our best dessert!

Day 24
5th, Dec, 2007
84.1344S,085.4694W
Distance to Pole:650 km
altitude 1545m

Its hard to explain what its like.

Another tough day on the ice; the plus was that we could see where we were going today, the problem was that we’re still haunted by sastrugi.. Not only that, but temperatures were again uncomfortably low at -25C with wind chill – winds 8-10 knots.

Although we all knew what we were coming out to here, its hard to really have a concept of what an expedition like this will entail. Someone described it to me as walking on a threadmill in a room wih four blank walls. They could have added that the threadmill has lots of large speed bumps and that the room is a bathroom which is completely steamed up so you can’t actually see when the speed bumps are coming!

Add to that about 10 fans going full blast day and night and turn the air con down to -20… That’s kinda what its like, but unfortunately theres no getting out of that bathroom for another 30-35 days!

Jon had a hard day today with stomach cramps and on one occasion had to go in the open, an experience he would not like to repeat. He’s back side was nearly frozen off him.

The tent is a great refuge and we’ve just polished off pancakes with raisins – our best dessert!

Shoud be able to get a view of the Thiel mountains tomorrow if its clear; we’re 122km away at present. These mark our halfway point – a nice milestone.