Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
have sent me emails have asked how I go to the toilet, and I reply, 'As
fast as I can!' Terrible things can happen to your extremities in the Arc-
tic. In fact, I do everything quickly out here: my meal breaks during the
day are as quick as possible, because if you sit around too long you run
the risk of turning into Frosty the Snowman. The only thing I don't do
fast is getting out of my sleeping bag in the morning . . .
All I can do is eat plenty through the day to heat my body and give
me energy to keep going. Tonight the cold is keeping me awake.
aPril 11
We got off to a good start, but it was bitterly cold with a very strong
northerly wind, which, thankfully, was at our backs. Our navigation is
good, and it seems that we are headed just enough south-east (match-
ing the drift) to put us on track for Ward Hunt Island.
Up here there are two kinds of water: water from melted ice, which
is light blue, and the Arctic Ocean, which is pitch black. We are seeing
a lot of black water. The ocean is black because the polar ice prevents
