Distance to the Pole - 1003km
If anyone saw me now, wrapped up in my bag, warm and toastie, sipping piping hot Nescafe Viennese mocha (with chicken noodle soup floaters, washing your mug is a waste of precious water and fuel) listening to a shuffle of tunes on Shaun's travel speakers, they would think we were camping on an August bank holiday in the Cotswolds (without the crowds). The reality is somewhat different, it is blowing a real hooley out side and has been all day, we have been marching (technical polar travel term for skiing, towing your sledge for 8 hours a day for x no. of days, where x is a silly number, far too many, and you'll miss Christmas and maybe New Year too) into a steady 30knot wind with wind-chill down to our new record low -31c. We have stopped early today to give us a half day rest, fix broken equipment and give Pat's frost nipped thumb a chance to thaw - this was a real reminder about how attentive we need to be our bodies out here, with Pat's thumb we were given a painful reminder that this is a hostile environment and the loss of a finger is a very real possibility if weare not vigilant and will mean a sure evacuation.....evacuation, now there is a story....will write more on this later.
Today is also a day of celebration as we have passed our 1st degree of latitude from 80 to 81 only 9 more to go (the pole is at 90 degrees!) and each degree is 60 nautical miles. These milestones and celebrations are key to keeping spirits high, sort of like motorway service stations only our boil in the bag food is better.
Otherwise I'm doing fine, ridiculously so, no blisters, no sore feet, not even a chapped lip - but I'm not going to count chickens, it is really wonderful to be out here, the beauty, desolation and harsh elements are quite indescribeable.
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