Dan Grec
Expedition Leader
They've been back down in southern Chile for about a month now.
Updates have been posted to their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/LostWorldExpedition
-Dan
unURBAN Adventures - Alaska to Argentina to AFRICA!
- Thread starter unURBAN
- Start date
They've been back down in southern Chile for about a month now.
Updates have been posted to their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/LostWorldExpedition
-Dan
travelingaustralian
New member
Loving your trip
Hi guys,
Been following your trip on and off for the last 12 months and loving that your doing what you love!!
Im currently working in Antarctica myself saving for a trip just like your doing! I have a blog that I started 2 years ago when I planned to head back to West Africa,
that was before I got the job down in Antarctica.
Would Love to ask you guys some questions.
My blog address is travelingaustralian.blogspot.com
Could I PM you and ask you some questions?
Cheers
Travelingaustralian
Hi guys,
Been following your trip on and off for the last 12 months and loving that your doing what you love!!
Im currently working in Antarctica myself saving for a trip just like your doing! I have a blog that I started 2 years ago when I planned to head back to West Africa,
that was before I got the job down in Antarctica.
Would Love to ask you guys some questions.
My blog address is travelingaustralian.blogspot.com
Could I PM you and ask you some questions?
Cheers
Travelingaustralian
SEETHEWORLD349
Observer
WELCOME BACK
now go go go Ive been waiting for this
now go go go Ive been waiting for this
One more season in Antarctica
It has been a while, but as we’re now back in Africa after our “break” in Antarctica, it is time to get back online and start the blog again. First a few updates from the cold continent:
It was quite different to arrive at Union Glacier this season. Last year most of camp was already in place and tents were up. This year we were on the first Ilyushin flight in and most of camp was still in boxes and bags. A small crew was flown in a week or so before us, and had prepared the runway, started the machines, and cleared snow around camp and structures. As weather was good we started putting up tents pretty soon.
First we need a flat and firm surface. The snow cats are good to have around.
Looks pretty nice for a tent, and this is where we have most of our meals, and where clients spend time when they are not out in the field.
There are a few “hard shell” structures as kitchen box, toilets, coms box, and some containers for storage. In the picture you can see the toilets in the back (to the right), the blue kitchen box attached to the Dining tent, and to the left is our heated cooler box (now, think about that one…).
Malin’s office for the season. Looks pretty amazing for a camp in Antarctica, but then the chefs here make dinner for up to 130 people a day.
The Mechanical department doesn’t have the same facilities as the kitchen, but the mechanics here are amazing. Everything can be fixed!
Staff are living in standard four season mountain tents, and Malin and I are sharing this one. Wearing jeans means it is Saturday!
Should be about 55 of them
And a few days after camp was up, we started packing for the first traverse… More about that in the next blog!
Espen
It has been a while, but as we’re now back in Africa after our “break” in Antarctica, it is time to get back online and start the blog again. First a few updates from the cold continent:
It was quite different to arrive at Union Glacier this season. Last year most of camp was already in place and tents were up. This year we were on the first Ilyushin flight in and most of camp was still in boxes and bags. A small crew was flown in a week or so before us, and had prepared the runway, started the machines, and cleared snow around camp and structures. As weather was good we started putting up tents pretty soon.
First we need a flat and firm surface. The snow cats are good to have around.
Looks pretty nice for a tent, and this is where we have most of our meals, and where clients spend time when they are not out in the field.
There are a few “hard shell” structures as kitchen box, toilets, coms box, and some containers for storage. In the picture you can see the toilets in the back (to the right), the blue kitchen box attached to the Dining tent, and to the left is our heated cooler box (now, think about that one…).
Malin’s office for the season. Looks pretty amazing for a camp in Antarctica, but then the chefs here make dinner for up to 130 people a day.
The Mechanical department doesn’t have the same facilities as the kitchen, but the mechanics here are amazing. Everything can be fixed!
Staff are living in standard four season mountain tents, and Malin and I are sharing this one. Wearing jeans means it is Saturday!
Should be about 55 of them
And a few days after camp was up, we started packing for the first traverse… More about that in the next blog!
Espen
MisterTinkle
Adventurer
I just did a little happy dance in my excitement of seeing new posts from you two! Good to have you back!
hastyphoto
New member
I'm just speechless. What an amazing thread, thanks and stay safe!
