The Arrowsmith Peninsula – Winter Reconnaissance (continued)
This proved much easier than anticipated, and we traveled up the Heim and down the Antevs Glacier in to Lallemand Fjord in a single day.
The next aim, to sledge up the Bruckner Glacier from the sea-ice was prevented by open water. Retracing our steps up the Antevs Glacier, an alternate route was found into the Bruckner, and then, via the Avsyuk ‘East’ and ‘West’ Glaciers into Shumskiy Cove.
From there, our route lay along the Meier Valley to find a way into the Ward Glacier, returning to Blaiklock via the Vallot and Reid Glaciers.
Leaving Blaiklock, we had a fast run to Horseshoe, and then the next day another good run following Sledge Echo’s tracks, in manky weather as far as Camp Point, and then clearing to superb cold weather for the run to the ‘Debs’ (Debenham Islands), arriving there “by moonlight after some interesting tours around the bay”. The following day, July 21st, a fast run back to Stonington ‘in beautiful clear weather’.
Conclusion
Gwynn Davies was able to form some ideas of where geology can be carried out with little or much difficulty, in preparation for the proposed Arrowsmith program in 1971.
The journey was uneventful other than the bad weather, and the usual route-finding and crevasses on the multiple glaciers.
The glaciers were found to vary greatly for ease of travelling and some interesting routes were found and sledged. Several possibilities were also seen for ‘empty sledge’ work in the area, notably a possible short cut by a low col from the Avsyuk to the Ward glacier. The easy col into the Ward from the Meier Valley also cuts out the need for sea-ice to completely circumnavigate the Peninsula. The ‘Reid Interconnecting’ appears to be easily sledgeable when viewed from both ends, although it will need approaching from the southern (Heim) side, as the access into the Antevs appears to be an icefall.
Teams:
Gwynn Davies with the Ladies: Phoebe, Rocky, Nig, Nog, Dusty, Kayty, Maria, May and Shirl
Steve Wormald with the Admirals: Myff, Dai, Waldo, Gloin, Kovik, Hamish, Twisty, Jim, Wear
Rod Pashley with the Picts: Inca, Yuri, Morag, Kon, Pig, Sugar, Elphine, Bran and Chinook (with Mavis)
Statistics
Days in Field: 19
Days Lie-Up: 5 (20%)
Distance: 233 Miles
Steve Wormald – GA – Stonington 1970 & 1973