Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eric and Jose both broke ski bindings today, and a 30-centimetre
hole was smashed in Clark's kayak when he fell on jagged ice. The
resourceful Eric, who has been trying to repair our skis and boots,
patched it with Kevlar rope. But no matter what, we'll keep going: we're
going to get to Canada.
Physically, I'm fine. I've grown used to my nose and ears stinging
terribly because of the extreme cold and wind, although the pain in
my hands is like nothing I've ever felt. My knee is aching and I have a
little bit of frostbite in one finger. Yet, agonising as that is, the mental
pain is harder to bear. The short distances we're covering despite the
high workload are a big worry.
It's hard to explain this place. It's beautiful and majestic, but
terrifying too. I thought the North Pole would be flat and smooth,
but mostly it's like bombs have gone off everywhere and turned the
landscape to rubble. Yesterday, for 2 kilometres we had a good run,
travelling relatively quickly over terrain that was for a change as
smooth as an ice-skating rink, but instead of pushing on and making
the most of it, Eric said, 'Let's rest up here and we'll get a good start on
