Camp Academia
Encyclopedia
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica, named for the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
in appreciation of Academy’s contribution to the Antarctic exploration. The site was first occupied in the 2004/05 austral summer, and has been designated since 2004 as the summer post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
Tangra 1091, the southernmost branch of the Bulgarian Posts Plc.
Access and survey routes
Camp Academia is strategically situated in upper Huron GlacierHuron Glacier
Huron Glacier is a 7.7 km long and 3.5 km wide glacial flow on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The glacier is bounded by Bowles Ridge to the north, Wörner Gap to the west and Tangra Mountains to the south, receiving ice influx from several tributary glaciers...
, Wörner Gap
Wörner Gap
Wörner Gap is a flat saddle extending 3 km in the south-north direction between Friesland Ridge and Bowles Ridge in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Its elevation decreases from 585 m in the south to 541 m in the middle, and 525 m in the north...
area, at elevation 541 m in the northwestern foothills of Zograf Peak
Zograf Peak
Zograf Peak rises to 1,011 metres at the northeastern extremity of the Friesland Ridge in the Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The peak is heavily glaciated and crevassed, with precipitous and partly ice-free northern slopes...
, central Tangra Mountains
Tangra Mountains
Tangra Mountains form the principal mountain range of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
. The site is accessible by 11-12.5 km routes from the Bulgarian base St. Kliment Ohridski
St. Kliment Ohridski Base
St. Kliment Ohridski Base is a Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands.The base, originally known as Sofia University Refuge, was named in 1993 "for St...
and the Spanish base Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I Base
Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base, named after the king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, is a seasonal scientific station operated by Spain, opened in January 1988...
respectively.
Camp Academia offers convenient overland access to the main range of Tangra Mountains
Tangra Mountains
Tangra Mountains form the principal mountain range of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
to the south (with survey and climbing routes leading from Camp Academia to Lyaskovets Peak
Lyaskovets Peak
Lyaskovets Peak is the easternmost peak of Friesland Ridge in the Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island and has an elevation 1,473 m...
and Mount Friesland
Mount Friesland
Mount Friesland is the summit of Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The peak is rising to 1700 m sharp, and is heavily glaciated and crevassed. Situated 12.5 km northeast of Barnard Point, 9.7 km east-southeast of St...
via Catalunyan Saddle
Catalunyan Saddle
Catalunyan Saddle is a saddle of 1260 m height in the Friesland Ridge of the Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands. The saddle is bounded by Lyaskovets Peak to the east and by Presian Ridge to the west. The saddle was named in honour of the Catalans Francesc Sàbat...
, and to Levski Peak, Great Needle Peak
Great Needle Peak
Great Needle Peak is the summit of the central Levski Ridge in Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, Antarctica. Rising to ca. 1690 m, it is the second highest peak of Tangra Mountains after Mount Friesland...
and Helmet Peak areas via Lozen Saddle
Lozen Saddle
Lozen Saddle is a 437 m high saddle situated between Lozen Nunatak and Zograf Peak in Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica which provides overland access from the Wörner Gap area to the Shipka Valley...
); to Bowles Ridge
Bowles Ridge
Bowles Ridge is the central ridge of eastern Livingston Island. The ridge extends 6.5 km in the east-west direction and is 1.5 km wide. The summit of the ridge is Mount Bowles which rises to 822m and is located 9.77 km northwest of Great Needle Peak, 6.08 km north by west of...
, Vidin Heights
Vidin Heights
Vidin Heights are predominantly ice-covered heights rising to 604 m on Varna Peninsula, eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The feature is approximately 8 km long from the north end of Leslie Gap east-northeastwards to Inott Point and 9.6 km...
, Kaliakra Glacier
Kaliakra Glacier
Kaliakra Glacier is a glacier in northeastern Livingston Island, Antarctica extending 7 km in east-west direction and 8 km in north-south direction...
and Saedinenie Snowfield
Saedinenie Snowfield
Saedinenie Snowfield on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, is bounded by Teres Ridge to the west, the glacial divide between the Drake Passage and Bransfield Strait to the south, Gleaner Heights, Elhovo Gap and Leslie Hill to the southeast, and Leslie Gap and Vidin...
areas to the north; to Huron Glacier
Huron Glacier
Huron Glacier is a 7.7 km long and 3.5 km wide glacial flow on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The glacier is bounded by Bowles Ridge to the north, Wörner Gap to the west and Tangra Mountains to the south, receiving ice influx from several tributary glaciers...
to the east; and to Pliska Ridge
Pliska Ridge
Pliska Ridge is a three-peaked ridge rising to 667 m in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
, Burdick Ridge
Burdick Ridge
Burdick Ridge is a ridge rising to 773 m on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Extending for 1.9 km between Orpheus Gate in the southeast and Rezen Saddle in the northwest. Bounded by Perunika Glacier to the northeast, and Balkan Snowfield to the southwest. Takes its name from...
