The route from Tiksi to Samoylov. Image by Alfred Wegener InstituteMorning, at 11:00 we started to Samoylov from Tiksi. We used Ural, a big truck with warm room for passengers. We loaded everything what we needed for expedition, food and luggage and ourselves and started.

 

Our way laid over the thick ice – first we drove on the landfast sea ice, and then we turned to the ice covered river channels. First time my foot stepped on the subject of my master thesis.

 

Going with Ural on the ice is very similar to the ship travel (at least according to my experience). I felt sea sick not less than onboard the ship. Every 30 seconds we were jumping up on our seats, and the luggage behind us all the time threatened to squash us. So if you think that ice surface is so smooth, you are not right.

 

On the ice. Photo by Sebastian Zubrzycki, University of HamburgEvery 20 km we made a stop, because Thomas and Hanno wanted to have snow samples from these uninhabited places. While they took samples, we could have a little rest and admire the great landscapes.

 

When the most part of the way was done, we made a stop to bring a small sacrifice to the gods of Stolb Island. We sacrificed a piece of cookie, but as it seems it was not enough for gods, because immediately after that we got stuck in a snow.

 

But, fortunately, it took not so long to overcome it, and in half an hour we arrived to the destination point! All in all, we drove around 8 hours, so we were quite tired, and after the small meeting with all station people in a conference room, we went to sleep.

 

 

Photo by Thomas Opel.

Snow measurements. Photo by Thomas Opel.