Still getting through the backlog of photos so heres another post with some shots of Sky Blu where I was based for a couple of weeks in November last year and a few days off and on in the last couple of months. Sky Blu is a blue ice runway and field camp roughly 600km south of Rothera which is permanently staffed by at least three staff for the summer season. When I first flew into Sky blu after my week at Fossil Bluff (http://www.mountainstotheseaphotography.com/2015/12/fossil-bluff/) I could not believe how cold it was. As Sky blu is at 4500ft above sea level it gets pretty cold and gets some incredibly high winds. On the day I arrived it was -25degC and about +25deg inside the hut! The runway at Sky Blu is essential to BAS operating deeper into the Antarctic Continent as the runway is made of blue ice allowing the larger airplane (Dash 7) to land on wheels allowing more cargo and fuel to be flown in. The camp is staffed by two “mechs” and a field assistant with the mechs keeping the various machines working and clearing snow and the field assistant covers met observations, communications and various day to day chores around the camp.The pilots accommodation at the far end of camp. All of the huts and tents are very spread out due to high winds.
The living melon hut and the various other tents strung out in a line.
Inside the pilots melon hut
Inside the living melon hut. Blair (far left) Brian (middle in orange) and Stu (far right) spent most of their summer at Sky blue going back to Rothera for a break about every three weeks.
The comms desk and food storage.
Sky blue from one of the nearby peaks. The two dots on the right are the melon huts and the other dots in line are (in order) the toilet tent, weatherhaven (sleeping) and the Garage. The smaller dots are stores of various things.
There are a couple of peaks around Sky Blu which are great for a quick outing. Brian, Blair and Bruno on “Mende”
Blair strolling up “Lanzerotte”
High winds outside the living Melon Hut
There is also lots of ice. While there were a few of us waiting around we managed a pretty good game of curling using large food tins and various brushes. Cheese, Al and Sam discussing the rules.
Cheese in action
Stu in giving a tin of beans some speed.
Facilities at Sky Blu are pretty limited. After we had been there a couple of weeks Stu rigged up a shower. I think this is Sam showering but I didnt want to zoom in.
Inside the sleeping tent.
The sleeping tent.
One of the coolest things I learnt while at Sky blue is that when its cold your washing freezes and then becomes dry without every becoming wet again. This was a complete revelation to me (called sublimation) but probably not to most people who paid attention in school.
Probably my favourite thing at Sky Blu was the ice crystals in the underground garages.
Midnight on Doppler Nunatak.
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2 Comments
Wow. PIcs are amazing. You are really doing it. Letter coming soon! Cheers from the US
Cheers Pete – funnily enough I was thinking of you recently as I came across an album by “booogie longo” on my ipod. Dire times call for dire music and all that.