, Perunika Glacier
Perunika Glacier
Perunika Glacier is an 8 km long and 3 km wide roughly crescent-shaped glacier in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica....
and Huntress Glacier
Huntress Glacier
Huntress Glacier is a 7 km long and 3.7 km wide glacier on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica bounded by Friesland Ridge, Tangra Mountains to the southeast, Nesebar Gap, Pliska Ridge, Burdick Ridge and Willan Nunatak to the north, and Charrúa Gap and Napier Peak...
to the west.
Tangra 2004/05 Survey
Camp Academia hosted the base camp of the Bulgarian topographic survey Tangra 2004/05Tangra 2004/05
The Tangra 2004/05 Expedition was commissioned by the Antarctic Place-names Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, managed by the Manfred Wörner Foundation, and supported by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy...
from 3 December 2004 until 2 January 2005. The survey was both shipborne from the ships Vanguardia and Akademik Vavilov, and onshore at Livingston Island and Half Moon Island
Half Moon Island (South Shetland Islands)
Half Moon Island is a minor Antarctic island, lying north of Burgas Peninsula, Livingston Island in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Surface area ....
, and was carried out from 25 November 2004 until 11 January 2005 by the two-member team of Lyubomir Ivanov and Doychin Vasilev
Doychin Vasilev
Doychin Vasilev is a Bulgarian alpinist and cinematographer who has climbed five Himalayan 8,000 m peaks: Dhaulagiri , Mount Everest , Makalu , and Shishapangma and Cho Oyu . President of Alpine Club Vihren, Sofia...
who covered either on ski or on foot an overall distance of some 200 km, mostly in harsh weather conditions and challenging unfamiliar terrain in Tangra Mountains, Bowles Ridge, Vidin Heights and the glaciers Huron, Kaliakra and Perunika.
First ascents were made of the peaks of Lyaskovets
Lyaskovets Peak
Lyaskovets Peak is the easternmost peak of Friesland Ridge in the Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island and has an elevation 1,473 m...
(1473 m), Ongal
Ongal Peak
Ongal Peak is a sharp glaciated peak on the Levski Ridge, Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The peak was first ascended on 21 December 2004 by the Bulgarian Lyubomir Ivanov from Camp Academia...
(1149 m), Zograf
Zograf Peak
Zograf Peak rises to 1,011 metres at the northeastern extremity of the Friesland Ridge in the Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The peak is heavily glaciated and crevassed, with precipitous and partly ice-free northern slopes...
(1011 m), Komini
Komini Peak
Komini Peak is a peak with an elevation of on the north slopes of Levski Peak, in the Tangra Mountains, in Livingston Island, Antarctica.The peak has precipitous rocky western slopes and was first climbed by Lyubomir Ivanov from Camp Academia by way of its 212-m high western rock wall on 21...
(774 m), Melnik
Melnik Peak
Melnik Peak is the 696 m summit of Melnik Ridge in eastern Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands in Antarctica. Surmounting Kaliakra Glacier to the north and west, and Struma Glacier to the southeast...
(696 m), Miziya
Miziya Peak
Miziya Peak is the 604 m summit of Vidin Heights on Varna Peninsula, eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
(604 m), and several lesser peaks, as well as the third ascent of the summit Mount Friesland (1700 m). Extensive geodetic and geographic information was gathered, including coordinates and elevation data, actual sea shoreline and ice-free zones configuration, as well as a detailed photographic documentation of previously unexplored and remote areas in the interior of Livingston Island and Greenwich Island.
Based on the survey, some 150 geographical features were mapped for the first time and a new 1:100000 topographic map
Topographic map
A topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines in modern mapping, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features...
of the two islands was published in 2005. Data from the topographic survey Tangra 2004/05 was used also in the 2008 Bulgarian map of Livingston, Greenwich, Robert, Snow
Snow Island (South Shetland Islands)
Snow Island or Isla Nevada is a completely ice-covered island, in size, lying southwest of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Surface area...
, and Smith
Smith Island (South Shetland Islands)
Smith Island is long and wide, lying west of Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands of the British Antarctic Territory. Surface area ....
Islands.
Tangra 1091 Post Office
The post office Antarctica Tangra 1091 operated during the entire duration of the expedition Tangra 2004/05 in Antarctica from 25 November 2004 until 11 January 2005, in Camp Academia from 3 December 2004 until 2 January 2005. The office was given the postcode 1091, and was run by Postmaster Lyubomir Ivanov in compliance with standard Bulgarian postal regulations and procedures.The mailing address
Address (geography)
An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used for describing the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along with other identifiers such as house or...
of the office was: Camp Academia; 1091 Tangra; Livingston Island; Antarctica. The mail (i.e. its postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s) was cancelled by a standard circular Bulgarian handstamping cancellation seal (metal issue) with an inscription “POSTE BULGARE ANTARKTIKA TANGRA 1091” on its periphery and date/hour counter in the centre. Other occasional cachets applied on Tangra 1091 mail often included the triangular cachet of Camp Academia with an inscription “ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION TANGRA 2004 CAMP ACADEMIA” and/or other personal, station and ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
s.
