Day 6 - getting very cold

Camp: Patrick Keohane
Date: 17/11/07
Position: S80.54.604, W081.36.033
Temperature: -25.5 c (wind-chill)
Weather: sun
Distance today: 21.1 km
Distance to Pole: 1015 km

Katabatic winds off the Pole at 40kph woke us from our exhausted slumber. Temperature inside the tent is -6 c. Outside is -25.5c with the wind-chill – this has us pretty shocked as at these low temperatures the body can still sweat. At camp this evening, the inside of my jacket is frozen. This is a major concern so will need to rethink the layering clothing strategy.

The winds were so strong this evening that it took all hands to put up each tent. Also once inside the tent I realised that my left thumb has frost nip caused by the way it is exposed to the wind from gripping the ski pole. We will all have to be extra vigilant these temperatures are extreme and we spend all day in it.

On a lighter note we broke our first 100km today, only another 1000 or so left, tomorrow at least we will be down in the hundreds. As I write this I can hear Shaun in the other tent playing Christmas carols on his tin-whistle, practicing for our Yule-tide pageant no doubt.54