Support the Arctic Sea Ice Forum and Blog

Author Topic: Barneo 2016  (Read 34728 times)

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Barneo 2016
« on: March 24, 2016, 01:06:06 PM »
Preparations for the 2016 Barneo "ice camp" near the North Pole are already well underway. According to Google Translate's version of an article on the Barneo web site:

Quote
On March 18, two Mi-8 helicopter flew from Krasnoyarsk and headed north. Their main task is to find a suitable ice floe for Barneo ice camp. This is the beginning of the active phase of the Integrated Arctic expedition "Barneo-2016."



The crews of the Mi-8T in this year, as follows: VV Yatin - Permanent commander of the group, Korytko DI, Mamaev, VG, Petrov SA, Potapov PA, Litvinenko SV, LV Bugvin - The flight crews, Shershnev AS, Efremov IA Pozdnyakov RN, EI Behler - Engineering Service, Ditenberg AV



One of the helicopters stopped for the night in Igarka and the second board remained in the Stony Tunguska due to bad weather.

By March 22nd the expedition blog reported that:

Quote
The helicopters of expedition Barneo, whose main objective is the search for ice floes for the camp, remain on Severnaya Zemlya. All further logistics depends on the weather conditions.

Yesterday's report suggests that the weather improved and the two Mi-8Ts are now hunting for a suitable site for Barneo 2016:



« Last Edit: March 26, 2016, 01:36:40 PM by Jim Hunt »
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2016, 09:57:46 AM »
The latest report on the Barneo expedtion diary makes it clear they are finding it difficult to find a suitable site for the ice camp:

Quote
The search for an ice floe for the Barneo ice camp and airfield failed. Helicopters circled the whole day in the eastern sector. There was an abundance of ice hummocks.

This was announced by Victor Yatin by satellite phone.

Tomorrow will continue the search for an ice floe in the western sector.


"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3698
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 419
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2016, 10:07:09 AM »
Reminds of the song:

Where did all the floes go?
Have a ice day!

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2016, 01:26:56 PM »
Where did all the floes go?

They have now found a suitable one:

The ice floe for the construction of the ice camp and airfield expedition Barneo-2016 found. Coordinates N 89 * 15'353 "and E * 87 00'417". The expedition team (helicopter landing and the first group) has moved on an ice floe and began equipping its camps in anticipation of landing tractors.



Today's report says (according to my translation of Google Translate's translation at least!)

Quote
The construction of the Barneo ice camp has begun.  Loads and paratroopers landed exactly on the platform. The "group of paratroopers" included two tractor drivers, who jumped in tandem with experienced parachutists after their tractors were dropped from an Ilyushin IL-76.



« Last Edit: March 26, 2016, 01:35:12 PM by Jim Hunt »
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Patrick

  • New ice
  • Posts: 24
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2016, 06:19:07 PM »
Well, let's hope this year everything goes as planned and they don't lose another aircraft to the Arctic Ocean.

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2016, 04:37:47 PM »
Well, let's hope this year everything goes as planned and they don't lose another aircraft to the Arctic Ocean.

When did they "Lose an aircraft"? I recall one being damaged, but not "lost to the Arctic Ocean".

Meanwhile clearing a runway for Barneo 2016 has begun:



The Barneo English language Facebook page has burst back into life too:

Quote
Today’s coordinates: 89°15'250" N и 085°32'680" E.
Temperature: -28 °C, wind: 3 m/c, clear now.

Because of cloudiness and low visibility the airdrops were carried out by the coordinates. Everybody and everything landed successfully and the construction of the runway started immediately. This year there is a lot to do: some icy parts have to be sawn down or knocked down, other places should be poured over. It will thus take 3 or 4 days more to finish the job.


« Last Edit: March 27, 2016, 04:48:30 PM by Jim Hunt »
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Patrick

  • New ice
  • Posts: 24
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2016, 12:38:56 AM »
Well, let's hope this year everything goes as planned and they don't lose another aircraft to the Arctic Ocean.

