Whoop Whoop success: my inside story of our freezing three-day vehicle rescue!
Hey everyone, Honey here! I am finally back, thawed out, and incredibly proud to share the story of our intense three-day recovery mission to Whoop Whoop. Our elite eight-member crew—led by SMS Mick Mercer and including myself, Jason Poke (Pokey), Mike Atkinson, Matt Irving, Oliver Nash, Peter Morris, and Chris Pintus—braved brutal Antarctic conditions to rescue vital station groomers and service our winter camp. It was a massive team effort, and I want to take you behind the scenes of how we got the job done.
Setting the stage and packing the Haggs
Our journey actually started with a quick recce back on June 7 to check ice thickness, but Mother Nature had other plans for our main trip. Blistering 55-knot winds forced us to push the departure back past midwinters. Fast forward to June 24, and the team was officially in high gear doing prep work. We gathered all the required tools and items, loading them securely into the Hagglunds so we were ready for an early departure the next morning.
On June 25 we woke up to light snow showers and a freezing -25°C. At 0600, while Pokey, Mick, and Matt were out in the cold performing pre-start checks on the Haggs and hooking up the Kings sled, I was keeping centered with my morning yoga routine! We all had a quick catch-up in the Mess to ensure everyone was ready to roll. Finally, at 8:00 am, we packed into our trusty pink and purple Hagglunds and set off into heavy snow. On the way up, Mike carried out sea ice drilling to confirm the thickness of our route.
We arrived at Whoop Whoop around 1300 and split up to conquer the task. Pokey and Pete immediately rolled up their sleeves to get the generators running and the buildings warmed up. Meanwhile, Mick, Ollie, and Chris took a sled to the blue Hagg, hooked up the Herman Nelson heater to the exhaust hatch, and began warming up the powertrain tunnel. Matt got straight to work shovelling out the tracks. Our fierce leader Mick didn’t want to leave the machines, so he stayed behind with the Hermans while the rest of us returned to camp for a quick lunch. Thanks to that dedication, the blue Hagg was freed from the snow and running by 1500!
After lunch, everyone except Pokey headed down to the groomer to help shovel. Pokey stayed back at camp to service the skid steer and fit the updated auto-level harness. By 1630, daylight was fading fast, but we had removed a really good chunk of snow from the front of the first groomer. We refuelled the Haggs and called it a day, ready for Friday.
Friday’s freeze
On Friday, June 26, we faced 25-knot gusts and a biting -24°C temperature. It would have been easy to stay in bed, but we were on a mission! Mike and Mick headed straight down to the first groomer to start the Hermans, de-blizzing the rear engine hatch and clearing out the cooler fans.
The groomers were completely encrusted in thick snow, and their powertrains were entirely frozen. We crowded around the tilted cabins in the dark, running ducting from our green Herman Nelson heaters directly into the engine compartments. It took hours of patient heating and intense teamwork. By Friday afternoon, we finally heard the beautiful sound of the engines roaring back to life, and we successfully hooked both groomers to their tiller sleds. Simultaneously, Pokey and Pete finished fitting the self-levelling harness to the skid steer and carried out a 250-hour service on the gen-set.
An unforgettable traverse home
On Saturday, June 27 the thermometer dropped to -26°C. One of the groomers was struggling to start, so the team had to hook up the Hermans and a Hagg to preheat it. While it was warming up, we completed our final pack-up and checks. By 10:00 am, we were officially ready to head off. I acted as the point of contact with the station, managing the communication flow while the rest of the vehicles operated on a separate channel.
The trek home was absolutely amazing and easily the highlight of the trip for me. Mike and I were in the front vehicle, navigating and leading our massive traverse across the icy plateau. Looking back in the mirrors, it was an incredible sight to see our entire convoy lined up against the ice. Right behind us was Matt, steering the first recovered groomer. Behind him, Pokey and Chris held down the middle in their Hagglunds, followed by Mick in the second groomer, and bringing up the rear were Pete and Ollie in the final Hagglunds.
As we cut our trail back to station, the Antarctic sky put on an unforgettable show, painting the horizon in the most beautiful, vibrant colours. To top it all off, we had a spectacular, crystal-clear view of the moon guiding us across the white desert. It was pure magic. For most of us, it was a relatively warm ride, but poor Mick’s cabin heaters froze up, making the final stretch bitterly cold for him!
We rolled back into the station by 4:00 pm with our headlights blazing, where Jenny and Ash were standing outside to welcome us back. It is so good to be home—and after three days on the ice, I have never wanted a two minute shower more in my life!
Honey Jadia – 79th ANARE – Davis Communications Technical Officer
