Our position is N81?16’25”, Ø98?00’10. We’re back to zero – level with Cape Arktichesky. Today we have put 12 kilometres behind, which is really pretty good if you take into account the heavy pulks and drifting ice.
The ice was quite good the first half of the day, later we encountered a fair amount of screw ice. But I think we have moved so far east that we have escaped the chaos of currents and shifting ice outside Cape Arktichesky. The ice is now more compact and stable. The only thing we need is for the wind to change and for the ice to drift in the opposite direction. The southeastward ice movement seems to apply to the entire ice cap over the Pole – this is not just a local phenomenon. It’s normal for the ice to drift northwest, but everything seems turned this year. And it’s only 10–15?C. So the weather conditions really are a bit of a mystery.
Today has been an encouraging day. All is well. Twice we spotted tracks that reminded us the polar bears are not far away. The darkness is filled with drifting snow, but earlier today we got a glimpse of stars.
As I mentioned yesterday, our pulks are really working out well. Two hinged pulks are clearly an excellent idea, and they’re flowing smoothly through the screw ice. Sure, it’s hard work to pull such a load, but we’re making smooth progress even in the worst screw ice. If there is a need, we give each other a hand.
We haven’t had to swim today, even though we have encountered many leads. They’ve been fairly narrow, allowing us to find away across or around them. And that’s good. Well, now we’re back to “zero” after walking 12 km northwards today – but we did have to make up for last night’s drift. There is 974 kilometres left to the North Pole. That’s our status.
