Pole to Pole Run with Icetrek Expeditions
Dispatches
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2011-05-19
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2011-05-18
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2011-05-15
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2011-05-14
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2011-05-13
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2011-05-12
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2011-05-12
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2011-05-11
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2011-05-09
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2011-05-08
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2011-05-07
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2011-05-06
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2011-05-05
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2011-05-05
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2011-05-04
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2011-05-02
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2011-05-02
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2011-05-01
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2011-04-29
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2011-04-28
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2011-04-27
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2011-04-27
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2011-04-26
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2011-04-25
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2011-04-24
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2011-04-23
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2011-04-23
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2011-04-22
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2011-04-21
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2011-04-20
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2011-04-19
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2011-04-18
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2011-04-17
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2011-04-16
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2011-04-16
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2011-04-15
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2011-04-14
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2011-04-14
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2011-04-13
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2011-04-12
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2011-04-11
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2011-04-10
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2011-04-10
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2011-04-08
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2011-04-07
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2011-04-06
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2011-04-05
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2011-04-02
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2011-03-26
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2011-03-21
Apr 20
Dispatch #21
Published at 19:34
We change tent partners every two days. Next to me in the tent is ourcomms wiz, Clark, who only yesterday sent a 4mb video to our base team. From what I know, which is not much really, this is unprecedented from these regions. So far we have had plenty of power for our faultless devices which include twoMacbook Air’s, a bank of external laptop batteries, 4 Iridium phones, iPods and iPhones, twoprosumer Sony video cameras, four compact cameras, a truckload of AA lithium batteries, charging packs and cables.
While I reside with Clark I will take the opportunity to send a longer email and a pic, which I hope to do every six days or so. Other days I sendsms updates direct from the Iridium phone. In the other tent is Jose and Pat and over the roar of our stoves we often throw questions or hurl insults. Today was idyllic. The terrain was almost flat with just a few small pressure ridges to weasel through. That, together with a half hour increase to 8 hours of skiing, saw us top 23km’s for the day.
The photo is from left to right, Pat and his sled, Bubba, a reference to Forrest Gump, me on Mike, named after a Judo colleague recently diagnosed with cancer, Clark astride Frankenstein, who has a surgically stitched repair to its bow, and Jose onNanukin, an affectionate Inuit name for a polar bear cub. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions, we really enjoyed the interest it sparked.
We are just a fewkilometres short of one third distance to Canada and hope to reach halfway on our scheduled resupply on April 25. Things are going better than we hoped for despite a multitude of breakages and nightly repairs to equipment.
The sun beats on the tent and we are starting to get some solar gain. It’s still thirty below almost constantly but we are more comfortable than a week ago. I open the tent door and the ice shines like a million beacons. What an awesome place, tranquil yet unforgiving. Yesterday, when my fingers had warmed after a cold lunch, I shed a little tear for the beauty of the Arctic Ocean. It feels like home.
Eric
While I reside with Clark I will take the opportunity to send a longer email and a pic, which I hope to do every six days or so. Other days I sendsms updates direct from the Iridium phone. In the other tent is Jose and Pat and over the roar of our stoves we often throw questions or hurl insults. Today was idyllic. The terrain was almost flat with just a few small pressure ridges to weasel through. That, together with a half hour increase to 8 hours of skiing, saw us top 23km’s for the day.
The photo is from left to right, Pat and his sled, Bubba, a reference to Forrest Gump, me on Mike, named after a Judo colleague recently diagnosed with cancer, Clark astride Frankenstein, who has a surgically stitched repair to its bow, and Jose onNanukin, an affectionate Inuit name for a polar bear cub. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions, we really enjoyed the interest it sparked.
We are just a fewkilometres short of one third distance to Canada and hope to reach halfway on our scheduled resupply on April 25. Things are going better than we hoped for despite a multitude of breakages and nightly repairs to equipment.
The sun beats on the tent and we are starting to get some solar gain. It’s still thirty below almost constantly but we are more comfortable than a week ago. I open the tent door and the ice shines like a million beacons. What an awesome place, tranquil yet unforgiving. Yesterday, when my fingers had warmed after a cold lunch, I shed a little tear for the beauty of the Arctic Ocean. It feels like home.
Eric
- Accumulated distance: 283 km
- Distance to go: 509 km
- Name: Camp 15
- Elevation: 1 m
- Latitude: 87° 31’ 9” North
- Longitude: 79° 58’ 4” West
The Troops
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