Ready for departure

Our camp physician, Mathias, is making a pull test of one of the heavy sleds.

Today, we finished packing everything and arranged all our sleds on the former NEEM apron. There are a lot of last miute items, such as checking radios, GPS and satellite phones.

Over dinner we discussed a plan for calling each other, as two teams: Nanna and Anna, and Paul and Helle are going to some GPS points by snowmobile for measurements, while the main train will drive towards the southeast.

Tomorrow will be the big day, when we leave this site with approx. 150 ton on the hook. Then the NEEM camp will be gone and only a casing pipe, an automatic weather station and a seismic station will remain. The mood in camp is a mixture of excitement and nervousness. We keep our fingers crossed.

What we have done today:

1. Finished stowing sleds. NEEM camp site now vacated.
2. Repaired pulling rod on one heavy sled.
3. Mounted plastic runner on last fuel tank.
4. Mounted radios and GPS in vehicles.
5. Mounted heater system in main dome.
6. Pull test of all sleds to configure load composition.  
7. Contact with our colleagues on the Renland Ice cap at 21.00 local (23.00
    Renland time, or 11.00 camp time).

Ad.7:  The Renland team reports all well. They are in a process of turning the clock, i.e. work at night and sleep during the day. More information on progress tomorrow.

NEEM weather: Thin overcast most of the day, later clear. Weak to moderate wind. Temp. – 16 °C to -26 °C, 1 - 4 m/s from S. Visibility: 2 km to unrestricted.   Nice day.

FL, J.P. Steffensen