Saturday, August 11th

In Kangerlussuaq.

At the arrival everyone went for a shower and changed clothes. Simon and Susanne chose a cold turkey. They stayed awake and went straight to the airport where they purchased tickets and flew to Copenhagen.

Lars, Peter, Claude, Maria and J.P. spent the day sorting out cargo and making it ready for shipment. At dinner time, we invited Joergen Skafte from Danish Polar Center’s International Polar Year Office and Mark “Sparky”, Ed and Terry from the VECO office for dinner at the Roklub restaurant. The VECO office has been a tremendous help for us, lending us assistance in many ways and helping coordinate the flights.

On behalf of the NEEM project members, we thank VECO personnel for their outstanding willingness to help.

The VECO people have a row of problems to deal with this week-end. As a plane now is stuck in Thule because they couldn’t find two guys to re-fuel the plane, at least 19 scientists are now stuck in Kangerlussuaq waiting for the plane home. All had to re-book their flights in the U.S. Our ice cores are in Thule, and we have two guys there. 40 personnel from the 109^th are stuck as well, and will not return to their families as planned. One cannot help watching in total disbelief at the workings of a system which defies any reason and logic. But these are the conditions although it is a bit annoying here at the end.

Let us finish this diary on a more positive note. The expedition was successful. We have collected three ice cores. We have mapped the entire route from NGRIP to NEEM by radar. We have mapped the area around NEEM. We have established a position network from NGRIP to NEEM and around NEEM. We have transferred heavy equipment from NGRIP to NEEM, and we have constructed a seed camp and a skiway at NEEM. In other words, we have made a start of deep ice core drilling at NEEM in 2008 possible.

Tomorrow, Sunday, Lars, Peter and Maria will go to Copenhagen.

Monday, J.P. and Claude will leave and Steffen and Sverrir will arrive from Thule.

Tuesday, Steffen and Sverrir will go to Copenhagen. The 2007 NEEM traverse project is now completed.

- NEEM Traverse team.

Friday, August 10th

Can we leave today?

The next plane with fuel and spare parts arrived at 10PM. Luckily, weather was still good for flight operations. Blue sky, 8 knot winds down the skiway and -18 C. Again, camp was packed down and the vehicles parked for winter.
When the second plane arrived, we were all wonderfully well fed. Early in the evening, the navigator of the first crew, Maj. Paul Delamagne, had produced a splendid dinner for all. It was a great pleasure.
The second plane parked along side of the first. Now the airport on the ice was busy. A hose was rolled across between the planes for fuel transfer. Three mechanics jumped out and started immediately repairing the damaged ski. The second plane also brought 24 drums of fuel for camp so we wouldn’t have to leave it completely dry.

Our pallets with ice cores and equipment were distributed – one pallet on each plane. Fuel transfer was completed in one hour. The crew on the second plane was in a hurry to get going. Suddenly we were told, that the second plane was almost out of fuel and they had to depart immediately and go to Thule Air Base. Now we had to make quick decisions. Our ice cores were on that plane, and while Thule Air Base would allow the plane to land, there was no one there to re-fuel the plane so they could carry on to Kangerlussuaq. It was week-end.

Steffen and Sverrir packed their personal belongings in 5 minutes and hurried over to the other plane so they could follow the ice cores and take care of them during the stay in Thule. No time for good-bye’s. The plane left at 11PM and had no problems getting airborne. The plane is now in Thule, and they cannot leave before Monday when the two fuel guys open shop after the weekend. Luckily Steffen and Sverrir and the ice cores are in good shape.

Our “damaged” plane was now repaired, and after we had topped off the fuel with some of the drums we just got, we took off at 1.35AM without any problems and landed in Kangerlussuaq at 4AM Saturday morning.

Finally out from the ice.

- NEEM traverse team