Our teams of five are very organized. We work in a line and each person has a separate job. The first person has a metal rod that is used to probe the ice and check for secure footing. The second person carries the antenna for satellite positioning. The third person carries the electronics package, the fourth person is the recorder, and the fifth and final person makes sure that we all are following safety precautions.
Mountaineers occupy the first and last position.
My role usually is as the carrier of the electronics package or as the recorder. It takes us about three hours to survey our markers. The recorder collects the position information. When we finish in the field, we turn around and go in reverse order. We return to the same site about nine days later to re-survey the markers to see how they have moved.