Destination Antarctica

I will try to add more pictures with captions on this page from my Antarctica visit (deployment season 2010-11) and make into more of a picture story. The detailed version of which I will try to regularly update on the home page of my blog. You can click on the dates to go to the relevant blogs if applied.

December 7, 2010 Blacksburg, USA to Christchurch, NZ

Our PENGUIn team from Virginia Tech. (from left) Joseph, me, Hyomin. In our third flight (LA,USA to Auckland, NZ) after we left Blacksburg.

At the Auckland airport before catching the fourth and last flight of the day to finally arrive in Christchurch. On my bag tag, USAP stands for United States Antarctica Program.

December 8, 2010 

Guess what we never saw this day as we crossed the international date line.. 

December 9, 2010, Christchurch.

At the Cathedral in Christchurch. It is summer there in southern hemisphere, remember? :D 

There was a small bazaar. Reminded me of Quincy market in Boston, US and Tulshibaag in Pune, India (of course way smaller version). 

Life size chess board. I tried my hand it too.. :)

Eating Korean food. I learned how to ask them politely to pack my food in Korean -- Sa Jusayo (obviously I could not finish all that in front of me.)

Famous punting in the Avon river, Christchurch.  

• A tata nano type car -- mostly an electric one though.

December 10, 2010, Clothing Distribution Center, Christchurch

That's the example of all the clothes we need to wear.

I put on 20 pounds with that clothing!

Supply room in CDC with different types of gears of different sizes.

December 11, 2010 C17 Taking us to Antarctica

Just before boarding the flight at the Antarctic Center, Christchurch, NZ.

Me and Joseph in front of C17.

That's the belly of the hippo C17 where we are sitting..

View from the airplane.

Joseph in front of the plane after landing on the ice.

We were taken to the base via this bus. It had humongous tires. 

That's the bus.

My dorm room.

December 12, 2010 McMurdo, Day 2

Volcanic rock from one of the three big active volcanoes on the Earth: Mount Erbus (pronounced similar to "Airbus").

The touch tank.

I am playing with the sea version of touch-me-not.

Some more creatures: An Antarctic cousin of starfish called brittle star and scallops.

On my way out on a stroll.

December 13, 2010 McMurdo, Day 3

Checking our field camp gear in the cage assigned to keep the cargo.

With my sleeping bag.

Gamow bag to treat altitude sickness.

They artificially increase the pressure to lower the apparent altitude.

Oxygen therapy training.

December 14-15, 2010 McMurdo,  Day 4 and 5

Happy Campers: 18 of us.

Our bags and not we ( :( ) got a ride on a snowmobile. 

I with Mount Erbus (pronounced as Airbus), an active volcano in the background.  

Building Scott tents at our campsite.

7 mountain tents + 2 Scott tents + the snow wall to protect the mountain tents.

We are enjoying our dinner (yes it was 8.00 pm local time then) at the snow-dining table we built.

There are too many pictures for this one. Please check out my picasa album for that at:

Happy Campers:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kbdeshpande/HappyCampersMcMurdoAntarctica201011#



December 16-17, 2010 McMurdo,  Day 6 and 7

Doing groceries in a special store for field camping.

That's how the store looks like.

This is our cage where we were getting all our cargo together including camping gears and food in small boxes.

Me and Hyomin with Joel before he left McMurdo.

December 18, 2010 McMurdo,  Day 8

Women Soiree: a great gathering with band and some wine.

I found someone dressed up in Salwar Kameez... :D

Belly dancing at the Women Soiree.

Our PENGUIn team from left Hyomin, me, Bob and Joseph

December 19, 2010 McMurdo,  Day 9

Scott base

At the Discovery hut.

110 years or so old oatmeal and cocoa.

Can you spot the seal on left? They are just too lazy!

December 21, 2010 South Pole, Day 1

LC 130

Trans Antarctic Mountains.

