Local Climate Change

This week at Base Camp 3 the sea ice has been in and out of our bay. The sea has been flat, pond like until 23.5 evening. Some days the broken ice has been packed in and all that can be seen when looking north and east. The next day it can be open water with just the odd pieces of melting ice. We have also had a few substantially sized lumps - one is estimated to be 100m long and 10m out of the water, of interest to the small day cruise boats. The wildlife comes and goes literally with the ice. The eider ducks enjoy the safety of their floating ice lily pads and drift past the bay only to drift back a few hours later. We are alerted to their passing by the ooh, ooh they make as they drift by, sounding like neighbours enjoying a bit of scandalous news.

Jackie and Ade

Halt the Melt

Isbjørn (adventure) climb Konusen whilst Polarrev start the RTK GPS survey of the Blackbreen. Isbjørn (biology) and Rype join forces and make a round trip of 20km to climb the north ridge of Janusfjellet in search of fossils - The group splits on the way home with the faster group racing to get back in time for radio schedule and Helen, Adrian and Herpreet coming back closer to the shore. They see 2 walrus and an arctic fox!

Last night’s snow and minimum overnight temperature of minus 2 has enabled the snow to settle and a crust to form on the snow. When walking you still break through the crust and in places down to knee height but at least today the snow is not soggy. The cold night and cold day has temporarily halted the melt. Overcast, strong easterly breeze changing to westerly -2ºc.

Fieldwork

Isbjørn (biology) continue their bird survey and start a river/ice project. Adrian mans the hide until 2300 returning in the snow and wind! Polarrev re-survey the snow pits in Tobredalen and on the Blackbreen and check that the RTK GPS is working (for mapping the glaciers). Rype cancelled their hill day due to poor weather and write the Expedition Report. Still, low cloud, 0ºc.

Climb and Count

Isbjørn (adventure) move their camp up to the Knorringbreen and then climb Knorringfjellet. Isbjørn (biology) continue with their projects and start to get some of their work written up, with Herpreet and Mark manning the goose counting hide overnight. Polarrev identify a suitable stream for the sediment analysis and continued monitoring the melt slush. Rype climb Grønsteinfjellet whilst taking a good look at the bird cliffs. Overcast, westerly breeze, 0ºc.

GPS ready

Isbjørn (adventure) have a GPS treasure hunt whilst Polarrev make a detailed GPS survey of the melt water and slush areas. Isbjørn (biology) continue as per yesterday except Herpreet joins Rype in skiing to DeGeerdalen to meet with Steve and Christian from Polarrev to collect some snow density equipment, Polarrev rubbish and poo! Adrian mans the goose counting hide overnight. Westerly breeze, overcast, 0ºc.

Fire Tasks

Isbjørn (adventure) build an igloo while Isbjørn (biology) continue with bird surveys whilst developing new projects to do with snow melt, feeding margins and plant growth. Sarah and James man the goose hide overnight. Meanwhile Polarrev establish the snow depth in Tobredalen by digging 10 snow pits and Rype start repairing some of the backlog of broken equipment that has been building up over the last few weeks. Westerly breeze, overcast, 0ºc.

People Everywhere

Isbjørn (adventure) move the “adventure 2” rations up to the Knorringbreen and summit Wimanfjellet from Knorringbreen and return to their camp. Isbjørn (biology) spend the day on goose counts and also see a beluga, Hepreet and Sarah occupy the goose hide overnight. Polarrev collect the “geomorphology” rations which they had cached in De Geerdalen on 17.5.09 and return to Tobredalen. Rype take the weather station download lead to Polarrev in Tobredalen, who forgot to take it, and Lucy B downloads the data from the weather station which was set up in Tobredalen 13.04.09. Rype return to Base Camp 3 having to carry their skis the last kilometre due to the ice and stones in Wimandalen. Still. Overcast, 0ºc.

Building & Hiding

Isbjørn (adventure)since being left at their camp up Wimandalen have prepared a tent base up to Pat’s standards for Richard and Lucy, built a toilet and also a ‘garage’ for storing the pulks. Late afternoon they climb Knerton from the south whilst practising snowcraft skills on the way. Isbjørn (biology) do a local area recce, identify a suitable hide sight, start their bird surveys, see a walrus and then Adrian and Mark occupy the hide overnight. Polarrev leave Base Camp 3 and move to Tobredalen to set up a static camp from which to do the glacial surveying and melt projects. Rype accompany Richard and Lucy D up Wimandalen to the camp where Ash, Emily and Joe had spent the night then Rype ski up to the Knorringbreen and back to Base Camp 3 with Isbjørn Adventure’s rubbish. Still, clear, +3ºc.

Working around the melt

0900 brief to the YEs from Ade, everyone on time so no press-ups but a few still have a warming run as still some have forgotten their no bear flares or pencil and paper!

Pippa and James each do a 2 minute talk to the group about themselves, this is preparation for the 45 minute talk to be given to UNIS on 15.6.09. Fire change,then Rype sort out a food issue for the new Fires. Isbjørn take a food cache up Wimandalen to the snout of the Knorringbreen for those who will be doing Isbjorn adventure whilst Polarrev take a food cache to Tobredalen for everyone who is doing the glacial survey.

The caches are made now to make the most of the snow so the food can be dragged in the pulks. On 15.5 Isbjørn have a pleasant ski down from the Grǿnsteinfjellet col to Base Camp 3, only a day later and the col is only passable on ski with pulk by weaving between the bare rocks and tundra on the remaining snow. Westerly breeze, clear, +1ºc.