0:00:11 > 0:00:13I keep having these vivid dreams at the moment...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19..about the ice shelf breaking up,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22falling in crevasses and things like that.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30I remember I dreamt the other week
0:00:30 > 0:00:31that the pack ice was going out to sea
0:00:31 > 0:00:33and there was water
0:00:33 > 0:00:36and I was just on my own floating away and things like that.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43So I call this place home, in a weird way.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50I feel comfortable when I'm here.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11This is Halley VI in Antarctica,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15one of the most remote scientific research stations on the planet.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17In October 2016,
0:01:17 > 0:01:22the British Antarctic Survey invited me to document a world first -
0:01:22 > 0:01:26their attempt to relocate the entire station
0:01:26 > 0:01:2823km across a floating ice shelf
0:01:28 > 0:01:32because it's at risk from a huge nearby crevasse.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Just getting to Halley was no simple task.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I joined some of the other team members
0:01:45 > 0:01:47on the nearly 9,000 mile journey,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49which took an entire week,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52involving this enormous Russian cargo plane
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and days of severe weather delays.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02My name is Natalie Hewit and, as a film-maker,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I've travelled to some of the most remote parts of the world...
0:02:07 > 0:02:09..but none of that had prepared me
0:02:09 > 0:02:11for my arrival on the white continent.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19As we soared towards the endless ice,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I began to wonder what on earth I'd got myself into.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I had no film crew,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28no backup team,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30no way to escape -
0:02:30 > 0:02:32just me and my camera.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56I was planning to spend three months
0:02:56 > 0:02:59living and filming amongst the team
0:02:59 > 0:03:02who had been tasked with moving Halley
0:03:02 > 0:03:03and as we arrived,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I wondered how this tiny community at the end of the world
0:03:06 > 0:03:09would respond to being filmed by an outsider like me.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Halley VI is made up of eight interconnecting modules.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23As well as science labs,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27it contains living accommodation for up to 32 people,
0:03:27 > 0:03:33a doctor's surgery, a canteen and even a gym.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Everything you need to keep humans alive
0:03:35 > 0:03:38in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44It turned out that this was going to be the first time
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I'd slept in a bunk bed since I was a kid.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Scientists have lived and worked at Halley for over 60 years,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57carrying out cutting edge research
0:03:57 > 0:03:59into some of the world's most pressing problems.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It was from Halley that the hole in the ozone layer
0:04:04 > 0:04:06was discovered back in 1985.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10A breakthrough that led to sweeping changes
0:04:10 > 0:04:12in world environmental policy.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But all of this needs to move
0:04:19 > 0:04:23because Halley sits on an ice shelf which is threatening to break up,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27potentially casting the station adrift on an iceberg.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Piece by piece, almost 1,000 tonnes must be taken apart
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and towed 23km across the ice...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48..and the team have just three months during the southern summer
0:04:48 > 0:04:51to complete the project, before the 24-hour darkness
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and brutal storms of the Antarctic winter return.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02We were some of the last to arrive at Halley
0:05:02 > 0:05:04for the Antarctic summer season,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06a short window in the year
0:05:06 > 0:05:08where the sun doesn't set for over 100 days
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and temperatures briefly rise
0:05:10 > 0:05:14from the winter lows of minus 50 Centigrade.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16By the time we got there,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20work on decommissioning the station was already underway.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- Hi, Natalie.- Hello.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Get on, Bob!
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- Are you staying outside?- Er, yeah.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33When I first arrived,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I was surprised to find that
0:05:35 > 0:05:37out of the 90 people on station this season,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39only four were scientists
0:05:39 > 0:05:42because, actually, most of the team,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45like mechanical facilities engineer Tom Clements,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48come south to help keep the station running.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Come in, come in.- How did you get put in charge of this?
0:05:51 > 0:05:56Well, I spent 18 months down here, wintered, absolutely loved it,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59you know. Ready for the real world again
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and then they offered me a position
0:06:01 > 0:06:04managing the mechanical side of the Halley relocation project
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and you'd be a fool to turn that down, I think, you know?
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I love the place, I know it inside out,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I know all the systems like the back of my hand
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and it's exciting and I enjoy it.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16I enjoy it, I love it. I do love it here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20It doesn't feel like a job to me at the minute, it's just...
0:06:20 > 0:06:21It's life.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Halley sits on the Brunt Ice Shelf,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40a huge slab of ice up to 250 metres thick
0:06:40 > 0:06:44that is slowly flowing off the Antarctic continent onto the sea
0:06:44 > 0:06:47at a rate of 400 metres per year.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Cracks naturally appear in the ice during this process.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56The reason Halley needs to move lies just 6km away -
0:06:56 > 0:06:58a huge crevasse known as Chasm 1.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Using radar and a network of GPS stations,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06glaciologist Jan De Rydt monitors
0:07:06 > 0:07:09exactly how quickly Chasm 1 is growing.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10The crevasse is actually there,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13but there is a little layer of snow
0:07:13 > 0:07:17at the surface that covers it up, basically.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Today, Jan is taking a closer look at the crack near the very tip.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Oh, what the hell?!
0:07:24 > 0:07:27No way. Look at this!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It's huge! Jesus!
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Do you remember we drove over it?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33That was not too far from here.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34Impressive. It's beautiful.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Are you going to film it as you approach?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Yeah. Is that OK? - Yeah, it's absolutely fine.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Clip that onto you.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Nat, if you want to come in the middle of us...
0:07:45 > 0:07:47That will be trouble!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52OK. Just keep coming a little bit further
0:07:52 > 0:07:54and you've got a big step then.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55You got it?