A glacier

Amundson-Scott South Pole Station from the LC130 cockpit

After we landed at the pole.

December 22 - 23, 2010, South Pole, Day 2-3 

A hallway in the South Pole station

. 

My own little room. Unlike in McMurdo, we all got individual room with phone, internet connection (although it is sparsely available, desk, closet etc..)

The first shot at the South Pole (There are many more following).

At snowmobile training.

I am riding the snowmobile and Bob is on the sled. I don't think I am keen on having  a sled ride like that.. :D

Sundog 1, a snapshot from my flip video.

Sundog 2 (the one on the other side of the Sun).

December 25, 2010 South Pole, Day 5 

Race around the world participants and a cross country skier. 

This was a New Year and Christmas wishes letter by the Indian team that recently visited the South Pole.

Christmas tree in the galley.

Christmas morning when we had gift exchanges. :)

I stayed back and worked on my blog that day. I wore a Penguin T-shirt Shreya gave.. I saw a movie "Happy Feet". If  not real penguins, I had these penguins with me at the South Pole. Just as a note, Penguins do not come so inland. We might be able to see some when we go back to the coastal area at McMurdo.. I have my fingers crossed! :D

South Pole weather on Christmas day.

December 26, 2010 South Pole, Day 6

I am making a trench for the HF antenna cable.

The Electronics and battery box pit for our System.

My team at the completed system. From left Bob, me, Joseph, Hyomin. Hyomin got the Virginia Tech flag on the back of which we all signed and he also got a funny sign to put up on our completed system saying "No Parking: Vehicles will be towed at owners expense".

The VT flag with our signatures flying high on our tower.

Hyomin enthusiastically got the VT flag and also made this "No Parking" board  just for fun! At least now I am pretty sure there won't be any snowmobiles or piston bulleys parked in front of our solar panel tower. :D

VT flag at the South Pole.

The 2009-2010 marker with Indian flag in background.

I am taking my picture at the Pole with the station in the background.

December 27, 2010, South Pole, Day 7

Joseph, Julian and Hyomin outside the Twin Otter which will take them to the remote site on the plateau. 

It was a relatively big plane with a weight restriction of 2000 pounds.

Indian food back in the galley.

December 31, 2010, South Pole, Day 11

Bob installing our new Iridium antenna with a ground plane.

This is how the new Iridium antenna looked like after installation.

January 1, 2011, South Pole, Day 12

Happy New Year from the new South Pole marker (This is midnight on New Years eve)..

Enjoying the icecream at the Pole. 

With the old South Pole

People gathered in around the Old and New South Poles.

Unveiling of the New South Pole.

The New South Pole marker dedicated to 100 years of Antarctic exploration.

January 2, 2011, South Pole, Day 13

New South Pole in the background of the old one. Note the distance between the two is about 20-25 ft.

At the new South Pole with the station in the background. We had to wait for one whole day till we could found the marker clear of the crowd!

At the Arts and Crafts room at the SP station with Kasia and Kyle flashing their henna tatoos.

January 3, 2011, South Pole, Day 14


There are loads of pictures for this day. Please find them on my picasa album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kbdeshpande/BeforeHeadingOutFromSouthPole?authkey=Gv1sRgCMjb74rVr9rTEw&feat=directlink


January 3-4, 2011, South Pole to Christchurch

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Loading cargo in C130 at the South Pole

The ski of LC130.

LC 130.

Me with C17 in the background. Could not smile enough to be back at Christchurch.

Joseph and Hyomin were staring at me while I was enjoying the pizza... Just kidding.. These were the hungry, tired faces before we ordered.

I was happy with the food.. The tandoori chicken flavor and papad on the top of it.

January 5-7, 2011, Christchurch to home

There are loads of pictures for this day. Please find them on my picasa album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kbdeshpande/SwimWithDolphinsAndNewZealandScenary?authkey=Gv1sRgCKf0n4Lezsehaw&feat=directlink