I’d just taken 13 gruelling hours to get through the mountain region below Thorshammer, dropping from 9,000 feet to 4,500 feet over 56km. I set camp at 6pm. Did the blog, ate, rested my feet and occasionally checked my windsock outside. Northeast, this is what had stopped me in my tracks rather than press on to Novo 103km away. My route was bound by crevassing and the known crevasse free path was to the Northeast. I needed a windshift. I called Sarah and while we connected I casually checked my windsock once more. 8pm and there had been another miracle. Southeast. My body screamed “no” but my mind sensed an urgency for me to go immediately. Sarah agreed saying my catlike 6th sense for these things was generally right. By 10pm I was moving, big kite, slowly bearing me northeast on a hard upwind tack with two heavy sleds and now some deep snow. It was left foot dominant for 35km. The foot was excruciatingly painful but I had to tack upwind and there was no easy way to do it. My map review in the tent had showed a three leg course to Novo. Simply a 35km upwind NE […]

After a 7 hour sleep I was recharged and even my left foot got into the boot without to much complaint. My first tricky job was either to kite or manhaul the sleds through the gap behind Thorshammer as the monolith was blocking the easterly wind. In the end I used a combination and finally got into relatively clean air. I was then on the edge of a huge escarpment looking down on the mountains of Ulvettana and Queen Maudsland many unnamed peaks. The Somo Veken glacier is grand and enormous. I had 24 exact waypoints to follow between me and Novo to keep me out of crevasses. The air was warm, -18c, conditions pleasant as I removed layers for the first time in 57 days! The views today just took my breath away and whilst it was a gruelling day I constantly stopped and pinched myself, so grateful. The air in the mountains is always “dirty”, meaning it ebbs, flows, and gusts. The first downslope I was reminded the hardest. The little 11m kite had done a great job getting me away from Thorshammer but a massive gust hit us halfway down the first escarpment. The kite initially collapsed, […]

The forecast was for the wind to become unfavourable for a run at Thorshammer from camp 55 from midday. The last thing I felt like doing after 208 km yesterday was a short sleep and go again. However I was keen to ride this wind to the nth degree, if I’d known what the terrain was to be like I would have taken a rest day! Midnight the alarm went off, I snoozed once then had “breakfast” and got moving. The wind was a lot lighter, and I made slow progress initially. Then a snow mist or fog came in and I was blind, falling a lot as you couldn’t see the ice surface. I dropped to a storm kite, slowed down and did a bit better. Then it cleared and the wind doubled in strength. For a while I made good miles on good ice. 80km out from Thorshammer, the ice condition worsened. Bang, bang, my knees felt as they were full of ground glass and my left foot complained bitterly as well. I pressed on. 62km out the first Antarctic Rim mountains showed their peaks. This was an exciting moment. I realised it had been 55 days since […]

I’ve managed 208 km today. My left foot demanded a stop and so I listened, I was exhausted. Tent up I sat there and celebrated the day. Thorshammer is 165 km to the North West, I hope to make it soon, wind allowing, however, I have to be careful to remain patient. I have pushed hard to keep a high bearing, so I can make it through the tiny gap at Thorshammer and avoid all the crevasses as I drop off the plateau. I did drop to 10,000 feet today, I have been living above 11,500 feet for over 40 days! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I thought I’d include some of my personal resolutions here below. New Years resolutions Take my wife on a date weekly to make up for years of expedition stressHave a weekly catchups with the kidsTalk slowly, take more time with people.Hug more.Do some thing warm !