When did they "Lose an aircraft"? I recall one being damaged, but not "lost to the Arctic Ocean".

...
Yes, that's the aircraft in question and short story yes, initially they thought they could repair it, but apparently the damage was too severe. The likely only pieces recovered were both engines and some flaps and rudders.

Before I start with the longer story, I have to clarify, that there was no official statement regarding the final fate of the aircraft, but there is quite clear evidence of what happened.
As you said the Antonov made a hard landing causing heavy damage to the right main landing gear. The initial plan, as reported by Svalbardposten (Google Translate), was to get spare parts and mechanics to Barneo and after a successful repair let test pilots fly the airplane back to a proper airfield. This is confirmed by statements in a documentary about Barneo, which can be found on . After that there had been no news for quite some time, until Svalbardposten reported again in June, that the aircraft was still at Barneo and would not be flown out, but instead shoud've been retrieved via an icebreaker. An aerial image from 31. May confirms the Antonov had been sitting at a parking position beside the runway with black marks on the shoulders, indicating, that the engines had been removed. Another image from 19. June shows the airplane still at the same spot. A third image from 28. July pictures one of the removed engines. A gallery covering the evacuation of the camp then showed the recovery of the engines and some smaller parts like flaps or rudders. What was missing, was any sign of the fuselage. Indeed an earlier image from 31. July shows, that there was a crack running right through the position, where the aircaft had been parked. This was the first clear sign, that it broke through the ice. Further hints came via a russian forum (Google Translate), see the posts from 31. July and 16. September. In the meantime the Svalbardposten had been trying to get an official statement, but its inquiries were not answered, as reported on 18. September.

Timothy Astin

  • New ice
  • Posts: 50
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2016, 10:59:17 AM »
Patrick,
Nice jounalism!

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3698
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 419
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2016, 06:22:59 PM »
Nice work Patrick!! ;)
Have a ice day!

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2016, 12:08:54 PM »
A most interesting piece of research Patrick!

Meanwhile the Barneo Facebook page reports from not quite at the North Pole:

Quote
Coordinates of Barneo on March 28: 89°16' 020"N 085°21' 780"E, wind 3 m/sec, temperature -29°.

By now about 400 meters of the runway at Barneo are ready. This year it is a hard nut to crack. But everybody on the ice is healthy and full of enthusiasm.
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Frivolousz21

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1915
  • Live in Belleville, IL..15 miles SE of St. Louis.
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 598
  • Likes Given: 7
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2016, 09:08:10 AM »
All in all human innovation is remarkable.

I got a nickname for all my guns
a Desert Eagle that I call Big Pun
a two shot that I call Tupac
and a dirty pistol that love to crew hop
my TEC 9 Imma call T-Pain
my 3-8 snub Imma call Lil Wayne
machine gun named Missy so loud
it go e-e-e-e-ow e-e-e-e-e-e-blaow

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2016, 10:43:18 AM »
It seems the Barneo runway is finished, but there is as yet no aircraft available to land on it. According to the Barneo Facebook page:

Temperature on March 29: –34° C, coordinates: 89° 16' 082" N 085° 26' 814" E.

The runway at Barneo base is ready. But yesterday a stunning piece of news came. The Expeditionary Centre was refused to rent an Antonov An-74 airplane, the very and the only one which can land on the ice aerodrome.

However it seems as though the problem has been solved:

Quote
Thanks to a good acquaintance of ours (whose company owns an airplane we need) it became possible to accomplish our mission, a mission of state significance. The An-74’s current contract with another company will be inhibited and for a time the plane will be rented by Shar Airlines while the latter use it for our expedition. Although this plan was studied in advance it will take about 2 more days to draw up the documents. During 15-year Barneo history this is the first time when the finished landing strip waits for the people. Usually the people wait for the strip.

First technical flights to Barneo are planned for April 1 and 2.

"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2016, 01:17:41 PM »
This morning's report on the Barneo expedition blogs mentions a new problem:

Quote
The An-74 aircraft flew on schedule in Longyearbyen, with the main expeditionary crew on board. All was very quickly unloaded and settled down for the night at the headquarters of the expedition.

