Nov. 10th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 15th.

We Made It!

To the Summit and back.

The trek to the top is now a vivid memory for Team-A, and we all carried a piece of the mountain away with us. As we look back at our adventure, we all are beginning to realize, we actually climbed Licancabur. We had studied it, we had researched it, and now we had achieved the goal that all of us had dreamed about for so long. Continued...

Nov. 3rd, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 6th.

ASCENT Part II — The Goal is in sight

The only way any of us would ever get out of our tents was when the warming sun fell upon our campsite. As the sun crested the hills, the mountain came alive.

By 6:30 am the porters and guides showed up at our camp and began helping us make preparations for our summit attempt. Continued...

Nov. 2nd, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 7th.

ASCENT Part I—Night at Midcamp

The morning started early: 4am. Edmond, Marc, Wilmer and a porter started out before the rest of the team to get a head start. David, Brian, Nathalie, Andy, Christian, Lorena and a couple of porters started out later at 6am.

We started our ascent at Inca City and made great time. By 10:30 am we met up with the Edmond and Marc. After resting for a bit at “La Roca Roja” (The Red Rock, or lunch rock as we called it) we resumed our journey to midcamp. We reached midcamp ahead of schedule and after lunch a few of us decide to try to summit that day. Continued...

Nov. 1st, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 7th

Today as we prepared to climb the mountain, many science activities took place:

STROMATOLITES, MARVIN, and LAGUNA BLANCA SAMPLES.

Continued...

Oct 31st, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 15th

Preparation for ascent

We have all been eagerly awaiting the climb on Licancabur. During our training, the science has also been going tremendously. We have made some great discoveries at the Lagunas, and surrounding area. Continued...

Oct 30th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 15th

FREE DIVE AT 4300 METERS!

Today we met another goal, to free dive at 4300 meters. Nathalie, Andy, David and Marc tested safety procedures and methods. The training took place in Laguna Verde in preparation for our summit dive at the top of Licancabur. Continued...

Oct 28th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Posted: Nov. 7th

Today we dedicated to do 2 issues. We wanted to investigate an ancient outflow channel that seems to be a part of the Lagunas system. At the same time, we wanted to keep up with our training for our Licancabur ascent as a team by climbing a nearby mountain, “Tres Cumbres”, or “Three Summits”. This is a beautiful mountain that has three peaks on it. We started our science activities by following along what appeared to be a large outflow channel that at some time in the past fed into the Lagunas region. Continued...

Status

Nov. 4th, 1:53 PM

We're still here! The team has been very busy conducting experiments, exploring the area, and climbing peaks in the area. Yesterday (Sunday, Nov. 3rd) the Team summited Licancabur at 1:30pm (10:30am Pacific Time). The climb took 5.5 hours from mid-camp and because of the wind and cold they were only able to stay up top for a couple of hours. The Team was still able to conduct some science experiments in the crater. We should have new photos along with a complete update from the top of Licancabur posted within the next couple of days. Continued...

Oct. 26th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Reaching Camp I

To date, we have achieved all of our team goals. Our first goal as a team was to achieve 5000 meters on the flanks of Juriques. We reached that goal and were able to summit at an elevation of 5200 meters (roughly 17000 feet). Continued...

Oct. 25th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Human side of the expedition.

Today was our planned training on Licancabur. But yesterday (the 24th) a storm blew in and dropped snow all the way down to the refuge. It started out as a few high clouds over the distant mountains, but it began to get colder and the clouds descended upon us. The temperature dropped, and soon we were seeing snow sticking on the ground outside. The wind howled as the snow whipped into the refuge. Continued...

Oct. 23rd, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Training ascent up Juriques.

This morning as a team, we began the ascent of Juriques which is a mountain near Licancabur. We began our training ascent at Inca City. This was a major trading route 500 years ago. The city had a population of about 60 people and the walls of some of the houses are still there today. They also had what was called a Coral, which was similar to a barn today. Continued...

Oct. 22nd, 2002

Andy Hock

The following update was given by Andy Hock. Even though this update was made before the expedition, we thought it was important to show this because David Fike and he were testing the instruments in the lake, as the pictures will show. Today was our first day of science, where we studied ancient lake shorlines, we studied the effects of UV radiation on organisms, and tested water samples. Continued...

Oct. 21st, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Today we headed out for the refuge at the lagunas. After a brief stop at the customs office we were on our way. The trip was approximately 3 hours and crossed a wonderful section of the desert. The change was evident and dramatic as we traveled from an area on the Altiplano that was flat to the slopes leading up to the mountains. Continued...

