Live from Antarctica: Friday 5th December

Whereas last year they faced 10-meter high ice cliffs, this year the winds have shaped a natural ramp. This should allow easy access to the sea ice and the ship once it gets there. News from the coastal reconnaissance team is very good: they will start their journey back today.

A last stop at the glaciologists' base camp and homeward bound it is (it's amazing how fast the station base camp, the mother of all base camps, has become home to us!).

As for those who have stayed at the station, the weather is slowly getting better and has allowed us to carry on with some of the work outside: base camp maintenance and outside building work on the additional garage space.

Everyone is slightly livelier when the sun is out shining, rather than when we have to guess its presence through the clouds and white out.