The headquarters of the expedition is now at Longyearbyen airport, here is the warehouse with expedition equipment. This morning Barneo reported that the runway had cracked. The meeting discussed the situation with the crew, and decided to fill small cracks and change the direction of the strip a bit. This will require additional time.

"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2016, 02:07:32 PM »
This expedition is pure madness, there is too much cracks everywhere. That should accelerate by the time they arrive. Result totally unpredictable.
http://go.nasa.gov/1oqMEN9

plinius

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 403
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2016, 02:12:05 PM »
This expedition is pure madness, there is too much cracks everywhere. That should accelerate by the time they arrive. Result totally unpredictable.
http://go.nasa.gov/1oqMEN9

Well, I think you can leave the "madness" criterium to the more competent people paying for their insurance. If you had taken the 5 seconds to dial back to 2013/14, you would have noticed a lot more "cracks" not causing any problems at all.
To cast a very simple message: If you see big, long cracks in the satellite image, they fortell pretty stable, thick ice. Things are troubled where you see no more long cracks.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2016, 02:31:47 PM »
Ok, may be you are right, I do not see this year to be like any other year, the sea is ice free north of Swalbard and the ice react differently. In the past the cracks (long one) were globally following the longitude, now we have big streaks starting north of Swalbard and aiming NNE and NNW, thought it is not directly at the pole, we'll see how it goes and people can take risk if they want to after all, with or without insurance.

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Barneo 2016 is officially open!
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2016, 04:50:46 PM »
According to a rough and ready translation of the expedition blog:

Borneo Coordinates: N 89 ° 27.927 'and E 031 ° 16.378'.
Temp: -15 °C, wind gusting up to 15 m / sec, pressure of 744 mm Hg

At 10 am, the crew, after analyzing data on temperature, wind, visibility, identifying the frequency of weather conditions change cycles, decided to still take off, so the approach to Barneo act according to circumstances - if not gonna get into the window of normal weather, back in Longyearbyen.

Hooray! Thanks to the skill of the crew, two and a half hours after departure from Longyearbyen we landed at Barneo ice airfield. So, today, on April 3, the drifting camp is officially open!

Our heroic crew:
Andrei Volkov - Instructor
Alexander Belyakov
Oleg Orlov
Shestaev Oleg - navigator
Kilochek Oleg - mechanic





"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

jai mitchell

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2356
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 207
  • Likes Given: 60
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #17 on: April 04, 2016, 08:27:21 PM »
what is the amount of hours of full sun exposure at your location per day now?
Haiku of Futures Passed
My "burning embers"
are not tri-color bar graphs
+3C today

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #18 on: April 05, 2016, 12:10:40 PM »
The latest "Shock News" from the North Pole via the Barneo Facebook page:

Quote
The floe of Barneo has cracked. There is only 650 meters left. So many efforts but all in vain.

The helicopters have taken off to search for another floe.

We start it all over. Prepare airdropping of a tractor to a new point. The tractors which are on Barneo now may fail to get there themselves. So we cannot risk and waste time.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2016, 12:57:49 PM by Jim Hunt »
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

charles_oil

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 337
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 38
  • Likes Given: 74
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #19 on: April 05, 2016, 12:39:11 PM »
Their impressive landing video looks like there is a crack starting already:

https://www.facebook.com/BarneoRu/videos/1011839095559855/

Gray-Wolf

  • Grease ice
  • Posts: 948
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 131
  • Likes Given: 458
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #20 on: April 05, 2016, 01:01:29 PM »
Is the breakup just a very unfortunate event or does it tell us about MY ice in the basin these days?

If the floe had gone though multiple fracture events over its lifetime then it will have many weak points across it all  'glued together' with FY ice and dusted over with snow
KOYAANISQATSI

ko.yaa.nis.katsi (from the Hopi language), n. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life disintegrating. 4. life out of balance. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living.
 
