Shackleton Range Traverse

SIR VIVIAN FUCHS

British Antarctic Survey

The Shackleton Range was discovered by the Com-monwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition in February1956. The mountains extend for about 100 milesalong an east-west axis between latitudes 80°S. and81°S. The highest peak is just 6,000 feet. In 1957,surveyors David Stratton and Kenneth Blaikiockmade a &osed traverse by dog sledge, tied to astro-fixes, through the western part of the range.

In recent years, the British Antarctic Survey hassucceeded in reaching these mountains on the groundfrom Halley Bay, although it entailed a round trip ofover 1,000 miles for the tractors and (log teams, whichmade it impracticable to spend any reasonable lengthof time at work in the Shackletons. Therefore, thegenerous offer of the United States to fly a Britishparty of surveyors and geologists from Halley Bay tothe mountains in 1968 was particularly appreciatedand gratefully accepted.

We were fortunate in being able to get Ken Blaik-

lock back for this work. Along with another surveyor,Tony True, he flew via Washington, D.C. and Christ-church to McMurdo Sound, where they awaited fa-vorable weather for the flight across the continent.On November 23, their LC-130 landed at Halley Bay,where two geologists, two assistants, and 27 dogs, to-gether with 10,000 lbs of supplies and equipment,were loaded and the plane refuelled.

When the aircraft reached the Shackletons, only afew peaks were visible through low cloud cover, whichmade it impossible to locate the Stratton Glacierwhere it was intended to land the party. After circlingthe mountains for an hour, the pilot saw a small gapin the clouds to the south of the range and was able tomake a skillful but very bumpy landing on the sastru-gi-cut surface of the great, 40-mile wide RecoveryGlacier. At this time, the precise position was un-known, but the plane was quickly unloaded and tookoff for McMurclo in thick clouds.

When the weather cleared, the party found them-selves about 30 miles west-southwest of Mount Green-field. The three dog teams, therefore, spent severaldays relaying the depot to a position some eight milessouthwest of the mountain. There the party divided,the geologists with one team setting off to work therock exposure between the Stratton Glacier and

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Mount Lagrange at the northwestern end of therange. Next, they worked back across the BlaikiockGlacier, from Mount Homard to Turnpike Bluff inthe southwest. Later, a visit was paid to the HerbertMountains, where Mike Skidiriore fell 200 ft. oversnow and scree, but was fortunate in suffering onlysuperficial cuts, bruises, and abrasions. His coin-panion, Peter Clarkson, got him back to the depotafter a few days, and later they were able to makeanother journey to investigate the western peaks ofthe Read Mountains and, finally, Stephenson Bastion.On January 23, 1969, they returned to the depot toawait the aircraft.

Meanwhile, the two surveyors and two assistants(Nick Mathys and Harry Wiggans) concentrated onproviding precise ground control for the western partof the Shackletons, the air photography having al-ready been flown by the United States. The Telluro-meter and theodolite traverse started and closed atthe depot, the first station being established on MountGreenfield. The traverse continued eastward to a nun-atak on the east side of Cornwall Glacier, then north-wards via Crossover Pass. Unfortunately, as the sur-veyors were moving into position for the third Tel-lurometer ray, Nick Mathys broke a leg. He was takenback to the depot, where he was left in the care ofTony True.

This accident left only Blaikiock and Wiggans tocontinue the traverse, and they necessarily had totravel independently of each other. However, takingparticelar care, they were able to make a complete cir-cuit of Flat Top and close the traverse on the depotby January 10. There, they found that Nick Mathysand Tony True had observed a series of sun positionsfor latitude and longitude, besides maintaining a verycomplete series of aneroid readings for height compu-tations.

The last traverse of the survey party comprised adogleg from the Cornwall Glacier, along thesouthern peaks of the Read Mountains to 23°30'W.on the southernmost peak at the east end of the rangenear Otter Pass.

By January 23, all parties were awaiting pick-up bythe U.S. naval aircraft at the depot. Throughout, theparty had been in good radio contact with HalleyBay, and on the 24th they heard that flying condi-tions were perfect. At 0200 hrs on the 25th, the planelanded and the group, together with their equip-ment, was loaded in 20 minutes.

The return flight was uneventful, except for lowclouds at halley Bay, but this presented little problem.By this time, the relief ship, Perla Dan, was at thestation and provided a small celebration, for the suc-cessful conclusion of the joint U.S.-U.K. venture. It isexpected that one further season's work will provideadequate ground control for the entire range.

Norwegian AntarcticExpedition, 1968-1969

]'JTORL S. WINSNES

Norsk Polarinstitutt

The aim of the Norwegian Antarctic Expeditionwas to carry out mapping, geological and glaciologicalinvestigations of the Kraul Mountains (Vestfjella) inwestern Queen IViatici Land. Members of theexpedition included Thore S. Winsnes, geologist andleader; Audun Hjelle, geologist; Torbjørn Lunde, gla-ciologist; Dag Norherg, topographer; Ola Steine, geo-desist; and Kare M. Bratlien, radio operator.

The expedition, which was organized by the Nor-wegian Polar Institute, Oslo, received the assistance ofthe National Science Foundation in the provision ofAmerican equipment and arrangements for logistics.Only about 500 kg of scientific instruments werebrought from Norway.

The expedition party, ready to leave on November14, after spending a fortnight at McMurdo Station.,was further detained until November 22 by unfa-vorable weather and radio conditions. The 6 membersof the expedition, equipped for 2½ months of fieldoperations, were taken from McMurdo to the KraulMountains, making a short stop at Pole Station torefuel the LC-130 1 lercules aircraft. After eight hours'flight, the Hercules landed south of the central partof the mountains in a spot particularly selected, aftera careful stud y of aerial photographs, as being themost suitable for landing and base operations.

Work was organized into two field groups, eachconsisting of one topographer and one geologist,equipped with a motor toboggan and two Nansensledges for transportation. For safety, the groups tra-velled together and operated from joint field camps.They were in daily radio contact with the main base,where investigations of snow accumulation and me-teorological observations were carried out. In case ofemergency, this group could operate with a third to-boggan as a rescue team. Radio contact with the"outer world" was maintained through courtes y of theSouth African National Antarctic Expedition(SANAE) and Halley Bay Bases. The latter for-warded messages to and from McMurdo throughByrd Station.

On several sledge journeys, covering 800 kin in all,the geology of the mountains was mapped, triangiila-tions were made, and base measurements were taken.The geology of the Kraul Mountains is rather monot-onous, consisting of amygdaloid basic -to-in,teriiiediatelavas in thick, nearly flat-lying beds. An ultrabasie

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