Abandoned Polar Station of Russkiy island. MLAE-2011 diaries.

MARCH 24 2011

Whiteout in Kara Sea MLAE-2011

Blizzard persisted for four days. Warm, up to -7 С°, low drifting snow and whiteouts. Strong wind. From Dickson on the Arctic seems to be throwing at us all that its got. Clenching our teeth we push forward looking at GPS and the map on computer screen more than through the windshield and reach island Russkiy. The vehicles and the crew are behaving well. We are on the move 24 hours per day. Night shifts are easier than days as the ridges and terrain is easier to read at night in the light of our projectors, than in the milkish whiteout of the day.

Abandoned polar station on Russkiy island in Kara Sea. MLAE-2011

We come across an abandoned Polar station on the Russkiy island, its windows and doors are taken broken by the bears. Strong Arctic wind creates another polynya that stops our progress to the North. We send greetings to all our meteorologists (Day of a meteorologist in Russia), wish them luck in everything including their witchcraft job. We have a celebration of our won as well: today Afanasy Makovnev, turns 49 and invited us to celebrate with him. All’s well, and our best wishes go out to everyone on the continent.

Afanasy Makovnev is 49 today. MLAE-2011

The expedition is currently on the Russkiy island in Kara Sea and the island is surrounded by a large polynya. The crew is searching for a passage to move further North to the Severnaya Zemlya. Coordinates on 16:00 MSK:N77° 1.847', E95° 32.401'

Translated from Russian by Ilya Kovalev