Sunday, October 30, 2005
October 30, 2005: Captain's Log
Here is a Captain's Log report from Nathalie, our team leader:
Captain's Log #1
October 30, 2005: Licancabur Ascent -3 days
This year, conditions are brutal in the altiplano. In front of the refuge, Laguna Blanca is consistently frozen, with a few exceptions. The summit lake of Licancabur is buried under 70 cm of ice. There will be no diving at the summit this year, and we had to reassess our options to get science done safely. This is a challenge: During our training on Juriques two days ago, we were greeted at the second summit (5,200 m) by a sustained wind (not gusts) of over 100 km/h. I was almost thrown to the ground, and Clay made the best catch of his life that day. Rob was basically leaning 30 degrees against the wind. You can imagine that we did not stay long there. Time for photos... and duck! We were pretty cold back at the car but everybody is in good health.
Today, the weather was better. It is incredible what a difference less wind can make… We hiked on Licancabur until we reached mid-slope for our second training day. From what I saw, there are at least two things I am sure of: The team is happy to be here…and they are not anoxic! They kept singing on the way in and back :) ... No need for a radio. The peace of the altiplano was a bit troubled but our guide had the time of his life...
We reached our training goal of twice reaching 5,200 m before thinking about Licancabur. This year will be special. I did not mention yet that the temperature currently at the summit is -40C, and this is without the wind-chill factor. El Nino is very present. I had to make executive decisions. On one hand, we were never so well prepared for the underwater documentation of the lake and its bathymetry. This is disappointing. We will have to forget it for the time being. On the other hand, a second volcano, Poquentica, is waiting for us 700 km north. We do not know this one yet, and everything is to be discovered there. Poquentica and its summit lake are our other objectives for this year. This volcano is located to the north, closer to the equator and has not been hit by the storms related to El Nino. We should be fine there.
Moreover, all science at the summit of Licancabur is not over. I changed our original plans compared to previous years. The temperature is so low that we will not camp at the summit but at mid-camp. We will leave it early morning of November 3rd and dash for the summit where we will retrieve our meteorological data and position a new Eldonet station. I will personally try to extract some mud from below the ice near shore and we will be out of there, destination either mid-camp if we are late or tired, or the refuge if we are early enough. Only the fittest will go. This is the first time that I will not bring the entire team to the summit, but this year is nothing like normal.
Despite the harsh conditions, the work at the level of the lower lakes has been going flawlessly, and we already have been making great progress in our sampling program as well as instruments positioning. Our biologists should arrive November 5th and move North with us.
As we are studying extreme environments, this year, we have become part of the experiment, just in case we could forget what extreme really means... So far, we are as successful as the microorganisms living in the lakes. We adapt!
On behalf of the entire team, I send our thoughts to our friends back home. We are doing well and preparing well. We are staying safe and thinking of you.
Nathalie
Laguna Blanca Refuge
October 30th 2005
Captain's Log #1
October 30, 2005: Licancabur Ascent -3 days
This year, conditions are brutal in the altiplano. In front of the refuge, Laguna Blanca is consistently frozen, with a few exceptions. The summit lake of Licancabur is buried under 70 cm of ice. There will be no diving at the summit this year, and we had to reassess our options to get science done safely. This is a challenge: During our training on Juriques two days ago, we were greeted at the second summit (5,200 m) by a sustained wind (not gusts) of over 100 km/h. I was almost thrown to the ground, and Clay made the best catch of his life that day. Rob was basically leaning 30 degrees against the wind. You can imagine that we did not stay long there. Time for photos... and duck! We were pretty cold back at the car but everybody is in good health.
Today, the weather was better. It is incredible what a difference less wind can make… We hiked on Licancabur until we reached mid-slope for our second training day. From what I saw, there are at least two things I am sure of: The team is happy to be here…and they are not anoxic! They kept singing on the way in and back :) ... No need for a radio. The peace of the altiplano was a bit troubled but our guide had the time of his life...
We reached our training goal of twice reaching 5,200 m before thinking about Licancabur. This year will be special. I did not mention yet that the temperature currently at the summit is -40C, and this is without the wind-chill factor. El Nino is very present. I had to make executive decisions. On one hand, we were never so well prepared for the underwater documentation of the lake and its bathymetry. This is disappointing. We will have to forget it for the time being. On the other hand, a second volcano, Poquentica, is waiting for us 700 km north. We do not know this one yet, and everything is to be discovered there. Poquentica and its summit lake are our other objectives for this year. This volcano is located to the north, closer to the equator and has not been hit by the storms related to El Nino. We should be fine there.
Moreover, all science at the summit of Licancabur is not over. I changed our original plans compared to previous years. The temperature is so low that we will not camp at the summit but at mid-camp. We will leave it early morning of November 3rd and dash for the summit where we will retrieve our meteorological data and position a new Eldonet station. I will personally try to extract some mud from below the ice near shore and we will be out of there, destination either mid-camp if we are late or tired, or the refuge if we are early enough. Only the fittest will go. This is the first time that I will not bring the entire team to the summit, but this year is nothing like normal.
Despite the harsh conditions, the work at the level of the lower lakes has been going flawlessly, and we already have been making great progress in our sampling program as well as instruments positioning. Our biologists should arrive November 5th and move North with us.
As we are studying extreme environments, this year, we have become part of the experiment, just in case we could forget what extreme really means... So far, we are as successful as the microorganisms living in the lakes. We adapt!
On behalf of the entire team, I send our thoughts to our friends back home. We are doing well and preparing well. We are staying safe and thinking of you.
Nathalie
Laguna Blanca Refuge
October 30th 2005
