Little by little PEA becomes a model station

36 pictures posted on the 26.01.2013

Everyone can see how the beam is made in order to support the structure with the all wall.

Everyone can see how the beam is made in order to support the structure with the all wall.

© 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.