0:07:59 > 0:08:00CHUCKLING
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- Cool, isn't it? - What are you thinking, Jan?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- It's big.- Yeah?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It's big, it's big.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It's much wider than I thought it would be.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Just from the surface, it's not obvious at all.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Like, if you see the surface there,
0:08:15 > 0:08:16there's no sign of it
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and then you poke around and you find this.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's enormous. Knowing that this is 25km long...
0:08:24 > 0:08:26..that's incredible.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33At its widest, the chasm measures over 2km across
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and as it continues to grow, it will eventually cut Halley off
0:08:37 > 0:08:41from the rest of the continent and leave it stranded on an iceberg.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44So it is widening
0:08:44 > 0:08:46quite rapidly.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51It's widening about ten centimetres per day, which is that much.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57That's a lot.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Is that quite fast?
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Yeah, that's serious. Yeah.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08That was brilliant.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12That was actually quite beautiful to see.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17We all have a certain affection for this chasm.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20We look at it every month.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Mixed feelings, Jan. - Yeah, it's so close to home.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29With Halley's current site, otherwise known as Site VI,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31at risk of being cut-off by the chasm,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34a new location for the station has been chosen on the other side of it.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Lying 23km away across the ice,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Halley's new home has, perhaps unsurprisingly,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43been titled Site VI A.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50'Before the station can be taken apart,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53'the first task is to build temporary accommodation
0:09:53 > 0:09:57'so that we have somewhere to live whilst the move is underway.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00'Farmer, as he's known to his friends,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'has just arrived as part of the plumbing team.'
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- So, Farmer...- Yes?
0:10:05 > 0:10:07..tell me, what has your first day at work been like?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11It's a bit cold, but when you're working, you're warm.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12Yeah.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- You've been complaining about the cold all day.- No, I have not.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18You have, so you haven't done any work.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Is that true, Neil?- It's 100% true.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23You only said you'd got a little bit warm
0:10:23 > 0:10:25about half an hour ago when the heating went on.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28So, Neil, this has been Farmer's first day at work?
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Yeah. You can tell. He's done ... all, all day.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33FARMER LAUGHS
0:10:33 > 0:10:36He's forgotten how to work, he's been on holidays for that long.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38'Like me, for many of the team
0:10:38 > 0:10:40'this is their first visit to Antarctica
0:10:40 > 0:10:45'and, for some, the isolation can take a bit of getting used to.'
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- I miss Tinder. - And how long have you been here?
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Er, a week.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52So no more Tinder for 13 weeks?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55No Tinder for 13 weeks, yeah, until I get to South America.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- And then what's going to happen? - I'm going to go mental.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Once complete, our new home consists of
0:11:12 > 0:11:16nothing more than shipping containers, some plywood
0:11:16 > 0:11:17and a collection of tents...
0:11:20 > 0:11:23..and it's up to station support assistant Sam Shreeves
0:11:23 > 0:11:25to help us settle in.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28So we've just got to make sure everything is clean, ready,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30set out nicely
0:11:30 > 0:11:33so they come in and everyone feels at home, you know?
0:11:33 > 0:11:34That's what we do.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37We're the homemakers... slash legends.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Do you think it's an important job?
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44You know, we're the cogs in the big machine.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46We're not the shiny outer plating.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We're not the thing people see and they go,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52"Oh, wow, that's a Lamborghini." We're the small nuts inside.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54If they took it out, it would all fall apart.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57What made you want to come
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and sort of do washing up and clean toilets?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02HE LAUGHS
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Thank you for describing my job
0:12:04 > 0:12:06in such brutally clear terms.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Um, I don't know.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10I mean, I sort of wanted to come to the Antarctic.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Yeah, thought I could do it.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Tell a few jokes, wash a few plates, keep everything tidy,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17occasionally drive a Ski-Doo. That's what we do.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Right. Welcome to the kitchen.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25The first job is to...
0:12:25 > 0:12:28turn everything on to get a little bit of warmth in the place.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Olivier Hubert is one of the four chefs who cook five meals a day
0:12:32 > 0:12:34for the 90 people on station.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I've been cooking all my life.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43I left school at 16, went to catering college.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Then I went to work in a Michelin star restaurant.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Michelin star cooking is all very well,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55but it takes its toll after a while,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and also I just lost interest
0:12:57 > 0:13:00in spending hours doing fiddly little things on a plate.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Also, four children happened,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09which made it, you know,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12a bit more difficult to manage the hours.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14How are they doing with you being away?
0:13:14 > 0:13:16I think they're doing all right.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Lindsey, who is my 15-year-old daughter,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21my youngest daughter, I don't think she misses me at all.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24She'd just rather be there instead of me.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Finlay might miss me a bit more, but he's a boy.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32They're more clingy, they're more needy.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Also, I'm usually the one who takes him to play football...
0:13:39 > 0:13:42..and I think he enjoys having Daddy watching him,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44shouting all sorts of advice. I know nothing about football.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49But I shout a lot by the side.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Like, "Great football."
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I've learned that's a fairly safe thing to say.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Whatever happens, "Great football, Finnie." That works.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Before Halley can be moved,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07it must first be emptied of all its residents and services.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Then, the modules will be disconnected
0:14:09 > 0:14:11and separated from each other,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13before they are towed one by one to the new site.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18So...
0:14:18 > 0:14:20where's this going?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- That's the new phone cable.- OK.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25SHE CONTINUES SPEAKING
0:14:25 > 0:14:27For scientists like Carolyn Graves,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29it's crucial that her research can continue uninterrupted
0:14:29 > 0:14:31throughout the move,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34so all of the scientific equipment must be relocated
0:14:34 > 0:14:39out of the station and into temporary accommodation.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42We're moving the Dobson which we use to measure the concentration
0:14:42 > 0:14:44of ozone in the stratosphere.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46'It was measurements taken with the Dobson
0:14:46 > 0:14:49'that led to the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer
0:14:49 > 0:14:51'here at Halley in 1985...'