A total of 517 outgoing mail consignments (letters and postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s) were shipped, 364 of them via Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, 150 via Punta Arenas, and 3 via the St. Kliment Ohridski
St. Kliment Ohridski Base
St. Kliment Ohridski Base is a Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands.The base, originally known as Sofia University Refuge, was named in 1993 "for St...
post office. These were distributed geographically between 30 country destinations as follows: Bulgaria – 146, Germany – 144, Belgium – 54, Chile – 50, Britain – 18, U.S.A. – 15, Spain – 13, New Zealand – 11, France – 9, Argentina – 7, Australia – 7, Austria – 7, Switzerland – 7, Falkland Islands – 5, Antarctica (Livingston Island) – 3, Afghanistan – 2, Czech Republic – 2, Italy – 2, Japan – 2, Portugal – 2, Uruguay – 2, Denmark – 1, Greece – 1, Indonesia – 1, Iraq – 1, Montserrat – 1, Slovakia – 1, Slovenia – 1, South Africa – 1, Vanuatu – 1.
Location
Camp Academia is situated at 62°38′41.9"S 60°10′18.3"W, which is 3.6 km east of Orpheus GateOrpheus Gate
Orpheus Gate is a 548 m high, 380 m wide, pass in eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica bounded by Pliska Ridge to the southeast and Burdick Ridge to the northwest, Huntress Glacier to the southwest and Perunika Glacier to the northeast.The pass forms part of the...
, 5.25 km east-southeast of Rezen Saddle
Rezen Saddle
Rezen Saddle is a geographical feature on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The 600 m long horseshoe-shaped flat saddle of elevation 420 m lies between Rezen Knoll and Burdick Ridge in eastern Livingston Island, affording overland access from Balkan Snowfield to upper...
, 3.2 km south-southeast of Omurtag Pass
Omurtag Pass
Omurtag Pass is a 720 m high pass between Mount Bowles and Ticha Peak in Bowles Ridge, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and is part of an overland route between the Wörner Gap area and upper Kaliakra Glacier...
, 4 km southwest of Pirdop Gate
Pirdop Gate
Pirdop Gate is a 300-m wide pass between Maritsa Peak and Atanasoff Nunatak in eastern Bowles Ridge, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It has an elevation of 376 m at its northern entrance from Struma Glacier, and 261 m at the southern entrance from Huron Glacier...
, 1.68 km west of Lozen Saddle
Lozen Saddle
Lozen Saddle is a 437 m high saddle situated between Lozen Nunatak and Zograf Peak in Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica which provides overland access from the Wörner Gap area to the Shipka Valley...
, 7.1 km west of Karnobat Pass
Karnobat Pass
Karnobat Pass is a 220 m wide and 720 m high pass in Levski Ridge in Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. It is bounded by Helmet Peak to the south and Intuition Peak to the north, and is situated 5.46 km east of Lozen Saddle and 5.86 km southeast of...
, and 2.68 km north-northwest of Catalunyan Saddle
Catalunyan Saddle
Catalunyan Saddle is a saddle of 1260 m height in the Friesland Ridge of the Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands. The saddle is bounded by Lyaskovets Peak to the east and by Presian Ridge to the west. The saddle was named in honour of the Catalans Francesc Sàbat...
.
See also
- Tangra MountainsTangra MountainsTangra Mountains form the principal mountain range of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
- St. Kliment Ohridski BaseSt. Kliment Ohridski BaseSt. Kliment Ohridski Base is a Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands.The base, originally known as Sofia University Refuge, was named in 1993 "for St...
- Livingston Island
- Antarctic Place-names CommissionAntarctic Place-names CommissionThe Antarctic Place-names Commission was established by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute in 1994, and since 2001 has been a body affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. The Commission approves Bulgarian place names in Antarctica, which are formally given by the President of the...
- Tangra 2004/05Tangra 2004/05The Tangra 2004/05 Expedition was commissioned by the Antarctic Place-names Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, managed by the Manfred Wörner Foundation, and supported by the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy...
- Antarctic field camps
Maps
- L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands (from English Strait to Morton Strait, with illustrations and ice-cover distribution). Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.
- L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-954-92032-6-4
Sources
- L.L. Ivanov, Livingston Island: Tangra Mountains, Komini Peak, west slope new rock route; Lyaskovets Peak, first ascent; Zograf Peak, first ascent; Vidin Heights, Melnik Peak, Melnik Ridge, first ascent, The American Alpine Journal, 2005, 312-315.
- Livingston Island, Climb Magazine, Issue 14, Kettering, UK, April 2006, 89-91.
- Ivanov, L.L. Bulgaria in Antarctica. South Shetland Islands. Sofia: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2009. 16 pp., with a folded map. ISBN 978-954-92032-7-1