Expedition: Antartica

DR Azhar Hussin took so long to abseil down the 130m cliff-face that the South African Army and Air Force boys thought there had been a mishap. But the geologist was only taking his time; maybe lost track of it a little, even.
"It was my chance to study the rocks up close and I wasn't going to blow that away," he chuckles.
He made frequent stops along the way to photograph the surface of the rocks using his Canon A300 digital camera.
"It showed different things at different heights. Getting that close to a specimen allowed us to be conclusive in our findings."
It was Azhar's first stab at abseiling at that height, in fact, and that he chose to do so, of all places, in Antarctica, tells a lot about the man and his studies.
The Universiti Malaya associate professor actually even elected to be the first in the party to go down the cliff. "They (the Army and Air Force personnel) were arguing among themselves on who should go first. So I volunteered. It was great. The view all the way down was simply astonishing."
Azhar was one of 63 participants in the IV South African National Antarctica Expedition (SANAE). The only other Malaysian in the expedition was Amirrudin Ahmad, a fisheries lecturer with the University College of Science and Technology (Kustem). Their trip was sponsored by Akademi Sains Malaysia.
For his studies while at the icy bottom of the world, Azhar focused on the geographical links and similarities between Asia and Antarctica. Geologists have determined that the two continents were a single land mass about 150 million years ago.
In all, he and Amirrudin spent 42 days in Antarctica - from December 28, 2003 to February 7, 2004 - easily establishing a record for the longest stay by Malaysians on the icy continent.
During the time, Azhar got to accomplish quite a lot, with the weather being reasonably cooperative. The SANAE research station is located at Queen Maud Land, not quite the most touristy part of the continent. The six-year-old, very modern station can accommodate about 120 people, with indoor temperature maintained at a pleasant 18 degrees Celsius compared to -20 degrees Celsius outside.
Apart from abseiling, participants were given quick instructions on snowboarding, skiing and tobogganing. These were conducted in the hangar at the base camp until weather conditions allowed the activities to be taken outside. Hiking and crevassing were also organised.
Azhar was determined from the outset that nothing would stop him from carrying out his studies. So he also took lessons on operating the Skidoo, a motorised toboggan.
"Riding a bike is easy, but operating the Skidoo and on different terrain from area to area is another thing altogether. Still, I needed to use it to do the field work."
The Skidoo is fast and versatile but the rider is exposed to the elements. A crosswind of just 15 knots will push the temperature below –40 degrees Celsius.
"It's bitingly cold, the side of the face to the wind is numbed and can quickly get frost-bitten. You also lose vision even with the snow visor on."
Azhar was aware of the importance of being physically fit for the expedition, and had prepared for it. But only when he took his first walk outside the base camp did he realise how physically challenging it would be.
"I started with morning walks of up to just 1.5km, rest and then head back to camp. I gradually increased the distance to 15km and took on the undulating terrain little by little, under various weather conditions, with short rests in between."
At the research station, recreational activities include table tennis and pool or snooker in the games room. There are also two television lounges with a video library of some 500 titles, most of which are movies of the 1980s and 1990s.
"There is a 16mm projector as well, which screens movies from the 1940s to the 1960s, and whenever these movies are screened, popcorns are made available like in the old theatres. Quaint and fun," he says.
In the field, Azhar and his field operator Rick Lewis have only their RM25,000 tent for shelter. It can withstand cold of up to -70 degrees Celsius and winds up to 110 knots. It takes an hour to pitch it.
Wherever they set up tent, Azhar and Lewis have to be within radio communication with SANAE, as required by search and rescue procedures. "We have to report on the radio at least twice a day, at 8am and 8pm. As long as any team is away from the base camp, the air force is on standby for SAR operation."
On such forays, he wakes up at 4.30am for breakfast (there is no night in the Austral summer) and starts travelling at 5am. He returns only when fuel is low or when it's time to report to the base camp on radio.
One thing that Azhar hates is being cooped up at the base camp or in a tent when a snowstorm hits. "That's the most boring time. We cannot go out. Visibility is bad. You have to keep yourself occupied. Out in the field, temperatures were about -25 degrees Celsius and we had winds of 60 knots."
Food was not a problem as the base camp had a good chef. And before leaving Cape Town, Lewis had bought some Asian food for Azhar and Amir too.Azhar turned chef twice at the research station, cooking dinner comprising chicken curry with rice, beef in soya sauce, satay and sambal kacang. On each occasion, after dinner he made presentations - the first on Malaysian islands, and the other his findings in Antarctica.
"I'm used to cooking for myself," says the 50-year-old adventurer-academic, "so whipping up the dishes was not a problem."
The expedition team brought enough supplies of fresh meat and vegetables for themselves and the station's take-over and "year" teams. There is also enough canned food to last for two years, provided the stock is managed properly with the items being consumed in order of shelf-life.
Or they could dig up areas at former campsites where chances are they would find food supplies that were left behind.
"When we set up our tent at a site used by previous scientists, Lewis found meat dated as far back as 1948-49 and he ate it. It was still good. Antarctica is one giant refrigerator. Fresh produce does not have a shelf-life there."
Participants on the expedition are also given duties to ensure smooth operation of the research station. A skivvy duty means participants, in a group of six, will have to undertake menial duties such as cleaning the corridors, toilets, and doing the laundry... once in six days.
And there is the "smelly" duty, which is not what one might think it is, but only means melting snow and ice into water.
A group of six would shovel snow and ice into the "smelter", located 50 metres from the main research station building.
"Filling up the smelter takes 20-30 minutes. Three different groups are on duty daily to ensure that there is sufficient water supply for everybody. Each participant is on smelly duty every second day," Azhar says.
On the supply ship SA Agulhas, when approaching the continent, Azhar and Amir had to go through an initiation ritual as new passengers and crew.
Together with a number of other team members, they were lined up bare-chested on the helideck and made to lie flat on their backs in presenting themselves to "King Neptune", the ship's captain. Various "charges" are read out, with Azhar being found guilty of stowing away on the ship. His sentence was five dips in Antarctic waters.
"Six men, three on each side, lifted me high and dipped me into a large tub of freezing sea water. Then I was covered with eggs and flour!"
Azhar recalls that fortunately the sun was out that day, but still the water temperature was 0 degrees Celsius and the air a couple degrees higher.
Amir was charged with illegal fishing and received similar treatment. "All in all, it was the best fun we had on the ship and the evening was spent having a braai (barbecue)."
And a birthday party Antarctica-style?
A snowbath! A bath tub-like hole is dug in the snow and at midnight, the birthday boy strips to his underwear and lie himself down in the hole while others heap snow on him.
"Once he is buried, they pop a bottle of wine and offer the birthday boy a drink. He downs that to keep warm, and then is pulled up, and everybody goes back indoors for the party proper."
In Antartica, you are basically only allowed to leave footprints. Waste, even human waste, is taken back to the ship. "There is an environmental officer on each expedition and his job is to make sure that such procedures are observed. They are very particular about this (environment)."
And the first thing he did when he arrived back in Cape Town? "Look for a bank. That's civilisation for you."
Depending on funding, Azhar is planning to go back to the continent in December. The South African authorities have indicated interest in undertaking joint research with Malaysia on the new area that Azhar had charted.