Oct. 20th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Day before departure for Licancabur

This morning we gathered more groceries in preparation when we reach the refuge at the Lagunas. My time was spent with Guillermo who planned time to take me to see several formations around the hills surrounding San Pedro. We drove back on the highway toward Antofagasta to spend more time photographing and describing the formations we saw when we first arrived in San Pedro. Continued...

Oct. 19th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Today we started taking pulse oximetry readings at sea level in Antofagasta. This is important to document because this is an objective way to test how our pulminary system is reacting to altitude. We might feel fine, but this reading allows us to monitor how we are doing at the higher altitude. We packed up all of our gear and loaded it onto 2 vehicles that will take us to San Pedro de Atacama. Before we left we were interviewed by the Chile news crew NTV. Continued...

Oct. 17th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Getting to Chile

Our trip started at 9am on Wed Morning the 16th of October. We boarded our plane for Chile and began our 20 hour trip to the southern hemisphere. During that time, we passed over very familiar landmarks such as the Gulf of California, and Baja California. During this time it is interesting to consider, that some of the smaller commuter planes fly at a cruising altitude of 20,000 feet and the mountain we will be climbing is at this same height. Continued...

Oct. 12th, 2002

Nathalie A. Cabrol

Reflecting on: "Why do we Explore?"

I know that the rules of the game is that you ask the questions and the team responds. But today, I would like to change a little bit these rules and suggest to each of you to reflect on the following question and send us your personal opinion on "Why do we explore"? Continued...

Oct. 11th, 2002

NASA Press Release

NOTE TO EDITORS AND NEWS DIRECTORS: You are invited to an informal media opportunity with Dr. Nathalie Cabrol and members of the Licancabur expedition team on Oct. 15 from 9: 45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in the Visitor’s Center at NASA Ames Research Center. To reach Ames, take the Moffett Field exit off Highway 101 and drive east to the main gate. Turn left before the main gate onto R.T. Jones St., proceed less than half a mile, and turn right into the Visitor’s Center parking lot. Continued...

Oct. 9th, 2002

Edmond "Ed" Grin

Exploring Life Underwater and the Waves of Light

Today we will have a first look at experiment procedures related to one of the UV radiation experiments of the expedition. As you've seen, the sub-title of the expedition is “Exploring the Life at the Extreme”. Why? The search for the origin of life is helping us to discover and understand the adaptation strategies of living organisms. These strategies allowed them to survive in extreme environments since the early Archean period (about 3.5 Ga ago) when life may have begun on Earth in and/or near water. Continued...

Oct. 8th, 2002

Nathalie A. Cabrol

D-8 before departure!

Studying Earth to Understand Mars...and Vice-Versa. For those of you who have already read the summary of the expedition project, you can see that one of our great motivations to go to this altitude, breath so little air, sleep in the cold, and be exposed to harmful UV (although we will use protection against UV) is because we want to learn more…about Mars! Continued...

Oct. 5th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

EPO—How it will happen.

Through a grant awarded by the IDEAS program, educators and students will be able to experience first hand the process of conducting a NASA science expedition. So, how will we communicate with classrooms from Licancabur, Chile to classrooms back in the United States? Technology today has made many corners of the globe accessible, and has allowed students across the world to communicate virtually instantaneously with each other. Continued...

Oct. 2nd, 2002

Nathalie A. Cabrol

Day -14 before departure!

The entire team is gearing up (literally…) and we are now busy finalizing our equipment and experiments. I believe we should be close to 450 pounds of equipment in the end and this is only of science instrumentation and all that will be necessary to accomplish our various tasks once in the field. Fortunately, everything will be shipped in advance this Friday from the SETI Institute. The boxes will arrive a bit before us in Chile where Guillermo will take care of getting them out of the customs. Continued...

Sept. 30th, 2002

Press Release

Mountain View, CA - How can California teachers and students climb to the world's highest lake near the summit of a dormant Chilean volcano, watch scientists conducting their research, talk to researchers in the field, and be back in time for lunch in the school cafeteria?  In mid October, the SETI Institute, NASA Ames, Project ARISE (Advanced Rural Integrated Science Education), Shasta County schools, the Schreder Planetarium, and other partners will offer educators and students a front row view of science in the making at Licancabur crater. Continued...

Sept. 25th, 2002

Brian Grigsby

Helen Lake, Lassen Park, CA.

Most of the ascent team met on the shore of Lake Helen at Lassen for altitude free diving training in preparation for the expedition. The reasons for using this lake were simple ones: (1) it is a high altitude lake with cold water, at an altitude of about 8000 feet, (2) some conditions would be very similar to those experienced once in Chile at the Lagunas, (3) this would allow some of the team members to gain some experience in safety procedures, free diving, and testing blood-oxygen saturation levels. Continued...