Aprile 2026 – W.A.P.

South Georgia, a dream come true!

On: 26 Aprile 202627 Aprile 2026 By: Gianni Varetto

South Georgia big efforts are going on for the announced VPØSG South Georgia 2027 DXpedition.

By now let us enjoying a very fresh envelope stamped and cancelled at King Edward Point, South Georgia, kindly sent by our friend Independent Polar Researcher and Antarctic Ambassador Volker DL8JDX who has been on board the M/S Hamburg, a cruise ship sailing the Antarctic waters.

Even if the exact location where the expedition will set the base camp, has not been yet announced, any of the known rare WAP references of South Georgia are welcome!
So far, down there, we have: Station “BI” Bird Island (WAP GBR-23), King Edward Point (WAP GBR-24), Husvik (WAP GBR-27), Spenceley Glacier Camp (WAP GBR-28) and Grytviken (WAP GBR-29), Leith Harbour Station (WAP GBR-41) plus other 6 new ones (WAP GBR_NEW): Gothul, Maiviken, Ocean Harbour, Prince Olav Harbour, Rosita Harbour and Stromness Station, so it’s quite possible that VPØSG will operate from one of those listed sites. Let’s see what the future will deserve to the Antarctic hunters!

Here below a 20 min video will tell what‘s in the works.

Of course, VPØSG South Georgia DXpedition 2027 is an ambitious effort to activate one of the most wanted DXCC entities; 14-operator team, the M/V Meredian, and six rotating operators on the island running multiple stations are expected.
TNX Volker DL8JDX

Oleg, R1ANF/ZS7ANF by Reiner, Schloßer, DL7KL

On: 21 Aprile 202622 Aprile 2026 By: Gianni Varetto

On May 2026’s issue, German Ham Radio magazine CQ-DL 5-2026 show two pages written by Reiner Schloßer, DL7KL; a new article, tracking a portrait of one of our best Ham friends: Oleg Sakharov R1ANF-ZS1ANF-ZS7ANF a real Antarctic veteran. Thanks to him a huge number of WW Hams have got a chance to log a bunch of new Bases, remote sites & Refuges in Antarctica.

Reiner Schloßer, DL7KL, begun his article by saing:
« I had originally only intended to report on Deception Island and Oleg’s one-day trip, but gradually I found many QSL cards in my collection with the same call sign, R1ANF or ZS7ANF. As I subsequently discovered, all the contacts were with Oleg».

TNX Reiner DL7KL & Volker DL8JDX

15 April 1922-15 April 2026

On: 15 Aprile 2026 By: Gianni Varetto

On April 15, 1922, the Quest arrived at Leith Harbour (WAP GBR-41), South Georgia, marking the effective end of the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition after Frank Wild attempted to continue following Sir Ernest Shackleton’s death on January 5. The crew, led by Wild, spent two weeks in South Georgia for repairs and to honor Shackleton, who was buried at Grytviken (WAP GBR-29) on March 5, 1922.

Despite Shackleton’s death, Frank Wild was determined to “carry on,” as he described in his diaries, trying to fulfill the expedition’s objectives. The ship returned to the island to rest, repair, and pay final respects to “The Boss”. While at Leith Harbour (WAP GBR-41) and Stromness (WAP GBR-NEW), the crew, including Leonard Hussey and Frank Worsley, erected a stone cairn with a wooden cross on Hope Point in memory of Shackleton.

The Quest eventually left South Georgia on May 8, 1922, heading back to England, arriving in Plymouth on September 16, 1922.

The Shackleton’s ‘Quest’ Expedition was later viewed as a significant, though truncated, expedition that collected important scientific and geological data in the South Atlantic.

The Antarctic Heritage Trust (https://www.facebook.com/Antarctic.Heritage.Trust) post on this day highlights the emotional end of the expedition and the crew’s dedication to honoring their fallen leader.

Taishan Camp, the fourth Chinese Station in Antarctica

On: 10 Aprile 202610 Aprile 2026 By: Gianni Varetto

In 2014, China established a second inland summer station, Taishan Camp (WAP CHN-NEW), located about halfway along the traverse between Zhongshan and Kunlun Stations. The purpose of this station was both logistical and scientific, with a focus on glaciology, meteorology, and space physics. The following year, 2015, CHINARE (Chinese Antarctic Program) put into service its Snow Eagle 601 Basler aircraft (reengineered around a World War II airframe) and launched an array of three polar observation satellites as part of its CubeSat mission.

Situated on the inland ice sheet at an altitude of 2,621 meters, it lies about 520 km from Zhongshan Station (WAP CHN-Ø2) and 715 km from Kunlun Station (WAP CHN-NEW).

The Antarctic Taishan Station (aka Taishan Camp) at 73°51′50″South, 76°58′27″East in Princess Elizabeth Land in East Antarctica, is China’s second Antarctic inland Summer Research Station completed on February 8, 2014. by the 30th Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE 30).

After 45 days of hard work, Taishan Station looks like a traditional Chinese lantern. Construction of it began in December 2013. The 28 strong-team braved temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees celsius, snowstorms, and high-altitude conditions to build the station.