Task Of Hillary's Party In Antarctic

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28130, 20 November 1956, Page 11

Task Of Hillary's Party In Antarctic

[By

Dr. V. E. FUCHS.

Leader of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition]

The first stage of the Commonwealth expedition plans was put into operation last year, when the advance party was established at Shackleton in the Weddell Sea. The second stage, which begins in January next year, is to build up Shackleton base to full strength in men, vehicles, aircraft, and material. At the same time Sir Emund Hillary will establish Scott Base on the far side of the continent. It is essential to emphasise that in any exploration, times and methods have to be modified. We do not know much about the obstacles ahead of us, and flexibility of approach, though not of aim, must be accepted. First in time came the departure of the expedition’s vessel m.v. I lagga Dan (2200 tons) from London on November 15. The ship and crew are Danish, the captain and crew are experienced in ice. the ship is a new vessel, and is the latest of a series of ice-strengthened ships built by Lauritzen Lines. On board the ship we shall have not only the members of the TransAntarctic Expedition, but also men and material for the Royal Society (International Geophysical Year) Expedition Base at Halley Bay, subject to ice conditions we intend to unload first at Halley Bay, and then to continue 225 miles further south to Shackleton, which we hope to reach about the middle of January. During the period of unloading at Halley Bay we intend to construct the de Havilland Otter aircraft and f o fly it down to Shackleton. This will enable us to reconnoitre the intervening ice, make early contact with the ‘eight men at Shackleton, and start immediately with the inland reconnaissance from Shackleton. By the time the ship reaches Shackleton the party now there is expected to have found a way through the heavily crevassed zone known to lie 40 miles south of the ’ ase. They may even have been able to reconnoitre the second obstacle, .vhich we discovered from the air last year This is a wall of mountains about 100 miles from the base and up to 5000 ft to 6000 ft high, which extends across the path the expedition must take on its way to the Pole.

A flight by the Americans last year confirmed the further extension of these mountains to the south and west of the area we observed. It will probably be advisable for us to travel eastwards from Shackleton at first, as it seems more likely that the mountains can be by-passed in that area. To determine the situation will be the first task of our early flights. Task of Unloading With the arrival of the ship at Shackleton all hands will be engaged in unloading and transporting material to the base. As soon as this and the early reconnaissance flights have been completed the first vehicle convoy will set off inland to establish the main inland depot approximately 300 miles south of the base. This will be known as Depot 300. The depot will be occupied throughout the winter by three men, who will make glaciological and meteorological studies. This occupation has the added advantage that the depot cannot be lost beneath the drifting snow. The accommodation will consist of a specially designed prefabricated aluminium and plywood hut 16ft square. Much of the fuel, stores, other material, and perhaps even the hut itself, will be flown in by the Otter aircraft It must, however, be remembered that the ground route has to be established first or the site selected from the air 1 might prove to be inaccessible on the ground. Depot 300 must be completed and occupied by April at the latest, for in those latitudes the sun disappears for four months at the end of that month and the weather continues to deteriorate from the end of February onwards. With the completion of the depot operation, travelling will cease and winter preparations and activities begin. Hillary’s Party Sir Edmund Hillary’s p>arty, which leaves Wellington in mid-December this year, is expected to establish Scott Base on a moraine area at the foot of the Ferrar glacier during January. While he will be able to do air reconnaissance at that time with his Auster and Beaver aircraft, it is unlikely that he will have time to make ground journeys, except, perhaps, for a preliminary depot laying run up the Ferrar glacier. After a winter spent consolidating the base, he will be in a position to begin field operations in October or November, 1957. His first obstacle is the lower wind-swept reaches of the Ferrar glacier, which has no snow cover in summer. This makes for difficult travel whether by dog sledge or tracked vehicle. Near the head of the Ferrar glacier *is a crevassed area which is passable for men .and dogs, but a route for tractors may be difficult to find. It is for this reason that his party are prepared to use dogs in the main, although they will have five small tractors and two Weasels. Once up on to the top of the continental ice sheet he will travel'southward on the west side of the Victoria Land Mountains, which were mapped from the west by the Scott and Shackleton expeditions of the past. While mapping and geology will ultimately be done, his first object is to establish a large advance depot about 300 miles from Scott Base. This will contain food and fuel for the trans-continental party, together with the requirements for his surface and air operations. The main build-up of the depot, once the ground party have established the site, will be carried out by air. Hillary’s chief problem in regard to the depot site lies in the unknown southern and western extension of the mountains which will have to be by- I

passed by the trans-continental party. Preliminary air reconnaissance will therefore be very important. The crossing party from Shackleton is expected to set out early in November, 1957, and passing through Depot 300, should be in the vicinity of the Pole about. Christmas time. The Otter aircraft may be able to support us with fuel supplies up to 200 miles beyond the depot, or to within 30'J miles of the Pole. The aircraft will then be called forward and will either join the ground party temporarily or fly direct from Depot 3UU to Scott Base. During the coui’ot of that flight, it may be possible for us to receive wireless information concerning the terrain ahead. In any event, Hillary’s party will then have both the Beaver and the Otter. This will make it possible to support the polar party from the lai side of the continent after they have arrived within 300 miles of Hillary’s main depot. This should not be necessary, but in that case the aircraft could assist Hillary’s party in coming further to meet us. Although it is looking far ahead, we may expect that the transcontinental party and the supporting party from Scott Base will meet during the last week in January, 1958 The joint group will then head foi Scott Base over a known route and should arrive at the coast in midFebruary. This is the general plan and we shall do our best to stick to it. We expect it to be varied -in many ways, but we also expect the ultimate object to be achieved. (Concluded) (World Copyright Reserved)