Day 39

Unsurprisingly the day started early and very cold. We’re slowly getting used to the challenges of getting the right combinations of kit and clothing at the right time. Big gloves protect your hands from the temperature but leave you with very limited dexterity when taking the tents down. At what point do you take off the duvet jacket? Buff pulled up over mouth and nose? When and how do you put on sunscreen? One of my biggest problems is with sunglasses, they freeze solid so I can’t see out of them. I’ve got to wait for a little heat to melt the ice but by then the glare can be harsh.

Either way we’ve all developed our own peculiarities and little morning routines and within a min or so of the designated time we are off again and skiing. Last night I got a tip to try the ‘Short Histories’ podcast. I love my history and there are a host of great history podcasts out there. The key to Short Histories however is that they last between 49-51 mins – exactly the timing of a single pull. Hence, just as Hemingway pulls out his shotgun or Charlemagne pops his clogs you know the pull is about to finish – genius!

In this way the first nine pulls of the day fly by and we are once again making really good time in ideal conditions with the sun on our backs. We might, just might be heading ever so slightly downhill. As the end of the tenth pull of the day approaches, I notice Tom lean across and whisper something to Col who is trail breaking/ navigating. Out of nowhere Col puts on a burst of speed that has everyone blowing to keep up. 10 mins later he draws to a stop with a delighted grin; we hit 30km in a day for the first time!

With the tent admin cracked there is one decision that needs to be made. Do we take a rest day? Or crack on heading for the coast. There is still a long way to go and conditions are not guaranteed; set against that everyone has worked hard to get this far and importantly we have some medical research data collection to catch up on. We check the weather and I consult with some of the others before making the decision to call a rest day for tomorrow. Even if conditions deteriorate, I’m confident we’ll make the edge of the Icecap in 8 days. From there we have to deal with what’s in front of us to exit the ice and make our way down to the pick-up point. It may be quite tight but I’m convinced the positives of a rest day will pay off in the end.