Mountain crossing

Yesterday we drove up to EISCAT for a meeting on phase coding, and to take one of the crew up to EISCAT for the remaining experiment. We drove up during the day in pretty poor conditions and returned in the mid-afternoon. Of course, that means pitch darkness at this time of year.

The mountain pass, which had been a bit wet earlier was by now pretty treacherous and there were no fewer than three stuck lorries that needed to be passed along the way. In the example shown, the lorry managed to get part way up the incline, lost traction and then slid back down until it jack-knifed against the snow bank.

Jack-knifed lorry on the E8 between Skibotn and Kilpisjärvi.

A recovery vehicle came over from Finland to rescue it. However, having proceeded further it then came to a stop again, due to the fact that some of the recovery gear had been left behind. As we had the only car on the road, we returned to assist. In remote locations and difficult situations, everyone pitches in to help out.

So, yes, it was a slow and eventful trip back to Kilpisjärvi.