Lost in the Ice: How Antarctic expedition members nearly became trapped forever in the Cave of the Mountain King. (Photo included)

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Participants of the Antarctic expedition nearly became trapped forever in the Cave of the Mountain King

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

- At 20 meters per second, we not only have to survive but also conduct scientific research in such wind. We reinforced our tents with 20-centimeter screws. To give you an idea of the wind: if you step out of the tent and spread your arms, you could lie down in that wind. They also say that with wind speeds over 25 meters per second, you could soar like a kite. But we haven't reached that point yet, - shares Evgeny Sazonov, our special correspondent in Antarctica, in his diaries for the Moscow Youth Antarctic Expedition, recorded specifically for the listeners of Radio "Komsomolskaya Pravda".

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Russian IL-76 in Antarctica

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

THE CAVE OF THE MOUNTAIN KING

Despite the wind, the expedition participants continue to conquer new peaks – for example, nunatak, which is a solitary rock rising above the ice, has its own name in Eskimo, which translates to "whale".

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Base of the Moscow Youth Antarctic Expedition

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

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Access to the glacier

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

Before reaching the nunatak, there was a real shelf glacier. Some saw it as the Cave of the Mountain King, while our special correspondent viewed it as the forgotten treasure trove of Mother Winter, who comes to Antarctica to enjoy her vacation.

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The treasure trove of Mother Winter

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

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Skinner in the icy cave

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

- Imagine ice stretching to the horizon. Millions, even billions of tons of ice, fading into the distance. To collect samples, we had to climb into its very thickness. Honestly, I’m not very fond of speleology because I always feared getting stuck somewhere in a narrow passage in a cave, - admits Evgeny Sazonov. – And that’s exactly what happened. The passage was so narrow that I thought even a cat couldn’t fit through it. And of course, I got stuck. For several terrifying minutes, I couldn’t move either way until I was pulled out with combined efforts. And then… we climbed into another crevice. This time it was long, and I had to crawl sideways for about 20 meters, pushing off with "crampons" - special spikes worn on boots.

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Scientific leader of the expedition Ivan Smirnov

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

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Another skinner

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

Fortunately, all difficulties eventually come to an end. The expedition members emerged from the Cave of the Mountain King in full force. They collected samples from the top of the glacier, took photos and… "dove" back in. Because there was only one way out.

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Refuge of the Antarctic troll

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

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Guide Alexey

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

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In a few days, this cave will fill with water

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE

At the shelf glacier, they managed to collect samples of water and air for methane concentration analysis. Prior to this, samples of microalgae, mosses, and lichens were taken in the vicinity of the Russian Antarctic station "Lazarevskaya". All of this work is being undertaken by students from ordinary city schools and colleges.

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Beginning of the shelf glacier

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

Let us remind you that the first Moscow Youth Antarctic Expedition in history was organized by the Department of Education and Science of Moscow in collaboration with the Center for Additional Education "Travel Laboratory", whose director - recipient of the Order of Courage and honorary polar explorer of Russia Matvey Shparo - actually led the expedition. Partners included the "First Movement" and the airline "Volga-Dnepr" ("We are located not far from the airfield where 'Volga-Dnepr' planes land, and just yesterday two Canadian flights took off from there, one of which was a 'Douglas' from 1942, and it still flies successfully!" - conveys Evgeny Sazonov).

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Canadian Douglas near the Moscow base

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

The goal of the expedition is to gather scientific data for city scientists. They had previously instructed the schoolchildren on what to do and how to do it. Now they are providing additional advice directly.

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Schoolchildren studying the flora and fauna of Antarctica

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

- Probably the most astonishing aspect is our direct communication with Moscow, - says Evgeny Sazonov. – Today we called one of the institutes to clarify what samples they needed, and they replied: “Collect everything you can reach!”. This once again confirms the seriousness of our expedition. It is quite likely that as a result, many scientific materials will be published in very reputable journals. And the kids will thus make a significant contribution to the development of not only Russian science but also global science.

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Field laboratory

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

Meanwhile, Muscovites are set to visit the Indian Antarctic station. An introduction to its structure is scheduled for today,