South Pole: Solo but Not Alone - Midnight skiing brings a 30km day....

Midnight skiing brings a 30km day....

South Pole: Solo but Not Alone

Howard Fairbank

Tue 6 Dec 2011 11:36

85:04.189S 79:59.400W

Just passed 85deg S..slwly getting there!

Hey, it's just after midnight (Yeah well Punta Arenas time), and I have just completed my day's skiing. Obviously, its still brighht daylight here, the sun is two hurs away from local midnight (for 79deg W)

Gee, was I proud of my set up tent, sleep and take a break strategy. The evening sun angle made visibility so much better and gave me a new record day's run: 30.1 km....Very sweet!

I'm 'camped' about 1 km from a large nunatak a fitting campsite with a view, for a good day's work!

Now off to sleep...3 hours, and then up again....and it's Sunday!

Full blog at the end of skiing tomorrow....

Blog Entries

2011

Dec 2011

Sat 31 Dec 10:48
- The Finale: Ruth and I together again!
Fri 30 Dec 19:30
- I finally awoke from a long deep sleep...! And a big decision now made...
Wed 28 Dec 00:30
- Day 34.9!: I've arrived at the Bottom of the World!
Tue 27 Dec 16:52
- Day 35.5: I'm standing at the South Pole...Mission completed!
Mon 26 Dec 22:53
- Day 35: What a day...!! That's all I can say here..Read all about it below...!
Sun 25 Dec 08:08
- Day 34: The Whitest Christmas I'll ever have...! No Father Christmas so I gave myself a present!
- Day 33: An important day....I can now 'feel' the POLE!
Sat 24 Dec 01:32
- Day 32: Mother Nature decides my pace.....Storm again!
Fri 23 Dec 01:42
- Day 31: Closer and close, but not easier!
Thu 22 Dec 00:27
- Day 30: Let Free, and a great day's skiing!
Wed 21 Dec 21:41
- Day 29: I didn't need this one: Tent bound...Whiteout. No visibility, snowing and windy
Tue 20 Dec 03:13
- Day 28: Freedom , capitulation and prisons...A different day!
Mon 19 Dec 02:59
- Day 27: This is starting to get REAL tough..I fought for every footstep today!
Sun 18 Dec 02:15
- Day 26: A Cold windy day... 31.5 km though!
Fri 16 Dec 22:18
- Day 25: I stayed put and became a Sastruggi....!
- Day 24: A much needed, Good Solid One!
Thu 15 Dec 02:18
- Day 23: No party for me on Amundsen 'day': An important mental victory though...
Wed 14 Dec 00:53
- Day 22: Today I found Hell in Antarctica, and distance shows.....
Tue 13 Dec 01:16
- Day 21: Not much happened today...but that's good!
Mon 12 Dec 00:13
- Day 20: Exhilarating skiing, Antartica tests my spirit...
Sun 11 Dec 00:27
- Day 19: Another Amundsen one...That's nice!
Sat 10 Dec 01:39
- Day 18: Halfway and a good one!
Fri 9 Dec 01:11
- Day 17: Back at work, and a day of 'everything'....
Wed 7 Dec 12:05
- Day 16: Freedom in Antarctica...'Simply Adventure' is alive and well...
- Day 15: Two great distance days, with no problems.....
Tue 6 Dec 11:36
- Midnight skiing brings a 30km day....
- Day 14....Well half of it....
Mon 5 Dec 06:30
- Day 13! The first uneventful day...rest!
Sun 4 Dec 06:36
- Day 12: First crevasse and I lose my way!
Sat 3 Dec 00:54
- Day 11: Goood news i 've got my sled back!
Fri 2 Dec 06:43
- D10: Hey man, today was the toughest yet...but yippee the pole was perfect!
Thu 1 Dec 03:58
- Day 9: A big one.....!!.

Nov 2011

Wed 30 Nov 01:33
- Day 8: The real game begins! Hmmm, I WILL get to the Pole unsupported, no matter what.....
Tue 29 Nov 04:15
- Day 7: So much variety today, I think I'm overstimulated now!
Mon 28 Nov 01:40
- Day 6: Sastruggi and Sled Problems, but another 30km day!
- Day 5: An epic struggle, but that whisky coctail is well deserved tonight!
Thu 24 Nov 01:02
- Day 4: The Rules have all changed!
Wed 23 Nov 02:25
- Day 3: Nature shows me some of the
Mon 21 Nov 23:39
- Day 2: The Struggle to accept the wide open nothingness!
- From my 1st camp on the ice!
Sun 20 Nov 00:55
- The Start: Messner Start Point ,Antarctic Coast
Sat 19 Nov 20:56
- I Start Tomorrow...!!
Fri 18 Nov 18:59
- Touch down on Antarctica: and a perfect day!
Thu 17 Nov 18:08
- LATEST: Saturday Departure for Antarctica looking Good!
Wed 16 Nov 21:54
- DELAYED due to no flying conditions into Antarctica.
Mon 14 Nov 11:14
- Set to be delayed in Punta Arenas as Antarctica becomes unapproachable!
Sun 6 Nov 18:21
- The Final Day before leaving Cape Town

2007

Sep 2007

Sat 1 Sep 07:37

Midnight skiing brings a 30km day....

Blog Entries

Sat 31 Dec 10:48

Fri 30 Dec 19:30

Wed 28 Dec 00:30

Tue 27 Dec 16:52

Mon 26 Dec 22:53

Sun 25 Dec 08:08

Sat 24 Dec 01:32

Fri 23 Dec 01:42

Thu 22 Dec 00:27

Wed 21 Dec 21:41

Tue 20 Dec 03:13

Mon 19 Dec 02:59

Sun 18 Dec 02:15

Fri 16 Dec 22:18

Thu 15 Dec 02:18

Wed 14 Dec 00:53

Tue 13 Dec 01:16

Mon 12 Dec 00:13

Sun 11 Dec 00:27

Sat 10 Dec 01:39

Fri 9 Dec 01:11

Wed 7 Dec 12:05

Tue 6 Dec 11:36

Mon 5 Dec 06:30

Sun 4 Dec 06:36

Sat 3 Dec 00:54

Fri 2 Dec 06:43

Thu 1 Dec 03:58

Wed 30 Nov 01:33

Tue 29 Nov 04:15

Mon 28 Nov 01:40

Thu 24 Nov 01:02

Wed 23 Nov 02:25

Mon 21 Nov 23:39

Sun 20 Nov 00:55

Sat 19 Nov 20:56

Fri 18 Nov 18:59

Thu 17 Nov 18:08

Wed 16 Nov 21:54

Mon 14 Nov 11:14

Sun 6 Nov 18:21

Sat 1 Sep 07:37