China's icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2 have successfully reached their designated unloading point near the Zhongshan Station, after a grueling journey through jagged ice fields and thick ice ridges.
As part of China's 42nd Antarctic Expedition, the two vessels are now conducting unloading operations in waters approximately 12 kilometers from the station. However, the final leg of the journey proved to be an exhausting test of patience.
In waters 60 kilometers from the Zhongshan Station, the Xuelong was battling forward through heavy ice, while the shipping lane was blocked by jagged, interlocking ice ridges, with visible sea ice exceeding one meter in thickness.
"I thought we could smash through [the ice ridges] in one go. From the surface, they looked small, but up close they're massive and packed tightly together. It's not that easy," said Zhu Bing, captain of the Xuelong.
After repeated efforts, the Xuelong eventually broke through the first major barrier. However, the vessel still had a long way to go, and challenges ahead were far from over. Just as the ship neared open water, a single ice ridge that was tens of meters wide formed an impassable barrier.
"For more than a dozen hours, our ship has been stuck in place, unable to advance. The ice is extremely thick, and tidal movements have caused ice floes on both sides to converge, leaving virtually no room for the vessel to maneuver fore or aft. The best way is to wait for the tide to shift and open up some space, which will allow us to navigate more freely. That'll be better," said Liu Shaojia, first mate of the Xuelong.
As the Xuelong struggled to advance, the Xuelong 2 was also battling thick ice less than 20 kilometers from the Zhongshan Station.
"From the beginning to the end, the entire operation took us nine hours to advance the ship just 900 meters. Afterwards, one of our helmsmen actually apologized to me after he was off shift, saying he felt embarrassed that his shift had moved the vessel so little in so much time. It was indeed truly challenging," said Wu Jiawen, deputy leader of the expedition team.
In that nine-hour period, no one was under greater pressure than the Xuelong 2's captain, Zhang Xude.
"On the one hand, I was worried that it (the ship) might become lodged and unable to move at all. Another was the complete uncertainty about what kind of ice lies ahead or how thick it is. That unseen pressure was considerable," Zhang said.
According to Zhang, this year the waters off the Zhongshan Station are covered by more than 20 kilometers of compressed ice, a rare pattern that has made this leg of the mission one of the most challenging in his entire career.
After slowly smashing through more than 20 kilometers of ice, the Xuelong 2 finally reached the designated unloading area.
"Once we made it to the designated location, I felt completely relieved, and we were able to begin unloading. The expedition team's next phase will proceed without significant delay," said Zhang.
Chinese icebreakers battle rare ice conditions to approach China's Zhongshan Station