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It is probably the most iconic piece of science on the station.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57'..a breakthrough that was only possible
0:14:57 > 0:14:59'because of the decades of unbroken data
0:14:59 > 0:15:01'that had already been collected.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Is it quite stressful having to move?
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Stressful for Kev, because he's coordinating the science move.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10It's stressful for me because
0:15:10 > 0:15:14I'm supposed to keep working with it all winter and all next summer,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16so I want to be able to take measurements.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21After the effort of moving it once,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25this will all have to happen again in a few weeks' time
0:15:25 > 0:15:27to reinstall it at the new site.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33I grew up at military school,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35so I've made a hell of a lot of bunk beds.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37What was military school like?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Oh, you know, pretty fun in a sort of brutal way.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Marching to every meal, you know, church every day.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47You know? March, march, march,
0:15:47 > 0:15:48"Love Jesus" and all that fun stuff.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53It was all right, played a lot of sport, you know?
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Packed off when you're 11, it's... Yeah.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Do you think that's where you got your sense of humour?
0:16:00 > 0:16:01HE LAUGHS
0:16:01 > 0:16:04No, I think it's from my quite strange dad.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07He's in the military, very professional at work.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Quite odd at home.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16A couple of Christmases ago, we got him a Basil Brush hand puppet
0:16:16 > 0:16:18and he, for a while,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22would greet friends and talk to us basically only as Basil.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So he would run out, grab Basil Brush,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29come in and we'd have to basically chat to Baz, as he called him.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Is it strange sharing bunk beds with sort of grown men now?
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Probably if you're going to choose one thing
0:16:34 > 0:16:38that people might struggle with the most, it may well be that.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41The sort of... The fact you've got
0:16:41 > 0:16:43basically no personal space down here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44And even if you mentally prepare,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47if you've never actually lived in that environment
0:16:47 > 0:16:49or grown up with it, it must be a bit tricky.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Right, there is one bed successfully made.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It's a bit of a fantasy world where,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03because you're so far away from anything...
0:17:04 > 0:17:08..there's not much you can do about whatever's going on at home.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Erm, so it's quite liberating in a way.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24That's expert packing.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Next to move are the communications team.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Central to life at Halley,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31they keep track of every person and vehicle
0:17:31 > 0:17:35to make sure that we are all safe and accounted for.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Yes, we're moving all of our day-to-day radio ops over there
0:17:38 > 0:17:41so that we can start decommissioning the office
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and the modules as a whole.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46'They're also in charge of keeping Halley connected
0:17:46 > 0:17:47'to the outside world.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'Every bit of information going in or out of the station
0:17:50 > 0:17:52'passes through their control centre.'
0:17:52 > 0:17:54So, can you spy on people from here then?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Well, you can see
0:17:57 > 0:17:59the IP address that they're looking at.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02You can't see the website that they're looking at,
0:18:02 > 0:18:03or anything that they're typing,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06but you can see how much data they're using
0:18:06 > 0:18:08and potentially what website
0:18:08 > 0:18:10or group of websites they're looking at.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13So, Facebook's pretty obvious.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So we need to keep an eye on the uploads, the downloads
0:18:16 > 0:18:20so that there's always bandwidth available for science,
0:18:20 > 0:18:21especially the Met data.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25We have to upload that at a certain time every day -
0:18:25 > 0:18:27five, six times a day, depending -
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and the whole world gets to use that immediately.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33So, if Facebook is blocking it
0:18:33 > 0:18:38then that doesn't go down well with the world, yeah.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39And you're wintering, aren't you?
0:18:39 > 0:18:46- I am.- So are you quite keen to see the move go successfully?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Yeah, yeah, because obviously if it doesn't, then, you know,
0:18:49 > 0:18:54I might be living in a tin box for the winter
0:18:54 > 0:18:57or maybe not even that, depending on how it goes.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59But, you know, we're looking good.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04As all of the people, scientific equipment and services
0:19:04 > 0:19:06were moved out of the station,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09the mechanical team made a start on separating the modules.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Is that supposed to happen?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It's supposed to happen, this is a planned leak.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21The first of many.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23And that's our heating going off.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Oof! Jesus, that's pungent. Eh?
0:19:30 > 0:19:31THEY LAUGH
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- I can nearly taste it. - What pipe is that, Farmer?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36That is the soil pipe.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Right. From the toilets?
0:19:38 > 0:19:40- Yes.- It's not the one you want to be...
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It's not the one you want to be smelling.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- You'll have to grab this one first. - No problem, princess.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Have you got it?
0:19:48 > 0:19:50'It's definitely going to be a tough year, like,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52'because the base isn't new any more.'
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It's designed to be taken apart and put back together again,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58but with a bit of age, there'll be plenty of problems.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02They haven't towed the first module yet,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05but if it falls through the ice or something, that's worst-case
0:20:05 > 0:20:08scenario, but I don't think that's going to...
