May 30, 2022

A dramatic day

Carpenter’s garage lifted out of its hole onto the surface.


Our visitors left early in the morning, catching good winds for their kites. We wished them a safe journey. A person in camp, who had been feeling unwell and had a hard time breathing for some days, was worse Monday morning. It was decided to call in for a medical evacuation the AWI Polar 5 Basler that Friday had landed in Kangerlussuaq. The person and camp doctor were picked up by the Basler, and at 1700L they were flown to Nuuk. Two hours later, the weather at EGRIP closed in and would have prevented flying. The evacuation went well, and our latest report from the hospital in Nuuk is that the person is recovering. The AWI Basler is anyhow scheduled to go to EGRIP where it will be stationed for three weeks doing radar surveys of the ice sheet in our area. It will arrive here again as soon as Greenland authorities and weather will permit it. Otherwise, work continued in camp and the most spectacular event was lifting one of our garages up from its 5 m deep hole to the surface. The hole was back filled, and a new berm made, and the garage will be placed on top.

What we did today:

  1. Received Polar 5 Basler for a medical evacuation.
  2. Lifted carpenter’s garage out of hole and onto surface.
  3. Megapit team continued studies.
  4. Installing laboratory for drone team.
  5. Fuel transferred between tanks. Third and last fuel tank now excavated.
  6. Cables pulled from science trench to dome through new duct.
  7. Working on electrical cables in camp.
  8. Said good bye to Norwegian visitors who left early in the morning heading for the East Coast.

Ad.6: Again, we lost the string to pull cables through our new duct, and Sepp sprang into action again. He crawled the full 110 m through the duct and back again, pulling the cables – a new spelunkering record.

Weather today: In the morning, mostly blue sky, late afternoon, overcast, in the evening, snow. Temp. -14°C to -11°C. Wind: 9 kt from WSW, changing to calm. QNH 1024 hPa. Visibility: Unrestricted, in evening down to 1/2 km.

FL, J.P. Steffensen