BELARE 2007-2008: Daily Life at Usteinen
29.11.2007
BELARE 2007-2008 Sunshine on the Mountains
© International Polar Foundation / IPF
Another day in Utsteinen, another day of work. Greeted by the sunlight early in the morning, the working men climb out of their tents as early as 6 am.
The first one up takes care of turning the wood oven on in the mess tent. The rest of the crew wakes up one by one, and walks into the warm tent to have some yogurt and home-made bread for breakfast. The coffee machine quickly becomes the center of attention.
The tent slowly fills up with conversation and words about the various work being carried out on the building site: the drilling, the garage, the poles, the resin, the formwork preparations, etc. It is often here that the problems encountered on site find a solution.
The mess tent is also the place where material and equipment is stored to keep warm. So much so that the team often jokes about how the tent looks more like a warehouse than a kitchen. But no one complains. The team is happy to be a part of this major Belgian project.
Work on the construction site begins before 8 am and doesn't stop before the time has struck noon. The 2 bulldozers, 2 Prinoth tractors and 4 Ski-doos work in concerto, hauling, scooting and pulling from right to left. After a light lunch, the building team is off to work again until about 7 pm, because the constant daylight allows them to do so. Around 4 pm, the wind picks up and makes the air feel stone cold. The heat in the mess room is a blessing.
With a glass of wine and the warm friends, the evening goes by very quickly. Little by little, people go off to bed and silence remains in the daylight. The men go to bed and already the sun is ready for another beautiful morning at Utsteinen.