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I'm sure they've probably already allowed for that.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15After all, it's the British government,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17they can always mobilise the Navy to come and get us.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Costing over £28 million to build,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Halley VI was a radical departure from previous base designs
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and has won a whole host of architecture awards.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Built on giant skis,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37it's the first-ever Antarctic station to be designed to move.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42But this cutting edge strategy has never before been put to the test.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Basically, what we are going to do now is move this module
0:20:45 > 0:20:47about four inches that way,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50which enables us to get to all the fixings
0:20:50 > 0:20:53on this connection here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Once we've done that,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57we can then get to all the rest of the cables
0:20:57 > 0:20:58that we've not yet disconnected
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and this module, then, is good to go.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06The vehicles team have spent weeks
0:21:06 > 0:21:08creating a specially prepared roadway
0:21:08 > 0:21:11that's strong and smooth enough for the modules to be towed over.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20As the preparations drew to a close,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23it looked like the moment of truth was finally here.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27We have one more meal and then we'll be ready to go.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32CHATTER
0:21:44 > 0:21:46But, as you very quickly learn in Antarctica,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50if there's one thing you can't plan for, it's the weather.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The day that the first module was due to be towed,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57a massive storm blew in.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01With strong winds and heavy snow, work had to stop
0:22:01 > 0:22:02and it was all hands on deck
0:22:02 > 0:22:05to prevent our camp from being buried.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13The module wasn't going anywhere.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24The storm also obliterated the roadway
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and covered it with snowdrifts,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30making it impossible to tow the module safety.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34So this machine is what's called a Mobile Master.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37What it basically does is it picks up the snow
0:22:37 > 0:22:40at the front and it moves the snow from side to side,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44which, firstly, fills in any holes that are in the snow pack
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and also it then knocks the air out of the snow
0:22:47 > 0:22:51and when you take the air out of the snow, you make it a lot firmer
0:22:51 > 0:22:53so it can carry the weight of the modules
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and the machines that we're going to pull.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It's quite deep, the drifts, so it's taking a little bit of managing.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02We won't get stuck. Hopefully!
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I always say there's no point in getting stressed about the weather
0:23:07 > 0:23:10because it's one of the few things we can't control,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12so you just have to deal with what it throws at you.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Life's not easy here?- No, no,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19life has its challenges and yesterday proved that,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23you know, when we had a 24-hour blow and the snow's around your knees
0:23:23 > 0:23:25and everything's wet through
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and you have to dig the tent out, and all these sorts of things.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31But we're the only chefs, carpenters,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33managers and operators on the planet
0:23:33 > 0:23:35that are lucky enough to be able to do that.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40And that, to me, is just such an amazing opportunity.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42People don't do that any more.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Certainly not farmers from Lancashire,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47they don't get to do that,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52and it's fantastic. I get paid to do these cool things, you know?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08But, as soon as the roadway was ready to go,
0:24:08 > 0:24:09there was another delay.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16The RSS Ernest Shackleton is the lifeline of Halley
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and makes its first visit to the station
0:24:19 > 0:24:21at around Christmas time every year.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26So, this is my Christmas hat.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28This only comes on once a year, for Christmas Day.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36It has the smiley face.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- And a bell?- And a bell on the top.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Yeah, this is my Christmas Day hat.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49It takes all of the vehicle operators
0:24:49 > 0:24:51over a week of 24-hour shifts
0:24:51 > 0:24:54to unload the ship's precious cargo,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58so the tow of the first module had to be put on hold again.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04The ship delivers everything the station needs
0:25:04 > 0:25:06to run for the next 12 months.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10From fuel to toilet rolls, to a year's worth of food,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13including a whole tonne of frozen bacon.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18This year, it's docked at an area of sea ice
0:25:18 > 0:25:20that is only about two meters thick
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and is therefore much more dangerous to work on
0:25:23 > 0:25:25than the main part of the ice shelf.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30The relief site is pretty stressful to choose.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32We've got a lot of people working on the sea ice
0:25:32 > 0:25:35that are kind of relying on the decision that you make
0:25:35 > 0:25:37for them being safe.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43The worst-case scenario is you lose a vehicle with operator.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Not so worried about losing a vehicle, cos they can be replaced,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50but if you have an operator that you lose through the sea ice,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53pretty slim chances of anybody surviving that.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58There's no books written on this.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's all a feel, so the more times you come down, the more feel,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03the more confident you get.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08If you get hackles on the back of your neck to start popping up,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11then it's a good time to either get off the ice, the wind picks up.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14If something doesn't feel right, don't question yourself.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17If it doesn't feel right, get off the ice or change site.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Don't question yourself while you're stood on the ice.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Fresh goods, at last!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40I've never been so excited to see a fresh pepper in my life.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45People in the UK will be looking at that thinking,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48"Yeah, OK, it's a pepper, what's so extraordinary about it?"
0:26:48 > 0:26:52But when you haven't had any fresh fruit and veg
0:26:52 > 0:26:56for the past few months, this is gold.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Yeah, your frame of mind changes here.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05There's no money, it's a completely cashless society.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09All your needs are catered for.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14The greatest risk here is probably becoming institutionalised.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- Do you think that's possible? - Oh definitely, yes.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20In your case?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Well, I'm only here for a season,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26but for repeat offenders who come here regularly,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29it might be a real danger, yes.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Before I knew it,
0:27:30 > 0:27:35I'd been in Antarctica for a month and it was time to celebrate.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38So, today is the 25th of December 2016.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40It's Christmas Day and this is
0:27:40 > 0:27:43officially my first-ever white Christmas.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46That's why I've had to come outside and sit in what's turned out to be
0:27:46 > 0:27:49some absolutely beautiful evening weather.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I think it's probably about minus eight,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56but it's beautifully still and the sun is sort of teasing us
0:27:56 > 0:28:00by making it look like it might set any minute now.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03We've had quite a few people working today,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07quite a lot of the team are still doing ship's relief.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11And so, we've put official Christmas on hold I think,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15until later in the week when we'll get a big celebration together.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18THEY CHEER
0:28:21 > 0:28:23CHATTER
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- Merry Christmas!- Merry Christmas!