Antarctic trucking
Last season I was more or less (except for the most amazing bonus in the world) stuck in the dining tent as a kitchen assistant and dish washer. This season I signed up to work in the Mechanical department, and the idea was that I would be out driving for most of the season. Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions not only provide logistics services for ski expeditions and climbers, but also take on government contracts for provide logistics for research programs. This season we hauled all the equipment for a British program called Lake Ellsworth (http://www.ellsworth.org.uk/). From our own Union Glacier Camp and up onto the plateau. It turned out to be one of the most scenic drives I’ve ever had.
In the beginning of the season most of the equipment came in on our Ilyushin, and was then loaded onto slides and sledges.
To handle the containers we use a Swedish lift called a Hammer Lift. A brilliant design! Containers are put on slides, thick sheets of a strong plastic material and a bit of padding, and crates are loaded on to big sledges.
The access to the plateau takes us from camp and up glaciers to a pass where the ice flows over the mountain range and down into the valleys. The scenery is stunningly beautiful!
To get up the pass we had to “build” a road with a switch back turn as it was too steep to drive directly up. It is pretty amazing what an experienced driver can do with the blade of a snow cat. It looked almost like a highway. I could probably drive up with the Patrol…
Driving over the pass we moved out onto the plateau, and another 160 kilometers towards the sub-glacial lake. The idea behind the Lake Ellsworth project is to drill down 3400 meters to this lake, that has been totally isolated from the rest of the world for maybe as much as 150 000 years. Unfortunately, this year the drilling equipment wasn’t up to the job, but my guess is they will try again in a few years’ time. The call came in just before New Year’s eve, that the team was packing up, come and pick us up. The first half of January we were busy going back and forth to Lake Ellsworth, and eventually the camp was cleared and everything was back at the runway on Union Glacier.
Our landmark. The pass is somewhere in between the mountains.
We call in to our base regularly on Iridium sat phones to report position and status.
Sunny, but with wind comes the drifting snow and low contrast. The GPS is definitely nice to have out here.
Schanz Glacier, the last leg down to Union Glacier, and home sweet home!
Last season I was more or less (except for the most amazing bonus in the world) stuck in the dining tent as a kitchen assistant and dish washer. This season I signed up to work in the Mechanical department, and the idea was that I would be out driving for most of the season. Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions not only provide logistics services for ski expeditions and climbers, but also take on government contracts for provide logistics for research programs. This season we hauled all the equipment for a British program called Lake Ellsworth (http://www.ellsworth.org.uk/). From our own Union Glacier Camp and up onto the plateau. It turned out to be one of the most scenic drives I’ve ever had.
In the beginning of the season most of the equipment came in on our Ilyushin, and was then loaded onto slides and sledges.
To handle the containers we use a Swedish lift called a Hammer Lift. A brilliant design! Containers are put on slides, thick sheets of a strong plastic material and a bit of padding, and crates are loaded on to big sledges.
The access to the plateau takes us from camp and up glaciers to a pass where the ice flows over the mountain range and down into the valleys. The scenery is stunningly beautiful!
To get up the pass we had to “build” a road with a switch back turn as it was too steep to drive directly up. It is pretty amazing what an experienced driver can do with the blade of a snow cat. It looked almost like a highway. I could probably drive up with the Patrol…
Driving over the pass we moved out onto the plateau, and another 160 kilometers towards the sub-glacial lake. The idea behind the Lake Ellsworth project is to drill down 3400 meters to this lake, that has been totally isolated from the rest of the world for maybe as much as 150 000 years. Unfortunately, this year the drilling equipment wasn’t up to the job, but my guess is they will try again in a few years’ time. The call came in just before New Year’s eve, that the team was packing up, come and pick us up. The first half of January we were busy going back and forth to Lake Ellsworth, and eventually the camp was cleared and everything was back at the runway on Union Glacier.
Our landmark. The pass is somewhere in between the mountains.
We call in to our base regularly on Iridium sat phones to report position and status.
Sunny, but with wind comes the drifting snow and low contrast. The GPS is definitely nice to have out here.
Schanz Glacier, the last leg down to Union Glacier, and home sweet home!
achampagne
Explorer
That's one hell of a day job you have there!
gallagherlake
Observer
There's Sunday gone...
Hi guys:
Just read all 82 pages in one sitting; thanks very much for the great stories and inspiration!
Hi guys:
Just read all 82 pages in one sitting; thanks very much for the great stories and inspiration!