VIRESCIT VULNERE VIRTUS

Andreas T

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1149
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 18
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #21 on: April 05, 2016, 01:53:47 PM »
Using http://polarportal.dk/en/havisen-i-arktis/nbsp/sea-ice-extent/ to trace back where the region of ice which is now near the pole originates from, I would say it was formed in the Laptev sea in autumn of 2014, survived the summer of 2015  thinning and drifting north, was compressed and thickened in  the autumn of 2015 and followed the transarctic drift to its present position.
I don't think the thickness numbers are reliable, cryosat shows much thinner ice there, but the drift fits the picture from other sources.
 (Ice age map by Maslanik and Tschudi seems unavailable)

crandles

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3379
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 239
  • Likes Given: 81
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #22 on: April 05, 2016, 04:07:43 PM »

I don't think the thickness numbers are reliable, cryosat shows much thinner ice there, but the drift fits the picture from other sources.
 

Given that they spent time searching for suitable thick ice that hopefully wouldn't break up, and I assume cryosat cell size is rather bigger than the camp, isn't Cryosat showing thinner ice what we should expect?

jdallen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3406
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 646
  • Likes Given: 242
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #23 on: April 05, 2016, 05:37:57 PM »
Very unfortunate but not unexpected, considering the warm ice temps.  It's just not as strong as it should be.
This space for Rent.

Espen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3698
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 419
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #24 on: April 05, 2016, 06:15:19 PM »
It was some kind of a vodka landing they did on that icestrip?
Have a ice day!

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #25 on: April 06, 2016, 10:25:31 AM »
Espen - My fruit vodka making, Russian speaking better half assures me that they didn't sound drunk!

Meanwhile the Barneo team reveal the old runway:



and the new:

Quote
The new floe for Barneo is found and it is right near the old one. The new runway is being marked now. Then tractors will open it – and we’ll see how hard work it is going to be. At the same time on April 6 in Moscow they will assemble platforms with everything neсessary for the work – to be airdropped. The next day the platforms will be in Murmansk. Also there will land the An-74 from Longyearbyen to deliver the rest of the camp equipment also for airdropping. On its way back to Svalbard the plane will take instructors and dog teams for the Russian Airborne Troops’ field management. The camp itself will most probably stay unmoved.

The temperature is about –40°C.

« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 11:04:36 AM by Jim Hunt »
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Andreas T

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1149
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 18
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #26 on: April 07, 2016, 10:12:52 PM »
more problems with cracking at the new site before the airstrip is finished. It looks like the whole area is shifted and sheared too much. Thickness from cryosat in the region is higher than 2015 but doesn't seem to help.
https://www.facebook.com/BarneoRu/?fref=photo

jdallen

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 3406
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 646
  • Likes Given: 242
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #27 on: April 07, 2016, 11:59:37 PM »
more problems with cracking at the new site before the airstrip is finished. It looks like the whole area is shifted and sheared too much. Thickness from cryosat in the region is higher than 2015 but doesn't seem to help.
https://www.facebook.com/BarneoRu/?fref=photo
I wonder if the physical strength of the ice is playing a part.  Warmer ice - even just a few degrees above -20C - has considerably less resistance to both torsion and compression.
This space for Rent.

charles_oil

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 337
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 38
  • Likes Given: 74
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #28 on: April 08, 2016, 01:06:32 AM »
From Barneo on Facebook:

"Today on April 7 the expedition leader of Barneo Victor Serov received the maps of the condition of ice cap from the department of ice and hydra-meteorological forecasts of Arctic and Antarctic Scientific Research Institute. He commented that comparing the pictures one could see in the district around Barneo a powerful stream of ice movement, which affects all the ice masses around. There is great tension that causes movements. According to the forecast for Apr 8 (pic. 2) the drift will accelerate and turn into a whirlpool around the Pole. While after Apr 10 (pic. 3) it all calms down.

The helicopters were in the air searching for a new floe for over 5 hours. They followed 67th meridian and changed eastern hemisphere for western but could not find normal ice. There are open-water channels, rivers and broken ice. The helicopters returned to the base."

