Base W, Detaille Island
Abandoned in the late 1950s because of its inaccessibility, Detaille has been my nemesis as Expedition Leader. This was my fifth attempt in three years yet we made it, largely because of the skill of our Captain who took us through mile after mile of ice.
The hut is still full of food, clothes and bedding and barring a bit of tidying up it is largely unchanged since its hurried abandonment across thirty miles of sea ice 50+ years ago. The island remains isolated and relatively inaccessible, and receives only a handful of visits a year despite it being a frequent target of ships entering Crystal Sound.
