Under certain circumstances, being completely alone can get to one. Being alone in Antarctica can get to one pretty fast. Admiral Byrd wrote a book entitled, Alone. Even being part of a small group, one experiences a sort of group aloneness, leading to a sense of awe, perhaps, at the total isolation of this small nucleus of humanity whose individuals are completely dependent upon one another, not only for intellectual stimulation but even for nourishing the basic need of the mind to feel that it is still a part of the fundamental structure of human society. We deal with the sense of isolation through conversation, clowning around (Figure 5.1), and seizing upon the arrival of holidays to hold parties. But it is definitely an abnormal existence, during which strange and memorable things sometimes happen. Following are some events that seem to fall into that category.

EVENT 1: WORKING ALONE

In the field we try never to be alone, usually working in pairs or as a complete party. The practical rationale for this rule is that one person, alone, can get into a lot more trouble with crevasses, or stranding due to mechanical breakdowns, than would two people. Traversing between campsites is potentially the most hazardous operation if we are taking a path for the first time. There may be crevasses. At such times the field party travels as a unit. To deal with the question of crevasses we have a “crevasse expert.”