0:28:35 > 0:28:40Finally, 18 days after it was originally due to move,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43the time came for the first module to be towed.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It's a big thing for everybody. We'd like to get this moved.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And, you know, this is why we are down here.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53This is what everybody's waiting for.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57So we will get the two bulldozers at the back, and that is Bob and Phil,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00so make sure they're sat on the ridges and don't pull up,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03don't push down, just push.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Probably getting close to eight o'clock in the evening, PM.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12One heck of a lot of preparation gone into tonight's work.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19So sit in first gear, give her a bit of welly.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Just ease the throttles up while they're pushing
0:29:21 > 0:29:24and hopefully she'll roll out from where she is now.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26So, very excited.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28You can feel it here.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Everyone is sort of quietly expectant, I think.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33It's a bit like...
0:29:33 > 0:29:35waiting for a birth, somehow.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39It's that mixture of excitement and slight angst.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- Make sense?- Yeah, like crystal.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44- Happy?- Yeah.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- Don't need a toilet stop?- Yeah. - Do you need another one?
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- Yeah. - THEY LAUGH
0:29:49 > 0:29:51The biggest challenge for a move like this
0:29:51 > 0:29:52is always going to be the roadway.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55If we were pulling on tarmac with this sort of weight,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59150 tonne, on wheels - not a problem whatsoever,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03but we're pulling on material which is pretty uncertain.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07The roadway has to be hard enough to take the pressure of the ski,
0:30:07 > 0:30:08which I'm pretty sure it is,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10but this will be the proof in the pudding right now,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12in the next half an hour.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14I don't get nervous.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I get a stressed every little now and then,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19but I don't get nervous.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21Let's get going.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Ready.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28OK, Ed, Chrissie J,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30just...put a little bit of torque on the system.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39OK, guys. You want to start pushing, please.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Sweet. That's just what we wanted.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47OK, keep it going.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53OK, Ed, go up to two, please.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59OK, guys, stop pushing at the back.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10OK, swing around the corner there, Chrissie. Swing around the corner.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Yeah, keep going left, left, left.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- That's great, isn't it? - Is that good to see?
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Oh, yeah. Definitely, definitely.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25One down, seven to go.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34OK, Ed, we're going to go up to 2.5, please, bud,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36at 1,500 rpm.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39- That's brilliant.- Yeah?
0:31:39 > 0:31:41That is absolutely amazing, yeah.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43The way it moves. It was so smooth.
0:31:44 > 0:31:45So smooth.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Pretty awesome roadway here, gentlemen. She's hardly sinking.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24You want to be Dead-eye Dick now, Ed, cos I'm following you.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27I can't see anything, so you want to be straight down the line.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30You don't want to give any twitches on the skis on the module.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34I'm trying my best, but she's skewing a little bit.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Eddie...
0:32:36 > 0:32:38down to two.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Now.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Yeah.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Still at 16?
0:32:43 > 0:32:44Still at 16.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Three,
0:32:54 > 0:32:55two,
0:32:55 > 0:32:56one,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58stop.
0:33:01 > 0:33:02Good landing.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04How was it for you, Ben?
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Good. Pretty good all the way, really.
0:33:10 > 0:33:11You look very happy, Ben.
0:33:11 > 0:33:12I am happy. That was...
0:33:14 > 0:33:15..a very successful tow.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Much, much better than I thought it was going to be.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19I was always quietly confident,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21but you can never be 100% confident
0:33:21 > 0:33:24cos there are a million and one things that can go wrong -
0:33:24 > 0:33:27snap a tow rope, shackle fall out.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29You went faster than I expected.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31We went faster than I expected.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36So we were doing 5.7, maybe 6kph at one point.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38I'm a happy man.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39A very happy man.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41If they all do that, I will be an extremely happy man
0:33:41 > 0:33:43at the end of the season.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49So the team ended 2016 with the first triumph under their belt.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52ALL: Six, five, four,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55three, two, one...
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Happy New Year!
0:33:59 > 0:34:02CHEERING AND LAUGHTER
0:34:03 > 0:34:06And it wasn't long before the next module was on its way
0:34:06 > 0:34:07to the new site.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Just 26 hours into the New Year,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25the project was now ahead of schedule.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Meanwhile, back at the old site,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36the scientific measurements carried on as usual in their temporary home.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40So what are you doing today?
0:34:40 > 0:34:45I am taking the three o'clock Dobson measurement for ozone,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47so you can spin the table round to three o'clock.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50So that the instrument is pointed approximately at the sun.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Well, what makes Halley special in the first place
0:34:54 > 0:34:58is how long the record has been continuing for.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00And that it's largely uninterrupted,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02and that's what allows you to notice things like
0:35:02 > 0:35:03the hole in the ozone layer,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07because you have that long-term data set, that's stable and steady.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10And so if you miss a whole summer,
0:35:10 > 0:35:11you can't say for sure that...
0:35:13 > 0:35:15..the ozone hole has or hasn't been growing,
0:35:15 > 0:35:16just based on the other things.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21So we've got about 310 Dobson units of ozone.
0:35:23 > 0:35:24What does that mean?
0:35:24 > 0:35:28So the ozone hole is defined as less than 200 Dobson units,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32so we have 310 Dobson units,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34so basically one and a half times as much ozone
0:35:34 > 0:35:37as you would have if you had an open ozone hole.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Depending on who you believe, it's getting kind of...
0:35:42 > 0:35:44..physically smaller and shorter in duration every year
0:35:44 > 0:35:47since we've stopped producing CFCs.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51But it's still there every year...
0:35:53 > 0:35:55..which is why we wear so much sun cream at Halley.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00It's like a beach holiday, minus the beach.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10This is not like any other workplace
0:36:10 > 0:36:13in that once you have done your day's work,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16you don't go back home to your family, your friends, your house.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19You're trapped here.
0:36:22 > 0:36:28So, in a way, you sort of become some sort of extended,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30vaguely dysfunctional family.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34A hard day's work.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38- Go on, Rob!- Go on!- Go on, Rob! - Go on, Rob!- Go on!
