Right now we’re actually on the North Pole! It has been a great day with magnificent weather – 27 degrees below Centigrade, little wind and good ice conditions. We have skied across a few leads and passed through areas of pack ice, but fortunately these challenges have not presented any problems.
Everything has gone according to plan. At 10am this morning our aeroplane left for Ice Station Barneo, where we enjoyed warm coffee and a bite to eat. After a few hours a smaller aircraft flew us to our position, nine kilometres from the North Pole. We followed 112˚East in a more or less straight line in to the world’s most northerly point, which we reached after six or seven hours.
It’s been a great day with varied Arctic experiences – pack ice and open water and, of course, the magnificent landscape that always awaits visitors to the North Pole. Now we are camped right at the pole and can finally relax in our tents. We’ve had a late dinner, it’s almost midnight, but we really wanted to reach the world’s most northerly point today.
Our plan tomorrow is to explore at a relaxed pace, and take more pictures. The weather forecast is good.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to send you photographs, because I have forgotten the little chord that connects the photo storage disk to the satellite phone. That’s regrettable, but you will just have to settle for reading the blog for now.
All our expedition members are in fine shape and good spirits – this has been a rewarding day. We shall tonight and one more night at the North Pole, before flying back to Ice Station Barneo on the 12th of April, with a flight home the following day.
I will send you a new report tomorrow.
