Contest #435: Masik ski resort, North Korea

The Masik ski resort, in southeast North Korea, was built by the North Korean government as part of a drive to “make people not only possess strong physiques and sound mentality, but also enjoy their sports and cultural lives in a worlds advanced condition” (DPRK Ministry of Sport, 2013). Leaders in North Korea hope that it can be used in the 2018 Winter Olympics, being hosted by South Korea.

Construction of the resort was slowed by delays in obtaining a ski lift, partly because the Swiss government blocked the sale of one on the grounds that it was an “installation(s) for infrastructure and equipment for sports facilities with a luxury character.”

In the end, an old ski lift from Austria was supplied by China, who interpreted the rules regarding luxury in a different manner.

Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eGBwuUubl8A

Found before the hint:

  • Lighthouse
  • hhgygy
  • steve willis
  • Garfield
  • Chris Nason
  • donaaronio
  • Phil Ower

And with some help from the hint:

  • Ann K.

Contest #432: Landslide dam at the confluence of Clearwater and Cathedral Creeks, Nahanni National Park, NWT Canada

Contest #432 is a lake found behind a landslide dam in Nahanni National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

The lake was formed when a landslide occurred during the winter of 1996-97 forming a landslide dam at the confluence of the Cathedral and Clearwater Creeks, just north of Virginia Falls on the South Nahanni River. In July 1997, part of the dam collapsed on Clearwater Creek with the lake that had formed behind the dam resulting in a large volume of water surging into the South Nahanni River causing water levels to rise rapidly but briefly.

The landslide dam across Cathedral Creek remains in place at this time. It is not obvious that there is any work being done to mitigate the collapse of this dam, with nearly 20 years of water in Cathedral Creek now stockpiled behind the dam.

Correct for 2 points:

  • Garfield
  • hhgygy
  • Lighthouse
  • Phil Ower
  • steve willis
  • Eloy Cano

Found with the help of the hint, for 1 point:

  • Junebug

Contest #427 Bull Arm, Newfoundland, Canada – site for the construction of the Hebron Project drill platform

Bull Arm, Newfoundland, Canada is the construction site for the Hebron Project drill platform. This week’s image shows the Gravity Base Structure (GBS) still in its dry dock, before the dry dock was flooded and the platform floated out into Bull Arm for final preparations. The base structure will have the top side structure attached and eventually will be sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The GBS is scheduled to be in place and pumping oil by 2018.

To read about the release of the GBS from dry dock, visit http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/milestone-achieved-with-hebron-gbs-1.2716090

Thank goodness Google Earth did not update their image for this location during the contest!

Those who correctly identified the location with only an out of date image:

  • Eloy Cano
  • steve willis
  • Mehmet DURMUS
  • Garfield
  • Paul Voestermans
  • RicardPG
  • Jesus Rodriguez
  • Phil Ower
  • Lelie
  • Lighthouse
  • Robin

Others used the critical date information:

  • nobody else!