Sounds bad already.

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #29 on: April 08, 2016, 12:19:26 PM »
Sounds bad already.

Here's the associated grahics:







"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #30 on: April 10, 2016, 01:21:07 PM »
The latest information from Barneo, via Facebook:

Quote
Helicopters were scouting about for a new ice floor all night long and found 2 fields that look like suitable for a runway. First one 2 km away, but it is from the same ice floor as the previous one. Second one is 27 km away and looks stronger. After some rest the helicopter team will examine the ice floors and make the final decision.

Technical personnel of Barneo is waiting for the airdrop of fuel, provision, etc. IL-76 should be there early afternoon.

Information from Moscow: Moscow team did not sleep this night too. They were looking for a trailer to deliver one more tractor to Murmansk for the second airdrop. Now trailer is on a way to Murmansk.
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #31 on: April 10, 2016, 04:39:21 PM »
Another update from Barneo:

Quote
Airdrop at Barneo went well: 17 cargo platforms were dropped. Now we do not worry for people and equipment. It’s -38*C at the Ice Camp. Trailer with tractor has covered 600 km ( out of 2,300 km).

AN-74 returned back to LYR from Murmansk. There were no problems with a permission in spite of weekend.
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #32 on: April 13, 2016, 08:39:57 AM »
It sounds as though the new Arctic airstrip is currently working well. However the Barneo team now have another hurdle to clear. The latest news from Facebook:

Quote
We returned from Barneo. Runway is fantastic! There is a video of landing on it, but we are too exhausted to publish it. Here, in Longyearbyen, we met the skiers leaving with the next flight to Barneo, as well as the news from Norwegian authorities, who allowed only one flight to the North, while other eleven, which we declared well in advance, were forbidden!

The reason is the flight to Murmansk (which we were begging for, at least for two days in advance, telling we have people on ice in need of food, fuel, etc). Now we were suggested to start from the scratch - apply for the next flight 48 hours in advance (mind that today they cannot accept it being out of work). It means that tomorrow we send application, and, in the best case, get the permit for the evening 14th or morning 15th of April.

How, do you think, we may bring onto the ice, for example, the group of Richard Donovan's marathoners, all 55 guys? Just this will require two flights! Or, those long-suffering tourists, who have been waiting for ten days  to start their programs, how to help them?

To which I might add a further question. What about NPEO 2016 and the associated scientists?
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Neven

  • Administrator
  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 9433
    • View Profile
    • Arctic Sea Ice Blog
  • Liked: 1333
  • Likes Given: 617
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #33 on: April 13, 2016, 09:30:47 AM »
Poor bloody tourists!  :'(
The enemy is within
Don't confuse me with him

E. Smith

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #34 on: April 14, 2016, 11:51:40 AM »
More cracks at the North Pole ice camp:

Quote
Groundhog day.

Early in the morning today the new runway cracked. According the regulations, the remaining length isn't enough for landing, therefore we opted for safety and returned the second flight with marathoners back to Longyearbyen. There is a place to extend the runway, that's what our ice team is busy with at the moment. We hoped that the 'snow blanket' would help to keep the runway, but it didn't work out.

Unfortunately, Richard Donovan's group has been split: first part's on ice, and the second in Longyearbyen. Shouldn't there be a delay, caused by flights cancellation, the whole group would be already starting they programme. And now only a half of them is ready.

The "tourists" have been split asunder, much like the ice. There's still been no mention of any "scientists".
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

epiphyte

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 387
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 22
  • Likes Given: 21
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #35 on: April 14, 2016, 05:36:59 PM »
Methinks the ice is not the only thing that's cracking in the current climate... 

Unfortunately the geopolitical sang-froid, which has limited human presence in the arctic to the pursuit of science, is also starting to melt.

A-Team

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2977
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 944
  • Likes Given: 35
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #36 on: April 15, 2016, 12:47:32 AM »
I don't make this stuff up: http://www.npmarathon.com/

Quote
Welcome to the running experience of a lifetime. On 9th April each year, athletes like you can make history as a continuing new breed of Arctic adventurer.