0:36:39 > 0:36:41CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- You're not watching that. - Time is ours. Why not?
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- The Vicar of Dibley? - It's brilliant!
0:36:57 > 0:37:01In early January, as the work to move Halley progressed,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05I joined glaciologist Jan on a trip to investigate a new crevasse
0:37:05 > 0:37:07which had recently been spotted in the ice shelf.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11First noticed just over two months ago,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13it was nicknamed the Halloween Crack,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15after the inauspicious date of its discovery.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19- So, Jan...- Yeah?
0:37:19 > 0:37:21..where are we going today?
0:37:21 > 0:37:22We are going to...
0:37:24 > 0:37:29..the Halloween Crack, which is a major rift in the Brunt Ice Shelf.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And only in October,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36it's broken all the way through the surface,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39and now it's growing pretty big. It's...
0:37:39 > 0:37:42widening very rapidly.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46About 40 centimetres a day, it's getting wider
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and we just want to go and have a look at it.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Middle of October last year,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59we were going up the N9 flag line, and we came across it then.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00It was only about this wide,
0:38:00 > 0:38:01with nice straight sides.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03It was a bit of a surprise,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05cos obviously that's one of our main travel routes
0:38:05 > 0:38:07that we use to send heavy vehicles along.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09When you think it's only really three months
0:38:09 > 0:38:12since you could drive across it safely...
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Yeah, it's pretty huge now.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15I think you'd have to be quite optimistic
0:38:15 > 0:38:17to try and get a Ski-Doo across.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Today is the first time that anyone has been
0:38:23 > 0:38:27to see Halloween Crack face-to-face since it was discovered.
0:38:27 > 0:38:28But as we arrived,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32I had no idea how significant this trip would turn out to be.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37The area around the crevasse is potentially unstable,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40so, for safety reasons, we had to work roped together.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43Get myself connected to a rope,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45checking those boys are connected nicely.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51We weren't allowed to go close to the edge of Halloween Crack,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54so the only way to get a proper look was to use a drone.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01As with Chasm 1,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04it's up to Jan to keep tabs on how this crevasse might affect
0:39:04 > 0:39:06the area surrounding Halley in the future.
0:39:10 > 0:39:11In order to do this,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13he wants to set up a time-lapse camera
0:39:13 > 0:39:15to monitor how the crack is growing.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19We will take a picture every hour for the next couple of months,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and then if we play these in sequence,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25then hopefully we will be able to see the widening of the crack,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27and also the way it sort of propagates,
0:39:27 > 0:39:31but I hadn't expected it to form so rapidly, definitely not,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and I hadn't expected it to widen so quickly,
0:39:34 > 0:39:38and grow at the rate it's growing at the moment,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42so no, it is, I think it is... a surprise to a lot of us.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Yeah, yeah. They do seem to be quite excited back at Cambridge.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49It is probably understandable.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50It's quite an expensive base.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52They've obviously spent a lot of money moving in once.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55I imagine they don't want to have to spend that again.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00In total, the British Antarctic Survey HQ back in Cambridge
0:40:00 > 0:40:03will spend £11 million on the Halley move project.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08We'll come back in a month or so, and check it out.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Looks a bit vulnerable from here.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14JAN CHUCKLES
0:40:14 > 0:40:16I'm sure it'll be all right.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27People come down here, I think, to experience extremes,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29and, you know, see how far they can push themselves,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and push their bodies and their minds and all that sort of stuff
0:40:32 > 0:40:34cos it's a difficult environment down here.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36You know, if you get a paper cut
0:40:36 > 0:40:38and your finger's about to fall off, or, you know,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40you accidentally head-butt a wall,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43it's like two days before you can get anywhere, to a hospital.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44If not more, like, the minimum's two days.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Yeah, I think that's part of the excitement.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Part of the thrill, maybe,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51that you know that you are down here
0:40:51 > 0:40:54and you are basically as far away from civilisation as you can be,
0:40:54 > 0:40:55in a sense.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08With the move going smoothly,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10the mechanical teams were able to start recommissioning
0:41:10 > 0:41:12some areas of the station.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Today, we are...
0:41:15 > 0:41:18..installing the main waste line out from Halley Station.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23This is a critical bit of kit for Halley.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25We can get rid of all our waste water...
0:41:26 > 0:41:28..grey water,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30just all the waste, basically.
0:41:31 > 0:41:32Yeah. That's it.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34All of Halley's waste is separated
0:41:34 > 0:41:38before the water is treated and then sent down this pipe,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40and into a cavity in the ice shelf.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Once this is done, you know, we're in good stead for commissioning...
0:41:45 > 0:41:48..because we can start filling all the tanks
0:41:48 > 0:41:50and then we can start flushing all the systems...
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- Does it feel like you're making progress?- Oh, yeah, it does now.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Yeah, it was a bit slow for a few weeks and now it's...
0:41:56 > 0:41:57We're flying.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- HE LAUGHS - We're flying.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05As we neared the middle of January,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07the team faced their biggest challenge yet -
0:42:07 > 0:42:10the move of the A module, or Big Red,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12containing the canteen, gym,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14and recreation area.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16This is the heaviest single part of the station,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18weighing in at over 200 tonnes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23It is also the heart of Halley.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26We're pretty sure we can tow it, or I'm sure that we can tow it.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29You'll soon find out on film if we don't,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32cos you'll probably be back here interviewing me, saying,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34"Why didn't it move?" But I'm pretty sure,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36pretty confident she's going to move in a minute.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Bring me a beer when we get up that end,
0:42:41 > 0:42:42cos it'll be a big relief for me.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44Guys, don't look back.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Next stop, VI A.
0:42:50 > 0:42:511,700 rpm.
