Day 9: A big one.....!!.
South Pole: Solo but Not Alone
Howard Fairbank
Thu 1 Dec 2011 03:58
Well, this update won't be long because I'm really tired...but don't let its brevity detract from the REAL big day it was.
Last night I told you about thee wind outside, well I woke to a strongish headwind, which made the day's toilet a bit of a chilled rear affair! Someone asked: No secrets, and no innovation, just have to find aa bit of protection behind the tent the drop the pants and be quick! I dig a hole first and cover up afterwards...pristine environment, and I'mmdoing my very best....I haven't droppped one single bit of stuff that hasn't come 'out of me'... I even use a piece of ice as toilet paper! Ok, back to the wind...
Well I dressed for a big headwind, and that's what I got the whole day. I estimate it reached 40 knots (about 80km/h) but I raised my game and actually revelled in the conditions. Most of the time loose snow was being driven offf the ice, forming like a rapidly moving smoke carpet, spiraalling around the sastruggi...very eiree, but beautiful.
The I saw a few kilometres off to the east what looked like a sea iceberg protruding out of the otherwise flat almost whitehorse capped sea terrain shimmering inn the sunlight. It was my first Nunavat.....the peaks of thee mountains below the ice just sticking through, and totally ice covered. Really nice, and makes me wonder what's under the ice I'm walking on.. There were about 4 peaks, total length sticking out was about 300m long and a maximum height of maybe 15-20 metres.
Last two hours were tough as the surface was soft, liike snow, causing the sled to sink in the snow making it fveery hard to pull.
The wind area has changed, as I was walking in the same direction as the sastruggi vs the 70 degre angle before. I do hope the wind drops tomorrow, but it is still blowing outside. I had my first real high wind tent ereection, which went well. It's a great tent the most wind friendly you gett.
My pole repair worked like a dream....oh, until 20 mins before end of day: It was stil working good, but looked as if something had moved bit, so I thought I'd just test it. Well it just creaked in my hands, and oopsie, I knew all was not good. On inspection later in thr tent it became aapparent that my razor shaft had alsso broken...Gee these poles take punishment hey.
I've spent the last tewo hours looking for another solution, and havee just completed repair using a better quality tent pole (the other was from an old tent of mine, this time I cut the spares for thevten I 'm sleeping in. They are much strongeeer and don'tt appear as brittle. Anyway tthat was the only option I was left with......Hmm, quite stressful, and I was hoping for a quiet earky evening! Another nailbiting pole day ahead tomorrow...
Oh well, 27 km's done today, under difficult conditions, I should be happy with that...
I have to say I feel enoormously challenged at the moment...positively, and REALLY feel alive dealing with all this. The conditions today made it bitterly cold, the rest times were what many would describe as nothing short of miserable, but I enjoyed using my skills to survive and be relaxed inn the whole day's conditions...
Ok off to bed now...I wish I could share more of the specifics, but this already is longer than I had planned!
Bye