By competing in the WORLD'S COOLEST MARATHON ®, the North Pole Marathon ®, you can become one of a truly select few to race at the top of the world - at the Geographic North Pole.  And you will feel on top of the world when you manage to overcome the extreme sub-zero temperatures to finish 42.195km (26.2 miles) in one of the remotest parts of the planet.

But first you must ask yourself if you have got the nerve and drive to travel to the North Pole and run on Arctic ice floes, with 6 to 12 feet separating you from 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean? Can you handle the extreme cold? Are you fit enough? Do you want to push yourself to the edge? If the answer is yes, then you are ready for the North Pole Marathon. Join race director Richard Donovan, the first marathoner at both the North and South Poles, in a trip of a lifetime. Remember, this marathon is not run on land - it is run 'on' water, frozen water, in the high Arctic Ocean. You will never have a greater adventure marathon story.

The North Pole Marathon will also feature an exciting team challenge, with the title decided by the cumulative time of a team's first three finishers. Whether comprised from an army division, company, athletics club or charity, your team can enter this contest. This amazing race will additionally offer athletes who have completed a marathon on all seven continents the opportunity of joining the exclusive North Pole Marathon Grand Slam Club by also completing this marathon on the Arctic Ocean.

Don't let this experience of a lifetime pass you by. For the 2017 North Pole Marathon entry fee of EUR 13,800 (or €13,500 if paying in full upon registration), Global Running Adventures /Polar Running Adventures will provide:

    return flights from Svalbard (Norway) to the North Pole camp
    accommodation while at the Pole
    entry to the official North Pole Marathon
    helicopter flights in the polar region
    the opportunity to stand at the exact Geographic North Pole
    t-shirts, medals, certificates and souvenirs

DrTskoul

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1455
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 210
  • Likes Given: 60
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #37 on: April 15, 2016, 01:26:59 AM »
I know a guy that has run a marathon at all continents. I'll ask him if we was planning to go to the frozen (for now) north ...,

DungeonMaster

  • Administrator
  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 152
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 18
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #38 on: April 15, 2016, 11:45:47 PM »
I've been watching Barneo since they began, and they've been having more and more problems finding good ice every year.

Before Barneo I loved to read blogs about ski expeditions to / from the pole every summer... but now they're over, it's impossible to travel on ice any more  :(

I think that, even anecdotal, those events give a good summary of what's happening now - and how fast it is...
This forum helps me to feel less uncomfortable about "doing something" about the melting Arctic and the warming world.

Andreas T

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1149
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 18
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #39 on: April 17, 2016, 12:20:40 AM »
I have come across this expedition only now although it took place from august 2014 to august 2015. https://sabvabaa.nersc.no/home
It is much more interesting to read about these two Norwegian scientists coping with repeated relocation of their camp in the arctic winter, taking large number of scientific measurements, improvising repairs as necessary and finding time to publish previous work via the satellite link to the internet.
But of course they didn't have the need to accommodate paying guests with their need to fly in and fly out on a tight schedule.

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #40 on: April 17, 2016, 02:07:09 AM »
I have come across this expedition only now.

I've been following them for somewhat longer!

http://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,116.msg46010.html#msg46010
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Andreas T

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1149
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 18
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #41 on: April 17, 2016, 07:54:26 AM »
Pity I didn't spot that last year. Maybe the title of the thread made me pay less attention to it ::)
It is still worth reading through their weekly reports, all 50!  Their description and photographs of cracking and ridging ice, drifting snow and the problems this caused for them is giving an on the spot perspective I very much enjoyed reading about.

