Snow conditions are really determining how well a tractor train performs on the ice sheet. Temperature of snow is important: Warm snow (higher than –8C) is soft, while cold snow (lower than -15C) is hard. However, when there has been a period with warm weather, warming up surface snow, and then cold weather sets in and the surface cools down, then the “hard” snow becomes unstable because of a soft layer underneath. And we found ourselves with this type of snow. It was really a struggle for people and vehicles.
We continued night time driving Thursday, and stopped around Noon. This allowed for a fresh team to drive back and pick up the leftover sleds during the day. However, the snow improved, so we decided to go by day time on Friday, and if conditions were good, we would continue all the way to GRIP. This strategy paid off, and we reached GRIP late in the evening with all sleds in tow.
Now, we are at GRIP, and everybody who have been trapped inside a rumbling dome for days can now exit the “cocoon” and beging working outside again.
EGRIP station is now history. It is now a “site” where we have equipment that will be picked up next week. Say hello to GRIP station, which is sitting on the real Greenland Ice Sheet Summit at 3240m-3250m above sea level. GRIP is 27.5 km East of the U.S. Summit Station, so our American colleagues have got new neighbors.
What we over the past two days:
1. Thursday: Traverse start at 3.30L. After several tries where we got stuck after a couple of kilometers, we had to leave two sleds and a tank – again. Snow was still soft, but hardened up during our 62.5 km drive. We stopped driving at 1300L. A pickup team for leftover sleds departed at 1400L, and they arrived at back traverse at 1.00 Friday morning, after an 11-hour trip (244 km from EGRIP/100km to GRIP).
2. Friday: As the snow improved, we decided for a full load at day time. We started at 0900 and continued driving without getting stuck. We made two stops for re-fuelling, and at 2300, we arrived at GRIP after 100 km of driving.
3. GRIP is reached and the first heavy traverse is over.
Weather en-route: Mix of overcast and clear. Temp. -15 to -8 C, 8-12 kt from WSW, later SE.
FL EGRIP GRIP, J.P. Steffensen