0:44:55 > 0:44:56How does it feel?
0:44:56 > 0:44:57I'm happy.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00That's the big girl I wanted to get here and, now that's here,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02it is all downhill from now on.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04All the others are tested and proven.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06I wasn't actually looking forward to it at all.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08I was just putting a brave face on.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17With the short Antarctic summer starting to run out,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19the team battled on through worsening weather
0:45:19 > 0:45:21to keep the move on track.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26It was a stark reminder that soon most of the people on station
0:45:26 > 0:45:28would be heading home,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31leaving just 16 winter staff to keep Halley running
0:45:31 > 0:45:33for the next eight months
0:45:33 > 0:45:35in complete isolation
0:45:35 > 0:45:37and almost constant darkness.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42I can't wait for winter, though, cos then it'll be ours.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46This will be kind of our home and our responsibility.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53And every single person will be 100% needed, 100% of the time.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Our community, it's like a new family.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15But just three days later, the team receive some devastating news.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19The significance of the Halloween Crack was about to become clear,
0:46:19 > 0:46:23as we discovered the effect it could have on the future of Halley.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26So this afternoon we presented the decision
0:46:26 > 0:46:28to the whole Halley team
0:46:28 > 0:46:31that we weren't going to winter at the station this year,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35'which is a, sort of, a really big decision for everyone here,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38'who's very invested in the project'
0:46:38 > 0:46:41and particularly a big decision for the incoming winterers,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44who were planning to spend the next year or so of their lives
0:46:44 > 0:46:45at the station.
0:46:47 > 0:46:48It's gutting.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51Absolutely gutting.
0:46:52 > 0:46:53Erm...
0:46:53 > 0:46:58But, whilst it doesn't help at this moment in time,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01I do realise it is the right decision
0:47:01 > 0:47:03and nobody relished in making it.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05It was a bit of a tough one.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10You've got to move on, but it's just going to suck for a bit.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15The decision not to over winter was based on the premise that we can't
0:47:15 > 0:47:19predict with enough certainty what's going to happen to the ice shelf
0:47:19 > 0:47:20over the course of this winter.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25That's on the recommendation of our glaciology and operations teams.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28We know previously that the Chasm 1,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30the whole reason that we're moving the station,
0:47:30 > 0:47:31is relatively predictable
0:47:31 > 0:47:33but with the emergence of the Halloween crack,
0:47:33 > 0:47:37the interaction between those two different features on the ice shelf
0:47:37 > 0:47:39is too complex for us to predict.
0:47:40 > 0:47:45The concern is that when the Halloween Crack forms an iceberg,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47it could destabilise the rest of the ice shelf
0:47:47 > 0:47:50and potentially cause new cracks to appear.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54It's this unpredictability,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58combined with the near impossibility of rescuing people from Halley
0:47:58 > 0:47:59during the winter months,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02that has led to the difficult decision
0:48:02 > 0:48:04to completely evacuate the station.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09Delivering news of this to the rest of the station was probably
0:48:09 > 0:48:13the least enjoyable job I've had to do in Antarctica so far.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17It was a bitter pill to swallow, really.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21We'd allowed for every physical problem to occur
0:48:21 > 0:48:23which we could rectify.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26We had contingency plans which we'd spent,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30like, the whole summer in Cambridge, and the year before, planning
0:48:30 > 0:48:32and, you know, worst case scenario
0:48:32 > 0:48:35we were going to a skeleton team of people in the Drewry,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38just to keep the station ticking over,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40and that was the worst case,
0:48:40 > 0:48:42and to be told that everyone's evacuating
0:48:42 > 0:48:44and we're going to have to fully winterise the station,
0:48:44 > 0:48:45it was like...
0:48:45 > 0:48:47- HE SIGHS - ..no.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Cos we're not... At the time, we weren't ready for it...
0:48:52 > 0:48:54..and it halted the project there and then.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58It's been a bad day at the office today.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16But while the team came to terms with the news, work had to continue,
0:49:16 > 0:49:20and the following day, the last module made its move.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26OK, Rob, just bring revs up now.
0:49:27 > 0:49:281,600.
0:49:37 > 0:49:42This is BII, bedroom module two,
0:49:42 > 0:49:46leaving site VI for site VI A for the last time.
0:50:27 > 0:50:281,500 rpm, Rob.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Three, two, one,
0:50:47 > 0:50:48stop.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56With the physical move now complete,
0:50:56 > 0:50:59the team had to prepare Halley for being left all on her own
0:50:59 > 0:51:02for the long, dark Antarctic winter.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07One of the biggest implications of the station shutdown
0:51:07 > 0:51:09is that for the first time in over 60 years
0:51:09 > 0:51:13there will be a significant break in Halley's scientific data records.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18This is a huge blow to the scientists across the globe
0:51:18 > 0:51:22who rely on Halley's data to further our understanding
0:51:22 > 0:51:23of the world around us.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30It will also be the first time the equipment inside the modules
0:51:30 > 0:51:34has been subjected to such prolonged, severe low temperatures.
0:51:40 > 0:51:41I'll just lift it slightly.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46He's good, isn't he?
0:51:46 > 0:51:48We're supposed to be draining the washing machines -
0:51:48 > 0:51:50winterising the washing machines.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Sure, that's what we're trying to get out of it, isn't it?
0:51:52 > 0:51:54As they say in Ireland,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56it's going to get queer cold in here in the winter.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59What do you think about the station having to close for the winter?
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Doesn't really matter to me or Neil.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04It only matters to 13 or 14 people.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Ah, you were a bit upset.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09I wasn't really. And, like, I know they go on about the science,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11but to be honest,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13I'm not being... Well, I am being ignorant.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15I don't really care about the science.
