Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
aPril 22
It's Good Friday, and this morning before we started I thought deeply
about the sacrifice that I believe Jesus made for us.
It wasn't long before we ran smack into the pressure ridges again,
but at least now the sleds are significantly lighter, because we have
used most of our cooking fuel and food. Resupply is nearing. We are all
looking forward to it, mainly because it will be proof that the outside
world has not forgotten us. I read the letter that Brooke wrote to me
every night and look at the photo she gave me back in January. They
give me all the strength I need to keep going.
At lunch, after a cold, hard haul, I gave my portion of reindeer
cabanossi to Eric, Clark and Jose. It's the only thing we eat with any
flavour, but it's Good Friday and a small sacrifice that I felt was worth
making for my mates.
aPril 23
When we woke up, a snowstorm was blasting outside, and none of us
wanted to leave the warmth of our tent. But of course we did. Out-
side, it was difficult to see, and packing up the tents was freezing and
soul-destroying. It was a white-out, with the sky the same colour as the
ground. When we started, we walked straight into a pressure ridge. It
reminded me of the scene in
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
when Mike Teevee wanders into that huge white room.
Every step was a fumble, and many times today I fell over because
I couldn't see the difference between a crest and a trough. Because
there were no visible marker points to aim for, we relied heavily on the
GPS and the compass, which made the going slow. We were regularly
off-track and at one stage going in completely the wrong direction. If
it's still like this in a couple of days, the pickup team won't be able to
find us.
This has definitely been one of our toughest days so far. Right
now, we're thinking that the only positive is that the wind might bring
a significant southerly drift overnight. Here's hoping. The finish of this
leg of the expedition can't come soon enough.