The picture below is from week 30 so this didn't make them call in the air lift!
« Last Edit: April 17, 2016, 08:06:22 AM by Andreas T »

vigilius

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 129
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 5
  • Likes Given: 1
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #42 on: April 21, 2016, 11:09:08 AM »
Well, here you have it. Perhaps the last one of these we'll see?

http://www.11alive.com/sports/arkansas-man-wins-north-pole-marathon/144871437

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #43 on: April 22, 2016, 11:48:53 AM »
The Barneo Facebook page is rather quiet at the moment, so these are from the Russian language blog on April 18th:


(Photo credit: Sergey Panteleev)


"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

charles_oil

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 337
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 38
  • Likes Given: 74
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #44 on: April 25, 2016, 12:56:48 PM »
As of 23 April from Facebook Barneo page

Well then, our dear friends, the 15th Season of Barneo camp is close to the end. A milestone season, and a crucial one. Not yet time to strike the balance, as the people are still on the ice, though we are partially packing up the camp. But it become clear that we should change the route and quit Svalbard. Everyone of you, who watched Barneo news, knows how hard it was to start the season. Then on April, 7 we got further problems from the Norwegian authorities. Trude Petterson, The Independent Barents Observer reporter, found a threat to national security in our conventional activities. On these grounds the Norwegian authorities made the transportation rules much more rigorous: apart from normal permission request 48 hours before the flight (what we've been always performing punctually), they now require detailed list of passengers and cargo to be submitted 48 hours before. But in Arctic it's hard to predict how things will unfold on the ice. Therefore it's just impossible to follow new rules.
 In recent years, the Norwegian authorities treated our work loyally and set our North Pole flights equal to sanitary ones. The Longyearbyen terminal security service has been checking the passengers and freight just before each departure. But today a formal request is required 48 hrs before a take-off.
 We reorient our logistics to the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, in restoration of which we have recently been involved (a photo album we'll publish a bit later).


6roucho

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 296
  • Finance geek
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 1
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #45 on: April 25, 2016, 01:10:17 PM »
Fascinating reporting, everyone, and a riveting story.

TerryM

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6002
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 893
  • Likes Given: 5
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #46 on: April 27, 2016, 05:47:04 PM »
Jim
You seem to have followed the Barneo story for longer than most.
It seems to me that an overzealous reporter for the Barents Observer saw the picture of a bearded gent in the Svalbard airport, assumed he was a Chechen warrior and lost her job as the result of publishing this speculative piece.
She and 2 others, calling themselves The Independent Barents Observer then published further stories claiming that the Russian military was using Camp Barneo for all kinds of nefarious purposes, this resulted in Norway tightening regulations which made Barneo a logistic nightmare.
The latest plans, as I understand it are for future Barneos to use Franz Joseph Land as their departure point, leaving Svalbard without whatever financial gains they traditionally accrued.
I don't speak any of the languages involved so it's not impossible that my interpretation is entirely wrong. Please don't hesitate in correcting me.
If it is as I see it, it's another sad case of ideology overruling common sense. I remember the Canadian representative to the Arctic Counsel proudly declaring that under Canada's watch the counsel had thwarted every Russian proposal made during the past two years. As a Canadian I cringed.
Terry
 

magnamentis

  • Guest
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #47 on: April 27, 2016, 06:22:40 PM »
+1

Andreas T

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1149
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 18
  • Likes Given: 4
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #48 on: April 27, 2016, 09:37:35 PM »
I don't claim to have a lot of information on this but it might be worth reading some of the background available in english.
http://thebarentsobserver.com/
http://www.adn.com/article/20151203/media-arctic-what-happened-barents-observer
It looks like it was the leader of Chechnia who said that military personnel were travelling back from Barneo via Svalbard.
I vaguely recall that it was the russians originally who insisted on demilitarization of Svalbard. The activities of Chechen forces "on holiday" in other countries is another issue one might consider.

Jim Hunt

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 6264
  • Don't Vote NatC or PopCon, Save Lives!
    • View Profile
    • The Arctic sea ice Great White Con
  • Liked: 891
  • Likes Given: 86
Re: Barneo 2016
« Reply #49 on: April 28, 2016, 12:29:18 PM »
There was me thinking Barneo was a holiday camp, when according to Russia Today it's actually a "Russian military camp near the North Pole":

https://www.facebook.com/360RT/videos/1161648540523255/
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg