Life Beyond the Beaker

After Girton conference week, everyone who is completing an Antarctic winter attended the winters training days in a place far away up north some near chesterfield! These training days were vital to prove to each other that we can work great as a team, also we all got to know each other alot more! Arguably the important bit of our training schedule, as when everyone leaves on the last planes and ships in late March we are the people that manage and maintain Rothera ( the antarctic base I am staying). Additionally, white outs (when the snow is so thick and the wind so strong that you can't see your hands in front of your face - the most critical thing is to decide whether to stay put or make it back to where you can definitely make sure that you're more safe). We practiced using buckets on our head which was highly amusing! We also practiced searching techniques for if someone does get lost during what could have been a simple trip to the toilet in the U...

The British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit (BASMU) who are located at Plymouth gave us an intense course of first aid to finish off the Girton conference week. BASMU can respond to any emergency whilst we are down south via email or phone, so if we get into any difficulty and need a specialist (even deep in the field) they can talk us through what needs to be done! We learnt the primary survey of a patient... A = airway B = breathing C = circulation D = disability E = exposure  We went through lots of scenarios and little tests I between lectures so that we went over every aspect of first aid that may be needed from; eyes to cuts and burns but more importantly hypothermia and frost bite! It was a great intense course and good again for team building which is either going to make or break a base when you are down south; or in fact in any situation! I have an advanced first aid course in a few weeks with BASMU so that in the field I can give painkiller...

For the past two days everyone who has recently been employed by BAS who is heading South, attended a conference at Girton College in Cambridge. It has been an intense two days with short lectures ranging from; antarctic clothing, aircraft and the ships that they use, media and communication but also team building exercises and how to communicate with your colleagues whilst in a confined space. We will be living and working in a natural laboratory for science, the largest remaining wilderness and the most protected continent on the planet!  I feel so privalliged to have the opportunity to go to the Antarctic! Now onto First Aid for the next few days!

Gee Hancock, my good friend from school helped me out a lot today! We tested out my new O'THREE drysuit (courtesy of BAS ready for my deployment) at the National Diving and Activity centre  (NDAC) In Chepstow.   We also got Gee current diving again! Then we practiced some mountaineering techniques ready for my training next week! It's important to understand what to do and how to react if you find your self in a tricky situation with a crevasse or  similar ! My official training starts this Sunday at Girton college where I will be meeting the people I will be spending the next 18 months with woop!