A camp is taking shape

A view from the West of the old camp (right) and the two new weatherports in the new camp area (left). Photo: Thomas Overly, NEEM team.

Everybody now feels much more acclimatized. People are sleeping well and the cold does not bite as much anymore. The process of making the camp ready to receive 5 flights next week is in good progress. Visible signs are everywhere: Cargo in nice organized piles on the surface, new weatherports, snowmobiles, heavy vehicles and equipment easily accessible, the skiway is now a very visible structure and in the background generators are humming smoothly.

Hard manual labour is still the way forward. Lots of things have to be lifted and moved. The crew of five has found a good working routine and the collaboration between the five different nationalities is working well.

What we have done today:

1. Completing skiway marking.
2. Main drive belts on both tracked vehicles maintained.
3. 12' x 20' Weatherport erected.
4. Cargo-line under construction.
5. Zig-zag grooming on skiway.
6. Fuel sled almost empty

Ad. 1: The skiway now has triple black markings along each side with 400 feet spacing. One set of triple red flags marks the centre of the skiway. Five red flags on each side mark the thresholds. Skiway is 10,000 feet long and 200 feet wide. Approach markers extend 12,000 feet from each threshold. Both taxiways and apron are marked with double black markers. Taxiway entrances marked with single red and black corner flags.

Ad. 2: 20 broken bolts on yellow shovel Flexmobil and 10 broken bolts on black shovel Flexmobil.

Ad. 3: Second structure of NEEM camp now up.

Ad. 4: In order to make the off-loading sled with rollers, we have to empty the fuel sled from last year. As we also have to organize arriving cargo and the cargo from last year, we are now laying out the cargo in a temporary cargo line.

Weather in the morning: High thin clouds, -27°C, 5 m/s winds from 180 M. In the evening: High thin clouds, -19°C, 4 m/s from 230 M.

Saturday night dinner at 21:00 was prepared by Gaël: Steaks with pasta, mushrooms and tomatoes, accompanied by some bottles of red wine. The evening was passed with conversation and a much needed relaxation.

Field Leader, J.P. Steffensen