0:52:15 > 0:52:16NEIL LAUGHS
0:52:16 > 0:52:18The scientists don't care about pipes.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20We don't care about science, you know what I mean?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22It's a two-way street, like.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Without the science that's done here, there might not be any Tinder.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29There'll be no Tinder? Well, we'll have to get this place up
0:52:29 > 0:52:33and running. I didn't realise this place affected me that much, like.
0:52:33 > 0:52:34- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42I think it'd be easier if they just ordered three new washing machines.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49But just as the dust was beginning to settle,
0:52:49 > 0:52:52there was another shock announcement.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57This morning, we had sort of an emergency sitrep
0:52:57 > 0:52:59and it turns out that
0:52:59 > 0:53:03about two thirds of the base are going to be leaving tomorrow,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07tomorrow morning, on the ship, so everybody's frantically packing,
0:53:07 > 0:53:11loading tonnes of stuff into various coloured bags and so on.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13It's all very complicated.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Do you think people are sad to be leaving?
0:53:18 > 0:53:19I think some of them are,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22and some of them are probably quite happy to go.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25It's funny how...
0:53:25 > 0:53:26you become attached to the place.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32In many ways, it's a completely artificial thing here.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37We're not really meant to be here as human beings.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39And yet here we are, sort of leading
0:53:39 > 0:53:41that sort of fantasy life on the ice.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47There's an element of escapism in being here.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Did you come here to escape?
0:53:51 > 0:53:53No, not at all, no.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57I was perfectly happy where I was.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59I just wanted to come and see what it was like.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03It's a magical place.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06It'd be a real shame if...
0:54:06 > 0:54:09if there wasn't to be any more winters here.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15OK.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Pavlova...
0:54:18 > 0:54:19with caramel.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30The following morning,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33the first of the team started the long journey home,
0:54:33 > 0:54:35less than two weeks after
0:54:35 > 0:54:37we'd found out that Halley was to shut down.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41I was surprised at how quickly things had started to happen
0:54:41 > 0:54:43and it was a strange feeling to see
0:54:43 > 0:54:45the evacuation of the station beginning.
0:54:45 > 0:54:46Champion snorer!
0:54:46 > 0:54:47Cheers.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50- I will see you again.- I'll catch you in the next cartoon.
0:54:50 > 0:54:51Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55THEY CHEER
0:54:55 > 0:54:58HORN TOOTS
0:55:11 > 0:55:13For the few who were left behind,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16one of the final jobs was to dismantle our temporary home.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20As the walls came down, one thing remained -
0:55:20 > 0:55:22a feeling of uncertainty about the future.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I'm really obviously excited to go home, but this is,
0:55:26 > 0:55:28like I said before, this is partly my home here now.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30It's really odd. I need to break that mould, I think,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and realise this is work and not home,
0:55:32 > 0:55:35but I'm looking forward to going back.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37100% looking forward to going back.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40I will be back, but I can't miss another Christmas.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42I miss it too much.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44I've got too much I need to do for a couple of years
0:55:44 > 0:55:48with Christmas time, like see my family, friends.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49And stuff, so...
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Yeah. Yeah, who knows? Who knows?
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Yes, no.
0:55:53 > 0:55:5450%.
0:55:54 > 0:55:55Maybe. I don't know.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00You live here every day and it loses its sort of like sense of appeal
0:56:00 > 0:56:03when you're here, and then you've only got to be back in the UK
0:56:03 > 0:56:06for two, three hours and you're like, "OK, yeah, I miss it now."
0:56:06 > 0:56:08Like I've said again, before,
0:56:08 > 0:56:10stresses of reality disappear down here
0:56:10 > 0:56:14and they soon creep back up the second you step off a plane
0:56:14 > 0:56:16and you have to queue for something...
0:56:16 > 0:56:17and pay for it.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26The plan is that next summer
0:56:26 > 0:56:28a team will return and reopen Halley.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35But at this stage, no-one knows whether the station can be occupied
0:56:35 > 0:56:37through the next Antarctic winter.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42I felt extremely privileged to have witnessed
0:56:42 > 0:56:45the world's first ice station move.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48But, for many, it felt bittersweet to be saying goodbye
0:56:48 > 0:56:50to the place they'd worked so hard to save.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55As they left Halley sitting cold and dark,
0:56:55 > 0:56:59questions persisted about whether all of the effort put into the move
0:56:59 > 0:57:00had been in vain.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05Just as it was for the Antarctic explorers of old,
0:57:05 > 0:57:09it seemed that Mother Nature had far outplayed our efforts to tame her.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Gradually, snow drifted back over the old site
0:57:15 > 0:57:18and began to reclaim the landscape.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Even though Halley had a new home,
0:57:27 > 0:57:30I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness for her.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35What had once been a bustling hub of science and innovation
0:57:35 > 0:57:38was now settling down for a long, cold winter alone,
0:57:38 > 0:57:42with just the memories of the scientists, plumbers, chefs,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46mechanics, bedmakers and engineers to keep her company.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56And finally, it was time for me to leave.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00'My time at Halley had taught me many things -
0:58:00 > 0:58:02'why it's important to wear sun cream
0:58:02 > 0:58:05'even when it's 20 degrees below zero
0:58:05 > 0:58:07'and how to make time for at least five meals a day.'
0:58:09 > 0:58:10Are you excited?
0:58:10 > 0:58:11'But more than that,
0:58:11 > 0:58:13'it had shown me how the scientific research
0:58:13 > 0:58:15'that happens at the end of the earth
0:58:15 > 0:58:19'simply isn't possible without a whole community to support it.
0:58:20 > 0:58:24'For now, we can only watch and wait as nature decides
0:58:24 > 0:58:26'what the future of that community will be.'