Weathered
Date = 23/12/2017
Day 34 (Expedition) Day 39 (Antarctica)
Location = Twin Otter drop off, Depot. A
Coordinates – S87 58.846’, W131 39.578’
Altitude = 3021m
Temperature = -24C
Wind speed / direction = 10 – 20 knot ENE sunny / low cloud
Windchill = -40C
Distance travelled = 0km
Distance remaining = 1166km
[Mark]
Third Expedition Complete.
Wow, how a kite and some skis can change an expedition. After ‘man hauling’ up the broken, icy and cravassed Scott Glacier covering anywhere from 8 to 18km a day over 4 days, we launched our kites and the game changed. 2.5 days of kiting got us to our first cache saving us 6-8 days of walking uphill with heavy loads.
Following that an unusual wind direction and the freshly groomed American South Pole road allowed us to travel amazingly fast over 120km to our second cache in less than 24hrs. Epic!
We are resting up, sorting food (we actually have too much!), planning our route home and waiting for the wind to swing to the south. Which the Christmas forecast shows us promise. So we’ll celebrate Christmas a day early, then on the 25th, if the weather gods deliver, we’ll set off on our fourth expedition; to kite ski 1100 km back to Union Glacier camp and our flight home. It could take us 14 days, it could take 24. Either way we have time, food, and enough good humour bantering around, to get us through.
Antarctica isn’t finished with us yet and we‘re experiencing a ‘welcome back’ storm here at 88 degrees south.
[Mark]
I see you are back in your extra layers again and planning to celebrate Christmas early.
Jean: Joyeux Noel et nouvel an
Mark and Leo : Happy Christmas! Make sure your pet skua doesn’t return to sample the goodies!
Congratulations on completing the third stage.
WHat is a pet skua?
The bird that’s been following them
On dirait que ce n’est pas un noël au balcon pour vous autres 😉 En tous cas, joyeux noël à vous 3 et continuez à nous faire rêver (ce que vous faites, pas les températures que vous supportez)
Merry Christmas xx
De la neige et des paquets dorés… un Noël comme les autres finalement!!
On vous embrasse et vous envoie du soutien de tout notre cœur.
Wishing you all a very, very happy Christmas.
Much love to my ‘little’ brother, Leo. I hope you have some good food and a wee nip to celebrate? Will miss you on Boxing Day, but will be sure to save you some pavlova! And will give Jess, Freya & Jackson and extra big hug for you on.
Lots and lots of love and great big Christmas hugs.
Carla, Adam, Lewis & Missy xxxxx
Merry Christmas Leo,
You made the FT newspaper in Shanghai.
I have been flying over the North Pole.
Stay warm, Claire and David
Merry Christmas boys. Will have a swim for you today Mark. Very windy here a couple of days ago and someone was kite surfing off our beach!
Hi mark
good to se you guys in good sprits and going well have
a good xmas and a white one regards froggie nz.
OMG!. Santa is in your tent!. The old furry man all fat and dressed in red on the right corner!.
Merry Christmas to you guys hope you have a brill one, may the wind be with you.
As you know we are in Gib at the moment and it’s all booze and food. I’m fuked up after pushing a pram up the rock with two 50 kilos kids in it, but the worst bit was downhill. I think it took 7yrs of my life, try going downhill and the kids are moving backwards and forwards, I would have kicked them out or run them over the cliffs it they was mine. So now I’m fuked up with sore legs and can’t walk up or down stairs.
Anyway I’m proud you guys are doing so well, stay safe and see you next year… Yea baby
Joyeux Noël !
C’est super de vous suivre ainsi et de vous voir en forme.
Nous sommes impressionnés
Bon vent pour la suite
Marie Jo Nicolas Angélique Charlie Caroline Nora Maël Gaston