From Katharine (UCL) travelling between Resolute Bay and Alert, 10 April

View from Twin Otter (credits: K. Giles)

We got the all clear to leave for Alert at breakfast. So we headed for the airfield met Troy and Derek who would be our pilots for the next 10 days, loaded up the Twin Otter with our bags and climbed onboard.

The conditions were beautiful, clear skies and sunshine, which gave us fantastic views of this untouched scenery – mountains covered by snow, glaciers and sea ice.

Inside the Twin Otter (credits: K. Giles)

Travelling on the Twin Otter to the far north is an interesting experience. We travel in full Arctic kit, firstly, as the plane is very cold when you get on (it did warm up enough to take our jackets off) and secondly, you need to be in your kit in case you have to get out in a hurry. It took around three hours to fly to Eureka, were we had a quick stop to refuel and then another hour and a half to Alert.

Alert is a military base but welcomes scientists who need to operate in the high Arctic and there is a great team of civilians also working here who are looking after us (Jim and Kevin).

Alert (credits: K. Giles)

There is also a pack of wolves roaming around. Rosie and I spotted one on the road up to the base. It looked like a huge (they can be 6-7 feet long) white dog, surveying the land. 

We’ve been told we have to be very careful not to encourage them onto the base as they might have rabies.

We spent the afternoon in a very cold warehouse sorting out our kit with the idea that we will fly tomorrow if the weather is good.