Barneo
Camp Barneo (Russian: Лагерь Бaрнео) is a private Russian temporary ice base established annually since 2002 on an ice floe relatively close to the North Pole used largely for tourist excursion purposes.
History
The first Ice Camp Barneo was established in 2002. Since that time, the camp has been rebuilt from scratch every year because of the constantly drifting Arctic ice. For example, in 2007 Ice Camp Barneo was located at about 89°31.5′N 30°27′W / 89.5250°N 30.450°W. However, northerly winds caused the Ice Camp to drift towards the southeast at a speed of 0.8 kilometres per hour (0.5 mph).
The ice camp works under the patronage of the Russian Geographical Society and normally lasts for the month of April.
Ice Camp Barneo should not be confused with the sequential Soviet/Russian "North Pole" drifting ice stations established by the Russian Academy of Sciences Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI).
From 2002 to 2016, the starting and final point of all expeditions to Barneo has been Longyearbyen, the capital of the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. The city has necessary facilities including an airport, hotels of different levels, restaurants, a post office, a bank, and a supermarket.
In 2016, following military exercises by Chechen paratroopers on Barneo, Norway enacted a flight embargo, which it later lifted. As a result, the 2017 event is expected to take place with a base in Russia.[1]
Notable People
- Albert II, Prince of Monaco
- Miki Ando, Figure Skater
- Eric Philips, Polar Explorer
See also
External links
- Barneo Base
- News from Barneo Apr 18, 2007
- Vicaar International Projects and Expeditions site
- News from Barneo 2012
- Russian Geographic Society