Open sesame! Port Lockroy 2025 season begins

04/12/2025

After completing our final training in Cambridge in early October, we flew to Ushuaia and then boarded the MS Fridtjof Nansen for the three-day sailing to Port Lockroy in early November. Spirits were high, and the anticipation on board was almost infectious.

After all the preparation and excitement, we finally caught sight of Damoy Hut at Dorian Bay, just around the corner from Port Lockroy. It felt brilliant to step into our boots and crunch into the snow to open up the hut. We added a new visitor’s book, checked the building for anything we needed to flag to the conservation team, and, naturally, celebrated Damoy Hut’s 50th birthday. What a moment to kick off the season.

Happy Birthday, Damoy! (UKAHT)

Later, we returned to the ship to collect our belongings and then headed around the bay to Port Lockroy. The buzz of finally beginning the season again was palpable.

The team prepare to land at Base A (UKAHT)

We arrived on the shoreline, waved goodbye to the ship’s boat drivers and suddenly it was just the five of us. There was a real thrill in that moment. It was down to us to work together, draw on our training and bring the base gently back to life after its long winter sleep.

The team are finally ashore (UKAHT)

We were expecting a tough first job with deep snow to dig through to reach our living accommodation, but not this year. To our astonishment, we were able to walk straight to the door at one end of the Nissen hut and open it immediately. No frantic digging, no spades flying, just a simple turn of the key. A small victory, but it lifted our spirits even more.

Lisa gains access to her home for the next five months (UKAHT)

That said, the Antarctic never lets you get too comfortable. We soon faced an unexpected challenge.

Despite all our planning and backups, we arrived to find we had no power. Only gas for cooking and keeping warm. The help from the ship’s engineers over the following days, along with support from Rothera Station, was invaluable, and gradually we started to resolve the issue. That first night, though, was a simple one. We sorted our beds, filled hot water bottles, wrapped ourselves up and tried to sleep. Power or not, we were finally here.

There is always a whirlwind of tasks at the beginning of each season as we prepare to welcome the first guests to the museum, and we only have a handful of days to pull everything together.

Lisa gets stuck into preparing the landing site (UKAHT)

One of our annual priorities is digging out the landing site so visitors can access the island. This is often a tough, multi-day job, but this year the steps and access were ready within a single day. A real gift from the Antarctic weather.

Life on such a small island means that recycling, cooking, cleaning, waste management and moving boxes all become shared challenges. Add in regular communication with visiting ships and there is rarely a quiet moment, but that is part of what makes Port Lockroy life so rewarding.

Lisa pins up the first ship scheduler of the season (UKAHT) 

We set out boot wash trays and brushes outside the buildings to make sure everyone arrives with clean boots. Our small sledges become our best friends as we move equipment around the island. Since we do not have drinking water here, the sledges are especially useful when transporting the heavy Gerry cans filled by visiting expedition ships. It is hard work, but there is something quite magical about hauling water across the snow with the penguins as your curious neighbours.

The team's first sunset on Goudier Island (UKAHT)

Preparing the shop and museum is one of our biggest early-season goals. The museum building and its contents need checking, and snow must be cleared from every exit. Then the signs go up and, in a normal year, the artefacts are opened and displayed ready for our guests. This season is different as we begin our planned three-year programme with the conservation carpenters, who will arrive in the new year. Many artefacts in the ionospheric room are being carefully packed away to protect them while the conservation work takes place, and it feels good to be taking such care of this historic space.

The shop also needs organising, which is no small feat. Merchandise is moved between the shop and the boathouse, and we work hard to make the space warm, inviting and full of character for everyone who visits.

Rachel collects the winter post (UKAHT)

Meanwhile, our postmaster gets stuck into organising the post and franking the postcards and letters left by the ships that visited after last year’s team departed. All this mail is then bagged and sent via ships travelling on to the Falklands, ensuring treasured messages reach friends and family around the world.

We also monitor the Gentoo penguin colony each season, counting nests, eggs and chicks. At the start of the season, the wildlife monitor checks the colonies and assesses how the birds are doing. Seeing the first eggs of the season never stops being exciting.

Meeting the neighbours (UKAHT)

As the season gets underway, we reconnect with the expedition teams who bring guests to the island. Watching people experience Port Lockroy and the Antarctic Peninsula for the first time is always a joy. 

What a life we have here. Even in my third season, it still fills me with excitement every single day.