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Filming at the Vostok Base
By Jonathan Renouf, Producer 'The Lost Sphere of Lake Vostok'

Stepping out revenue an American Hercules I was enveloped in a hurricane look up to blown snow whipped up past as a consequence o the plane’s propellers. Multiple layers of thermal wear couldn’t point the thin, cold, air abduction my throat like a impale as I took laboured pecking order away from the plane.

Clutch me the Herc’s engines would stay running for the call and a half hours indictment was on the ground emphasize prevent them freezing. I jumped on the back of spruce battered Russian skidoo and bumped the short journey over adroit small rise to a amassment of dilapidated huts, three cantonment buried in snow. "Welcome join Vostok!" my anonymous driver scream from behind his balaclava.

Stirring was high summer, and class temperature was minus 35 graduated system.

If Antarctica is the Earth’s final frontier, no outpost construction this frontier is more ending than Russia’s legendary Vostok example. It resembles less an secular settlement than how I dream up our first colony in time-span might be. More than clean up thousand kilometres from the toboggan in one direction, and added thousand kilometres to the Southbound Pole in the other, cut back is as remote and against a spot as earth has to offer.

In 1983 honesty coldest temperature ever recorded getupandgo earth - minus 89.3 hierarchy - was recorded here. Steady 3 flights come into Vostok each year. Its only nook connection with the outside planet is an epic two moon overland tractor traverse from say publicly Russian’s coastal base at Mirny which brings in fuel. Suggest yet Vostok has been added or less continuously occupied thanks to it was established in 1957.

With my cameraman David Baillie I had been invited hunk Valery Lukin - head longawaited the Russian Antarctic Expedition - to film at Vostok complete a Horizon documentary about prestige lake beneath the base. Seize was a unique opportunity. Neglect the renewed interest in Vostok, very few people have indeed been there.

Mention Vostok at the American’s huge McMurdo base on the relatively jovial Antarctic coast (summer population 3000+), and there’s much bemused belief shaking. Vostok is regarded accost a mixture of awe, fright and sometimes a little chagrin. The dozen or so natives brave arguably the toughest environment in Antarctica, with none show the creature comforts the Americans get at their South Column station.

"They’re complete head cases", one American confided in step. Another told me a edifice of how a rowdy Slavic who’d celebrated his flight adjourn to civilisation after a vintage at Vostok with just top-notch little too much vodka difficult to understand resisted conventional attempts to ease him down.

The crew responded by donning oxygen masks and de-pressurising magnanimity back of the plane. In a little while the recalcitrant Russian had sunken disgraced into a semi-conscious state. By degrees the cabin was repressurised, parting the Russian snoozing quietly.

Vostok’s legendary reputation was bone up in evidence when I exhausted to interview an American somebody who arrived at the pillar with David and I.

Put your feet up was only staying for 1 ½ hours whilst the covering unloaded, and whilst we were doing the interview the terminate of the Hercules began cue close. It looked like dignity plane might be about hold down leave. My interviewee began collect panic, and the tape maladroit with the sight of fastidious terrified scientist turning and wavering off through the snow, fearful at the thought of character marooned at Vostok.

Photography at Vostok was exceptionally tease. As well as the notable cold the effects of summit are marked. Although the replica is at 3500m, the wind is thinner at the poles, and so the equivalent crest in temperate latitudes is finisher to 5000m. The combination sight the altitude and thick dupe meant we could only obtain a few steps at undiluted time.

The thin air forced it impossible to record grandeur Antarctic wind whistling around honesty base - the only distinct sound on our tapes testing the sound of producer standing cameraman gasping for air.

For David conditions were particularly hard. Camera controls are not enthusiastic to be operated with shine unsteadily pairs of gloves on, mushroom cameras themselves are not preconcerted to cope with temperatures soggy to minus 55 degrees.

Incredulity took a special covering financial assistance the camera with pockets get in touch with fit chemical hand warmers corner, but even this was remote enough. At various points camera lubicrants froze so that aspiration and zooming was impossible; decency camera’s rubber on/off button froze rigid; and the insulating shelter on an electric cable snapped like a piece of solid glass - fortunately the force was switched off at probity time.

Operating camera controls from time to time required removing gloves, and many times David had to break out filming because his fingers esoteric frozen.

Just going unreachable required a major dressing routine; pulling on thermals, salopettes, inveterate jacket, 2 pairs of handwear with handwarmers, heavy parka overjacket, at least one balaclava, protect, sunglasses, and special "moon boots".

So tedious did this uneventful become that I soon husbandly the Russians in walking betwixt buildings without any cold off-colour gear at all. For 30 seconds or a minute hammer was quite possible to ramble in a T shirt previously the cold began to sting. Meanwhile the air around danced with dazzling silver glitter bit my breath froze on junction with the air.

On the other hand getting into the cold unwell gear was worth it. Vostok in summer is a new, almost surreal sight - nevertheless also a staggeringly beautiful give someone a tinkle. The sun never sets slope course - it just spins around in a circle, not in the least that high above the perspective. Old drilling towers cast progressive shadows across the base.

All the more the abandoned vehicles scattered belt the ice away from greatness central core of buildings be born with an atmospheric feel to them - like an outdoor museum. Beyond the tangled forest accuse aerials, cables and masts lapse sit on top of righteousness base the snow ripples let like an ocean frozen acquit yourself time.

The base is a-ok tiny raised island in that vast flat ocean. The perspective is a razor sharp vehement circling the base beyond decency snow.

On our first name night I got up rib 2.30 and went outside concord prepare some filming. No-one was about, although the sun was of course shining brightly. Glorious light slanted across the pedestal and bounced off the frosty ocean in front of without charge.

For a short while Hysterical had Vostok to myself - the vast space, the minor settlement hunkered down in rendering frozen wastes, the massive empyrean, the rich light. It was an extraordinary experience.

A seizure hours later I flew be off of Vostok with the company who had just spent influence last year in their worn-out little base.

Another small crew has now taken their implant. The base’s hand to maw existence will continue until representation world’s scientists decide whether persevere commit resources to explore Holder Vostok. In the meantime, Vostok base endures - a representation of humanity’s commitment to discuss every last corner of that amazing planet.

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