Waking up early isn’t a problem down here with 24hour daylight and I was keen to get out and have a good look around and play with the kit. I also had to carry out a survey of the runway thresholds of Union Glacier Blue Ice Runway and also the skiway strip next to camp.
I set up the HiPER HR base near the Opperations and Comms offices and added a external NmHi battery to make sure I get a good day surveying with the low temperature now reading the positively warm -9deg C. Logging data for Post Processing and transmitting on 470 MHz UHF the base was set.

When we go to the new remote area we will need to cover a lot of ground. Not only the actual runway area but also a lot of the surrounding terrain to make sure we can position the runway in the best location on suitable ice. To cover the ground quickly we have planned to use skidoos.

I wanted to emulate the skidoos we would be using when we head out to the interior and carry out a test survey, and this was a great excuse to get out on one of the camp’s FAT bikes, I fixed a Field Controller( FC-5000 ) to the handle bars and a HiPER HR to the pannier rack –  I was ready for a ride.

This is a moving glacier and weather can change very quickly, so there are safety protocols to follow.  Radioing to “Comms” to confirm I would be heading out of camp on the 10km loop I set off. It didnt take long to appreciate the conditions and effects these can have. The going was tough, occasionally breaking through the Strastugi and I started to wonder if I was ready for this level of exercise but absolutely loving the location for this survey. The kit performed perfectly, setting up the auto TOPO to log every 25m MAGNET was happily chiming away as I peddled. Just cycling the 10K left me with even more admiration for those that have endured cycling to the Pole!

The 10km loop which is also part of the Antartica Marathon has now been surveyed at 25m intervals to an accuracy of  2cm. Probably overkill for the circuit but also probably the most accurately logged STRAVA segment ever! I am not surprised I didn’t get the KOM for this one. I was working after all, and Union Glacier is full of super humans, here for extreme adventure.

The afternoon was spent with some more camp surveying and also filming with my Mavic Pro drone. The Mavic needed compass recalibration which is no surprise given the distance travelled since its last “on” and the change in magnetic field.

I needed to be assessed by the camp staff for flight competency and after checking in to “COMMS” for permission to fly to make sure there is no other aircraft movements I took off carried out the required manoeuvres and proved the safety features were enabled.  I passed my test ( I would have been very disappointed if I didn’t).

The conditions by the later afternoon were near perfect so I headed out of camp to a quiet area to try to capture the enormous vista here. Truly stunning and deceiving. The air is so clear the near by mountains are a lot further away than they seem.

 

Back at camp and checking in the “Comms” to announce my return.

Our planned flight to the field tomorrow is delayed as our plane has been chartered for a flight to the South Pole ( do you think they would notice a stowaway?).