Pituffik US Space Base sits at 76.32 N, well within the Arctic Circle in Northwest Greenland. It was here we landed on August 7th after more than 50 hours of travel to board Icebreaker Oden for the GEOEO24 expedition. Between the three members of the GEOEO24 US contingent (Liz, Brian, and Larry) that travel included six countries, nine plane flights, a train ride, three buses, and one small boat transfer. After trials that included lost luggage, ambient noise levels in excess of 109.9 dB re 20 µPa, and an unexpected stay in Iceland we arrived in the land of the midnight sun. All-in-all it was a relatively straightforward trip, given our past experiences getting to polar expedition starting points!
We started from our respective homes in the US and flew to Stockholm, Sweden to meet the rest of the GEOEO personnel, both scientists and the ship’s crew - Oden did a full crew transfer from those involved on the transit from Helsingborg to Pituffik to GEOEO24. After meeting bright and early at Arlanda International Airport, we boarded a Swedish Airforce Hercules C-130 cargo plane headed for Greenland, by way of Iceland for refueling. While the name “Hercules C-130” suggests a huge transport, the reality was quite cramped. The 75 passengers (52 scientist and 23 crew) pushed the Hercules capacity to the limit!
C-130s are cargo planes and typically that cargo is not people. There is very little sound damping and no creature comforts (definitely no inflight service). Brian measured the ambient sound levels at cruising altitude at more than 109.9 dB re 20 µPa – very loud indeed! Almost everyone wore earplugs and noise canceling headphones. Some of us tried to nap, some of us read, some of us day-dreamed about the sauna on Oden. After a very long, loud four-and-a-half-hour flight we landed in Keflavik, Iceland for the planned refueling.
This was where our drama really began. We had to disembark for safety reasons, and while waiting we learned that the second left of our flight was canceled due to poor weather at Pituffik. We would have to stay the night in Iceland. Imagine trying to find a last-minute hotel for 75 people… But that’s not all! We returned to the Hercules to pick up our gear and discovered that several pieces of luggage (including Larry’s bag) had not been loaded onto the flight!! Imagine, if you will, going to sea for 40+ days without your carefully packed gear (cloths, toiletries, books, snacks). It was a nightmare!!
Now we must introduce the hero of this story: Asa Lindgren, who works for the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (SPRS) which is the governmental body dealing with the administrative details of the GEOEO24 expedition. She and her team found us a hotel and transport within the hour, all the while making phone calls to locate the missing luggage. After checking into our hotel, the US contingent (plus a few others) took a field trip with Larry to downtown Reykjavik to purchase some backup clothes and toiletries, just in case the luggage was well and truly lost. Unfortunately, it just happened to be a public holiday, Commerce Day (like Labor Day in the USA), and most the shops were closed. Seemed like Larry’s luck had really run out…
Fortunately, the luggage was found and delivered to the airport 15 minutes before our flight took off the next day. We all cheered as it came onboard and then finally took off for the second four-and-a-half-hour flight to Pituffik, Greenland.
Pituffik Space Base sits in is a barren, beautiful area in northwestern Greenland. The hills are brown and tree-less, with some lingering snow even in the middle of the summer. The edge of the Greenland icesheet is visible in the distance, the termini of several glaciers a visible reminder of the changing climate in the area. Anchored offshore was Icebreaker Oden, our final destination. We were processed through the Space Base with quick efficiency and bussed out to the pier for our small boat transfer and (finally!) the beginning of GEOEO24.
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