Little by little PEA becomes a model station

36 pictures posted on the 26.01.2013

It is always an emotional moment when a plane takes off and let us alone in the middle of nowhere.

It is always an emotional moment when a plane takes off and let us alone in the middle of nowhere.

© International Polar Foundation / Alain Hubert

  • It is always an emotional moment when a plane takes off and let us alone in the middle of nowhere.
  • Team is running fast and they already had to leave after a 24h visit to inspect the station under the antarctic treaty protocol.
  • A group pix of the joined germanand south african inspection team on the 19th of january at PEA.
  • Inspection team on PEA taxi towards the airstrip.
  • Boby and David preparing the beams in front of the station.
  • Everyone can see how the beam is made in order to support the structure with the all wall.
  • Illir and Pierre controling movement of the crane supporting beams.
  • Jacques measuring for putting new wall of the changing room.
  • New floor in the entrance hall with wood taken from the scaffolding when building the station in 2007-08.
  • Olivier dismantheling the roof of the entrance hall.
  • Kristof welding the support on the rock.
  • Our 7years old fassi crane is always usefull for every kind of work around the station as lifting the beams.jpg
  • Beams are first roll in before being taken by the crane.
  • The field guide Christophe is happy to see us as it has been three weeks now that he hadn't seen us.
  • Heavy work one has to make to drill holes in to the rock.
  • 30-going up on the plateau across blue ice field to move the camp of meteorites scientists.JPG
  • What a change in the tractor for driving with the new Garmin GPS.
  • A view of the camp with the NIPR and BELARE cabooses surrouded by snow.
  • Every was packed in 4 hours and we are on the ice again moving towards a next location for meteorites search.
  • Blue ice means windy place and we've paid off when mounting the new camp working without stopping to install the camp for scientists.
  • And here the two 30ft container forming the caboose for shelter the expedition during the six month traverse.
  • Technical 30ft container unloaded on the iceshelf at CB for the ran expedition.
  • Ship Aghulas has ancher into a crack to stabilize when unloading.
  • To be able to heat the tractor they have conceived a tent.
  • Interesting to see how deep goes the ice under sea level along the new unloading site at CB.
  • Mike Stroud, initiator of the expedition helping to pump the 100 000 liters of fuel from drums to the bladers.
  • For the return voyage we'll drive the Prinoth at least 20 hours non stop before reaching PEA.
  • Brits are using a old snow tractor from the sixties for pulling their sledge up to the ice shelf-this is the same as the one used by belgian at the roi baudouin base.jpg
  • Duncan responsible of unloading of Ran expedition controling the pumped fuel into the bladers.
  • Kristof and Walter standing at front of the ship on the 22th of january.jpg
  • The new unloading site on the shelf should be available evry season from mid january in the coming years.
  • It is with those caterpilar tractoir that they will pull their heavy loads across the continent during the newt winter.
  • Mat CB at our camp and we are ready to head back to the station.
  • A quite impressive monster, isn'it ?
  • Those are one of the 14 heavy steel sledge in which are stored the bladers with 8000l of fuel.
  • First ship reaching the newly formed unloading platform at Crown Bay.