â?¦not yet to have written something on our (very brief) visit to Troll. Troll is not a large, ugly beast hiding under a bridge, but rather the Norwegian research base to our east.  Although they are strictly speaking our neighbours, the Juttelstraumen Glacier lies between our bases.  35 nautical miles wide, it is the second largest glacier in the world (the honour belonging to the Lambert Glacier at S70 E70) and thus a significant barrier.  We can only reach Troll by air, but I was fortunate enough to make the journey with some of our scientists who were retrieving data from a ground thermal logger, and collecting equipment. I had the aim of examining the medical facility at the Norwegian base in comparison to our own, and in the light of my recent visit to Neumayer. By the time we had loaded several other scientists and the flight crew, it was a group of 17 South Africans that swooped down from the sky.Â
 
 
 
I took great pleasure in meeting our Norwegian counterparts, as I’ve always had respect for their Antarctic exploits. The ever-stoic Amundsen was Norwegian, beating Robert Scott to the South Pole through his adoption of traditional methods of ice travel. The account of his successful expedition is inspiring reading; it tells a tale of a man dedicated and undistracted: “Adventure,” said he, “is simply poor planning.” The Norwegian involvement in Antarctica did not stop with Amundsen, however. Most of Queen Maud Land (or Dronning Maudland, if you wish to tip your hat) was explored and mapped by the Norwegian Antarctic Research Expeditions (NARE), which explains why so many of the landmarks in our area bear names in their language.  The South African expeditions are also historically tied to Norway, as the site of our first research base was that of a Norwegian establishment which was handed over in 1959. Nowadays, the co-operation continues as we exchange knowledge, assist each other with logistical arrangements, and collaborate on scientific projects.
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