The third Indian expedition to Antarctica was to depart on December 3, 1983, from Vasco in Goa on the Finnpolaris. We were scheduled to arrive on the continent four weeks later. The entire trip was planned to last for about four months – two months at sea and about two months on the continent. I was very excited to see the big ship, which had been rented from Finland. Ma and Didi accompanied me to Goa. They came on board to have a look at the cabin that Aditi and I would share on the ship. It was on the top deck and Ma was satisfied because it was spacious. However, she also looked a bit nervous. Despite being accustomed to my mountaineering and fieldwork expeditions, she worried that Antarctica was a completely unknown territory. I hugged her and told her not to worry, and that everything would be fine.
A ceremony was organised by the Goan government before departure. Journalists and TV crew members came on board for interviews, and an army band played “Saare jahan se accha”. Soon, it was time for departure. I said my goodbyes to my mother and sister.
The ship was flagged off at 6 pm. From the deck of the ship, I waved back at Ma and Didi until they were out of sight. The lights of the port soon faded away. I stayed on the deck, watching the western sky changing colour from red to purple and orange. Slowly, night crept in and a canopy of stars emerged above. I sat there silently, feeling the rhythmic pitching movements of the ship over the dark waters of the Arabian Sea. My Antarctic journey had begun!
That night I was too excited to sleep, but eventually, the rocking motion of the ship lulled me and helped me nod off. When I woke up the next morning, it took me some time to remember where I was. It also took us a few days to get to know each other. The leader, Dr Harsh Gupta, was a geophysicist working as the director of the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Trivandrum. The deputy leader was Lt Col SS Sharma, an army engineer engaged in ice studies. He had joined the expedition as a glaciologist and would remain in Antarctica as the leader of the wintering team. Apart from me, there were two other geologists: Dr Madan Lal from the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and RK Singh from GSI. There were three marine scientists, including Aditi Pant, the only other woman in the expedition. The group also included meteorologists, a marine biologist, communication experts, an upper-atmosphere scientist and a professor of chemistry. In addition, we had a team of three doctors, including a surgeon. In a matter of weeks, I became close friends with RK Singh, Laxman Rathore, a meteorologist, and Ashok Hanjura, a scientist studying the upper atmosphere.
The largest group was from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The young team was led by Major Pavan Nair, who had also been on the previous Indian expedition to Antarctica. This group was an enthusiastic and energetic lot with members from all over India. The Air Force and Navy groups were smaller. The former team had three senior pilots: Wing Commanders Tandon, Madhok and Natarajan. The fourth pilot was young Ajith Kumar. Also on the team were flight engineers VK Khanna and SM Rai. I had already met Natarajan, who had trained with my group at Sonmarg. I got to know the Air Force team well during the voyage and was entertained by their stories and anecdotes. The naval group was a bit quieter. They were led by Commander VP Sathiamoorthy and had four pilots who usually kept to themselves.
The ship had a Finnish crew led by Captain Kulju Lasse. I was pleased to see four women among the twenty crew members. One was a technician, while the other women were catering and cleaning assistants. They were not very conversant in English.
Dr Gupta formed several committees for the smooth functioning of the expedition. I was on the scientific committee, which had to chalk out the scientists’ plans and requirements, and then present them for suggestions from the other teams. Everyone had to attend lectures on safety and learn what to do in various types of emergencies. We were taught how to get in and out of helicopters; where to assemble to get into boats; and how to fasten oneself to be winched up by a helicopter, among several other drills.
To protect ourselves in the Antarctic cold, we needed several layers of special clothing. After a few days, everyone received thermal overalls or dungarees, windproof pants and jackets, feather jackets, and knee-high snowshoes. However, I found the items we were given too large and uncomfortable. I was carrying my own warm clothing and shoes that I had used during my fieldwork in the mountains of Sweden and Norway, so I thought I could manage with my own gear.
My favourite place on the ship was the bridge. Whenever I had time, I would go up to the bridge to chat with the crew. The ship usually ran on autopilot, except when entering ports or in bad weather, so the officers would only need to keep a watch on the instruments. Therefore, they were always available for a chat and would offer me a cup of coffee when I visited.
Bridge duty was shared by three officers – Chief Officer Malmi, Second Officer Markku and Third Officer Heiki. Malmi and Heiki could speak English well. The former was an elderly man who was very affectionate towards me. On good weather days, the ship cruised at a speed of 15 nautical miles per hour. That meant that we could cover more than 600 kilometres per day.
I asked Malmi about the difference between an ordinary ship and an icebreaker. He told me that Finnpolaris was an ice-strengthened, or ice-class, cargo ship, and not an icebreaker, which was usually smaller, heavier and much more powerful. “Both ships have hulls that are thicker and stronger than regular ships,” explained Malmi. “Their specially designed shape allows them to glide over the frozen sea and break the ice with their own weight. Ice-strengthened ships can only cut through marine ice about 1 metre thick, whereas icebreaker ships can go through much thicker sea ice.”
Malmi told me that most expeditions use ice-strengthened ships, as icebreakers need tremendous power and are much more expensive to run. They are used to open paths for regular ships through the thickly frozen sea. “Sea ice can be very dangerous and can crush an ordinary ship within fifteen minutes,” said Malmi. “Icebreakers and even ice-strengthened ships are made of thicker sheets of iron that can withstand the pressure of the surrounding frozen sea.” I couldn’t help but wonder how those early wooden ships dealt with the thick Antarctic sea ice!
I learned about many maritime superstitions during my chats on the bridge of the Finnpolaris. The crew told me that they wouldn’t start a journey on a Friday, would never whistle on board and would always put their right foot first while boarding. You should never say goodbye on a ship, they said, and also added that women were not welcome as they were supposed to bring bad luck! Most sailors had tattoos all over their bodies that they believed would protect them from the various dangers at sea.
Excerpted with permission from Breaking Rocks and Barriers: Memoirs of a Geologist and Mountaineer, Sudipta Sengupta, HarperCollins India.
