South Georgia Journal 2012: Summer Holiday to the Barff Peninsular

Despite the idyllic location, life on base can become a bit tiresome sometimes, and the same as any employee, the staff here (myself included) are entitled to holiday. Holidays here are slightly different to those you might take from work in the UK or elsewhere however, because there are restrictions on where you can go (although the choice is rather superb) and you must still keep in regular contact with the base during your time away. This is because the terrain here in South Georgia, although undoubtedly graceful and impressive, is also at times extremely hazardous. South Georgia is Mountainous and Glaciated with painfully steep Scree inclines, unsteady rocky cols and deep thick tussock plains interlaced with bogs and seal wallows. Extreme weather conditions occur regularly and with lightning rapidity, changing a sunny, calm morning into a gale of thick fog and katabatic winds reaching 100mph on occasions. Snow can fall on any day of the year, and the trend is generally precipitous, meaning rain can fall in vast quantities too.

In contrast to this slightly unrepresentative, dismal view of the South Georgia summer time, Sam (the base Doctor) Ali (the seal scientist) and myself spent 4 glorious, sun blessed days camping on the Barff Peninsular to spend some time with the Macaroni Penguin colony at Rookery Bay, and explore the scantily trodden hills and valleys of the Barff.

We began our mini adventure soon after a trip to the Greene Peninsular to restock the rat boxes (see the blog) when the Ribs dropped us ashore at Corale Bay. Corale is a spectacular natural cove which provides an abundant habitat for the Fur Seals with rich tussock, a fine shale beach and a fresh water stream with a plunge pool footing a beautiful waterfall, where the pups can frolick and hone their swimming skills. There is also a survival hut at Corale. The survival huts are placed strategically to provide emergency shelter and provisions to campers. Most date back to the 1970s, and many were placed in situ during the military occupations of the 70s and 80s. A visitors book at corale hut provides a fascinating and entertaining account of the many people who have used its facilities over the last 4 decades. Our entry remained in keeping with the general trend of humerous prose, giving warning of the steepness of "bastard hill" and the propensity of the tussock badgers to bite unsuspecting ankles....

The hike from Corale bay to Rookery is about 6KM, but is arduous with steep inclines. It would be easy if it wernt for the back packs which hold all the requisit equipment. In my case, this gear resulted in a pack weight of 29KGs. This includes bivvy bags, cooking utensils, pots pans, clothing, waterproofs, stoves, fuel, a book, camera, lenses, tripod, pack of cards, and the list goes on. We found the best way to traverse the route was to follow the reindeer tracks. The reindeer are nomadic herd animals and have spend decades roaming the hills since they were introduced by Whalers in the early 20th century. When you walk in their footsteps it becomes clear that not only do they know where to go, but they definately know the easiest way of getting there. Following their tracks up steep scree will provide you with a zig zagged pathway which avoids the steepest parts and the most uneven terrain.

We made the trek in a little under 4 hours and set up camp by a small cave on the main route for the Gentoo Penguins travelling back and forth between the beach and the hilltop colony. Those guys provide endless entertainment as they chase each other down the steep hill, sometimes falling over themselves and tumbling, wings a-flap down the grassy slope.

The Macaroni colony was a 40 minute walk from camp and is an impressive (and pungently scented) sight with perhaps 1000 macs' living amongst the tussock and on vast rock platforms on the shore. It was a fabulous opportunity to sit amongst them and take some action shots as they launch and recover from comparatively huge breaking seas. We sat and watched group after group make their approach to the treacherous rock faces, struggling to stay on target in the foaming swells. Once their feet hit the rock its a desperate rush to run and hop clear of the tempestuous ocean behind them. Some are unlucky and get side swiped by the next breaking sea, and are sent tumbling helplessly back into the ocean to try again. Once they do make it clear of the surf line, its business as usual and they go about preening and generally doing what penguins do (which isnt alot).

Here are some photographs of the trip. See the full album at http://picasaweb.google.com/mailmemek