Just over that hill (and past those crevasses)

Date = 8/1/2018
Day 48 (Expedition) Day 55 (Antarctica)
Location = Horse Shoe valley
Coordinates  – S80 2.924’, W82 8.526’
Altitude = 1032m
Temperature =  -15C
Wind speed / direction = 5-10 S. white out
Windchill = – 20C
Distance travelled = 31km
Distance remaining = 59km

We had our welcome storm, our welcome back storm and then last night our goodbye storm. It was pretty mild but for a while progressed beyond bad weather to what could be called a storm.

40 hours in the tent and it improved slightly. We decided to move and by the time we were set, the wind dropped to zero! But we were patient and managed 3km before the kites withered. Then 9km. Then another 19km. So after 3 hours chilled kiting we are 31km closer.

We have another 25km on the flat, then we enter a high mountain cirque and go over a col and down a glacier. Technical terrain and given our lack of easy experiences out here, we are prepared for the very final stage of our journey to be complex and time consuming. But praying that it’ll be straightforward and fast! Just so long as we don’t have my more crevasse incidents, we’ll be happy.

Some sun and a 10knot southerly is our final request. Dare I say this maybe our last night in the wilderness? No I daren’t! 59km through the mountains with 100kg is 2 solid days of hard walking, so surely with kite power we can be there by Wednesday?  No! Don’t say it.

Antarctica has a wicked sense of humour and irony…

[Leo]