Also based at Willy's is the LDB project- where they send Long Duration Balloons way up into the stratosphere in the hope that they'll get into the polar vortex- winds that whip around and around Antarctica for a month or two each summer. The balloons manage to stay up for ~30 days, and can circle Antarctica a couple of times! So these balloons are pretty massive- they're not that big on the ground, but once they get up to altitude they expand. The payloads that they carry are assembled in the tallest buildings on the continent!
Anyway, the launch didn't go ahead, as they have to wait for perfect weather conditions- including consistent winds both at ground level and at the high altitudes which they'll be flying at.
So, after getting back from our drive, Glen and I decided to head out on the mountain bikes back out there for some exercise. The road is pretty well maintained, and it was actually easier than riding on the roads around Wellington! It's all pretty flat, and there's not much traffic. It's on the Ross Ice Shelf, which is a floating mass of ice which has come off the glaciers surrounding it. It
s the pressure of it ramming into Ross Island near Scott Base that causes the pressure ridges. On the road these aren't as severe, but you get pressure rollers which look like big swells in the ocean- very cool to ride over.
It took us about 20-30 minutes to ride each way, altho it took a bit longer on the way back because we took some photos. A very nice way to spend an extra day in Antarctica! A bit of exercise too.
The LDB buildings. The two big buildings are where they put together the science payloads which hang below the balloons. The big vehicle is called The Boss (after Ernest Shackleton), and is used to launch the balloons.
Glen and I at Williams Field.
Twin Otter taking off.
LC-130 Hercules.
The strange thing about this sign was that you could read it from the far side of the road- where you're supposed to be!
Glen riding along..
Turning round to see if I'm here to bike or just take photos!
Out at Willy's again..
Twin Otter taxiing to take off.
Three different modes of transport. Glen on the bike, then a reasonable small American vehicle, and then their big-assed Delta trucks.
Biking round..
Cruising.
Doing some skids! haha.
Awesome Twin Otter kitted out for some geophysical surveys- it's got a Lidar, ground penetrating radar, absolute gravity meter, magnetometer (sp?). All positioned with some reasonably high accurate GPS, but the guy wouldn't tell me how they're processing it, haha.
If you go off the groomed road, you don't get very far!
Glen, with Erebus in the background.
Glen and I riding along.
Me with Erebus behind.
Glen riding back.
Ivan the Terra Bus, with some American Hagglunds behind.
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