How long would you go for?

[Paul]

OK, so you've been offered a job in Antarctica - dream job, fabulous location, the longer you're there the more you experience.

But really - if it was a "go for this long or never go at all" situation, what is the longest time you would choose to go to Antarctica for? bearing in mind it's a "there and back" trip - no visits home in the meantime.

[Paul]

OK, so here's an answer maybe, this thread has been up for over a year, nearly a thousand people have visited and most would only go to Antractica for the minimum time possible.

The longer you go, the better the chance, want a holiday? pay for it yourself. Want to go to Antarctica - be prepared to work for it.

[Anonymous]

antartica is my dream...

[glenn]

Originally Posted by Paul

OK, so you've been offered a job in Antarctica - dream job, fabulous location, the longer you're there the more you experience.

If it's really the dream job in a fabulous location then 24-30 months would be good. But if it's some grinding job at a desolate place with no chance of adventure... no thanks. A lot of it also depends on the crew. With the right crew, a great job, and the prime location, I'd never leave.
:mrgreen:

[Paul]

Originally Posted by glenn

If it's really the dream job in a fabulous location then 24-30 months would be good. But if it's some grinding job at a desolate place with no chance of adventure... no thanks. A lot of it also depends on the crew. With the right crew, a great job, and the prime location, I'd never leave.

Point taken, but you don't know those things until you get there, so it's a risk, maybe I should have phrased the question more like;

"How much of your life are you prepared to risk for what may or may not be a dream job in Antarctica"

[Keith]

"How much of your life are you prepared to risk for what may or may not be a dream job in Antarctica"

Maybe I was a little na?ve when I applied to join BAS for 30 months. I was certainly prepared (at that time) to give up so much of my life, though I think I rather suppressed the idea of a possible negative experience. I had spoken to an ex-FID before applying and was aware that there was no guarantee of a once-in-a-lifetime experience but, ever the optimist, I think I pushed that to the back of my mind. As it turned out, I thoroughly enjoyed my time down South. So, at that time of my live I certainly was prepared to risk nearly 3 years of my life for a ?dream job?. Later, once married, I don?t think that would have been a possible consideration, though nowadays, with female recruitment, I don?t know if couples would be employed.

Have BAS ever recruited married couples?

I am only aware of a couple who run the museum at Grytviken on S. Georgia, but I don?t think they are employed by BAS.

[Paul]

You summed it for me too Keith, and I suspect many other people who have been South on a contract that sounds scary.

For me it was a decision based on "Which might I regret more, not going or going and finding it wasn't what I hoped?" - so off I went.

I don't recall meeting anyone who actively regrets their time South though and the vast majority I've spoken with wouldn't go back and change it if they could.

In fact there's a guy I know at the moment who is considering applying to BAS, the main reason not to seems to be that he's fairly recently found a new girlfriend. It's very difficult for me not to say something along the lines of "Going South is a once in a lifetime opportunity, there's plenty of girls around and in 6 months time, the chances are you won't be with her anyway".

[adorer]

Wow lots happening sense i've been gone. There's nothing like the beauty of a wonderfull women although. Hard thing to replace down there.

[NancyHFord]

I would absolutely go for a year. Antarctica has always been a fascination of mine so yeah, definitely a year, maybe longer.

[TheAcrO]

Just to go, whatever it takes, is worthwhile I would think. I don't me to sound rash, but I have come to the conclusion that I will be as persistent as need be to be able to go and I wouldn't turn down any opportunity - under 5 years. I think 5 years without seeing a deciduous tree would drive me a bit too crazy.