The sea stopped us today, but I’m getting ahead of myself. We woke up to a northerly wind and frost in the air. Despite a very reduced view, we walked on as far as we could – but after seven hours, we came to a wide lead. It was 200 metres to the other side. We searched out a narrow stretch and donned our waterproof suits as a safety measure, before walking out on the newly formed ice. Unfortunately it was too thin and broke underneath me after only 20 m – so we had to retreat to firmer ice.
We spent a long time following the lead of open water in both directions, in vain searching for a safe crossing point. After a couple of hours, we had to give up and set up camp near a spot where the lead was narrower. In the morning, we’re hoping the ice will have frozen thick enough to carry us to the other side. Our position here is N83?36’37”, E103?22’25”.
This shortened day yielded 9 km, this time minus 2 km ice drift in the wrong direction. That’s just how it is on some days – and today has been a bit miserable with the weather as well, walking head on into the wind. We do notice that it is more difficult to navigate now that the moon is gone. Morning and evening are dark, while there are a couple of hours of dim light in the middle of the day.
It’s important for us to treasure our unique experience – and the changing light here surely deserves an Oscar for beautiful effects every day! It’s not all toil; we lift our heads and truly appreciate what surrounds us.
