Exercise

It’s a pretty simple thing and something that we all take for granted, the ability to exercise wherever and whenever we like.  Here in Antarctica exercise ranges from working out in our little gym, doing yoga in the cinema, walking to station limits, riding bikes, running the track and hiking over a weekend.  We even had a summer swim…yep that’s right a summer swim.

The gym is reasonably well equipped and there are people there from early in the morning through to late at night.  I have found the sweet spot of training during lunch with a couple of others a few times a week.  It achieves multiple goals – we get the gym to ourselves as everyone respects ‘powerpuff girls’ hour and we skip lunch.  The ‘A’ factor is that you leave your sneakers at the gym and walk over there is a puffer jacket, snow boots and a beanie only to strip down to leggings and tank top as the gym itself is actually the hottest room on station.  Possibly because the gym has an indoor spa and a small sauna which are both exceptionally popular.  

I’m also a part of the Yoga crew that gather a few mornings a week to do Jessica’s video, a lovely 33 min sequence that ends in my favourite move shavasana (laying on your back relaxing).

While I always feel great afterwards some days I genuinely think I have too many bones as my body just doesn’t move in that way and no amount of practice will get my head on the floor while sitting cross legged.  My favourite line from Jessica is ‘soft in the face’ as she clearly knows I am holding my breath at that exact moment.  

A popular place for an evening walk is Marchants landing.  It’s only around 2km’s, is flat and if you’re lucky you will catch some penguins and at this time of year some seals.   I have decided to walk Marchants every day in February as a little challenge and I have to say I’m loving it so far.   This is within what’s called station limits but as you wouldn’t be able to get to an emergency muster should an alarm go off you need to ‘turn your tag’ and take a radio.   

So just to explain we have a muster board and we all have tags with our names on them so should an alarm go off we all muster in one location to ensure everyone is accounted for.  One side is red to show when you are ‘off station’ and you have to write where you are going and when you will be back.  When you are on station your tag is white or brass,  mine is brass thanks to my secret santa.  Essentially we live in a fish bowl and everyone knows where everyone else is.  More often than not it is comforting but occasionally it can be suffocating and that’s when a more adventurous outing is required.

The step up from Marchants or ‘station limits’ is Dingle Road.  It goes for around 7 kms and is officially off-station so it requires approval from the Station Leader – me.  Same rules, turn tags and take a radio.  Dingle road is super popular for running and riding bikes.  We recently did an inter-station 10km challenge in remembrance of some pilots that lost their lives flying in Antarctica some years ago.  It was such a great day and 44 out of 45 of us completed the 10kms, many of us down Dingle road.  

The next level is truly going off station on a recreational trip and I just came back from one of these.  Again you need Station Leader approval and if its overnight needs to be a written submission that is also considered by the Field Training officer from a safety perspective.  There are 4 huts in the Vestfold Hills and a number of melons and apples yep these weird but very practical little sanctuaries from the weather in the shape of fruit.  The huts are very simple and are a minimum of 10kms walk from station so you need to take your full pack of survival gear which is around a 10 kilo backpack complete with warm clothes, sleeping bag, ice axe, throw bag, she-wee, wee bottle and wag bag for the number 2’s amongst other things.  

This type of trip is next level as you take multiple items so you can navigate and be tracked in an emergency as well as scheduled calls on the radio to check in with station on where you are, weather, and intentions for the next day.   Its not onerous but it does make you realise we really are living in the middle of nowhere and that having contact and a plan for search and rescue is pretty critical.  For now we are lucky to have helicopters but when they leave in a few weeks its us, our feet and a stretcher should anyone be injured and can’t walk.