Here's a turn-up for the books: something called Wall-of-Death quad-bike riding is on the Antarctic Division's list of prohibited activities. I found this out by reading the Policy on Outdoor Recreation that is on the second-last page of our Expeditioner Handbook. I don't know what wall-of-death quad riding is, nor would I have thought to come up with something like that if it wasn't mentioned in the book, but by hook or by crook I will make sure I find out by the end of the trip. Then I will post it here on the net so everyone can try it at home.
Also on the 'prohibited' list was Stair Surfing. Wow! You mean you can surf down the stairs at Davis? That sounds like fun!
Things which are permitted include sled hauling behind a kite, ice cliff climbing, and skiing behind a quad. So it seems their categorisations are not based so much on physical danger as level of maturity.
On a similar note, I read an article recently which was written by a doctor who wintered at South Pole station. The three most common ailments she had to treat were hangovers, altitude sickness (the ice is four kilometers thick at the South Pole, meaning the ground there is twice as high as the tallest mountain in Australia) and broken limbs sustained from 'Dome Sliding'. Dome Sliding is where you take a piece of cardboard (or whatever) up to the top of the dome that forms the base building, and you slide down into the ice. The problem was that quite often people would slide straight into the poles around the dome. Whether there is a statistical correlation between being treated for a hangover and a broken limb at the same time is left to the reader to deduce.
In just over a week I'll be in the central highlands of Tasmania for our week-long pre-expedition training camp, where all the safety rules will be laid down. The training is broken into two parts: under station community training we learn about Antarctic science, medical research, geography and climate, as well as 'hygiene and human behaviour' (how not to bug people; how not to let yourself be bugged by others), 'workplace diversity issues' (i.e. you will not only get slapped, but fired too), 'environmental issues' (i.e. don't blame us for the restrictive rules, blame the penguins), 'expectations of station life' (i.e. don't get your hopes up) and separation issues.
The other part is field training which includes an overnight camp in blizzard tents. We get to learn how to drive quad bikes and tractors, how to dress properly in the cold, how to travel in ice and snow, and how to rescue someone from a crevasse; and we get taught all about abseiling, camping, radio communications, navigation, mountaineering gear, ropes and knots and so on. Maybe someone will show us the Wall of Doom, so we know how to avoid it.