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September 2017 Geophysical expedition in the Laptev Sea. 74°12'N 113°0'E The first arctic frosts. We 'water-dogs' having not stepped down on the shore for two months, are now fooling around and eating sandwiches on the uninhabited Bolshoy Begichev Island. All around us lies the endless tundra devoured by fog and two abandoned shacks of reindeer herdsmen stand nearby. A herder's child toy, pieces of coal, reindeer antlers and teeth of mammals lie around on the sand. Scary. We put the station at the triangulation point then take off to ship. The weather is turning ugly and the temperature falls to freezing. The ship is 30 miles away and we in an open boat on 40kt rush over 6ft waves. Lifting off and plopping down with a splat every 5 seconds. My legs numb and ache. An icy headwind with rain and snow pierces us through to the bones. Neither wetsuits nor thermals help. An icy crust gradually covers us all from head to toes. Finally, 40 minutes later, we get to ship totally worn out. Bottom's up! Having spent two weeks working in a blue water, we returns to carry the station out of the Island. On the shore, out of the blue, a polar bear greets our boat...