Hi, it’s the 8th of July and Day 68. Our position is N80˚34’, E54˚21’. We left Champ Island after searching in vain in the wrong place for some special rock formations. Now we’re following our planned route. Conditions have been excellent today, and we really needed that – because at 32 km this was one of our longest crossings yet, at least the longest without a ski-sail. We crossed a wide fjord. Fortunately it was frozen, allowing us to cross on skis.
Since it was night, temperatures were cooler, a few degrees below in Centigrade, with nice frost on the ice and snow. Our skis had good glide, as did the pulks and kayaks that we’re pulling. We’re tired, but really glad that we completed this leg, from Champ Island over to the next one.
Thomas and I have seen a lot of polar bear tracks today – at least ten sets. And that is unusually may. We walked right up on a female with two cubs that were sleeping or resting. As soon as they saw us, they got up in a hurry and scuffled off in the opposite direction. It’s fascinating how different polar bears are. While some are extremely curious, whether hungry or just eager to have a look, others run off the moment they spot you. These cubs were tiny and must have been born very recently, this year.
We’re now camped on a tiny island just off the island named after Nansen. We came here rather than continuing the last stretch, because the wind picked up and conditions suddenly became very difficult with fog all around us. So we were lucky that this island was so close. We really want to have our camp on solid ground – and now we do.
A little summary, because I’m not sure how much you lost when the satellite connection was broken: Thomas and I have walked 32 km today, one of our longest legs yet. And this was a very crucial leg of this expedition, since the islands here are separated by great distances. We’ve covered that distance on good ice, and can thank the cooler night for these excellent conditions. Walking at night was the right choice to make.
