that we can operate the chamber on site (which again will require specific training for the chamber down there). A fun week and my first time in Scotland!!

Fieldcourse – rain, rain and ... rain

We left Monday morning for the fieldcourse after having Sunday off in minibuses. After arriving in Derby everyone was divided into groups of around 10 people with two instructors. We shared a big tent within these groups, although some decided to out their own tents up ... After lunch we learned how to light “Tilly lamps” and the stoves (they still look like the ones Scott has used). Both are used for producing light and heat when staying in a tent. And the stove can obviously also be used for cooking and melting snow. We were also talked through the climbing equipment for the next day.
In the evening a group of 4 people took up the challenge to make dinner which was tomato sauce with corn beef and noodles. Tasted really good considering the limited supplies we had (we struggled finding salt and pepper).
After breakfast the next morning, we went out into the field to practice our climbing skills which later when we arrive at Rothera are going to be practised further in order to carry out crevasse rescue. We did abseiling and jumaring (climbing back up a rope using certain climbing equipment). Whilst we were up there it was nearly constantly raining and the wind was howling ... When it was not our turn we were hiding from the elements. Complaints were held back though as everytime that we looked to Mike and Cheese (our two instructors) we saw them sitting on top without any shelter and neither shivering nor complaining! After getting back we quickly warmed up in a cafe having hot chocolate and other hot beverages. Back in the camp we did some “white-out training”. When we are out in the field it might happen that we lose any sense of direction due to fog and everything being white. Hence we were given goggles which were blanked out and while we were in the tent (due to weather we used the back of a vehicle), the other group put them obstacles up and hid one of our group members who we had to recover only us and a long rope available. It was pretty good fun, we eventually found out group member, no one got hurt and we found back into our tent safe and sound!
After dinner (pasta bake with tuna but without the baking bit) a few of us went to the next swimming pool (Mike kindly offered to drive). Unfortunately, the fun pool bit was closed and we had to behave in the grown up swimming pool (no ball games) but who cares as long as water and swimming is involved ;) (personal opinion). Afterwards we all went to the pub close by (of course the field we camped in had to have a pub close by – guess that was a vital criterion for choosing this particular spot). By the time we got there after swimming, the rest of us had already occupied half of the pub by spreading out and drying socks, trousers, jumpers and so on ... Pretty inviting locality with fireplaces J.
Unfortunately, most of the people had had enough of the rough weather and so we left a day early. During Wednesday morning we went for a walk and practiced our navigation skills with a map, compass and various methods finding our way around and getting from A to B. In the afternoon we went home. On Thursday a few of us helped cleaning everything, the amount of mud coming off everything was quite impressive. Of course, on Thursday we had beautiful sunshine.

Food tent withbirthday decoration for Scott!