        
|
Diary
7.7.2008Location:78 10.94 N, 63 26.08 W
Last evening at camp we saw that come changes are on their way. May our "cloud intepretation"-book would have told what it is if it would not be "too complex issue to handle here". Thick wall of clouds kept coming on us around 8 pm and since then it have given wet snow with high winds. So already at first leg we saw that it will be tough day today. After first break we used ski wax to our skis and sledges, but it only latter worked, so we collected most of the glacier with us at bottom of our skis. So we skied few legs before we installed duct tapes to ski bottoms. With that magic we crumbled through the day, which was quite heavy. We thought we should have descent today, but it is still quite flat surface. Anyway, according to map there is only 20 km to 1500 meter line. So 250 meters descending. And it would be nice to have good speed at downhills, before the whole trip is going to end. Like one emailer wrote us: your last days should be able to count by fingers of two hands. But usually polar explorers take their toes into counts, since some of finger and toes are usually disappeared. It is so enthuastic to think where we ski nowadays. It is like a pilgrimage for us. At this very same are there have travelled some magnificient polar explorers like Peary, Freuchen, Rasmussen and Lauge Kock. All of them have utilized the great knowledge of inuits at their expeditions. I'll definitely read their books again now that I have seen this place with my own ice.And now one quiz suitable for your dinner table: how many toes had Robert Peary left when he rached North Pole. Answer tomorrow, so stay tuned! 8.7.2008Location:78 10.16 N, 65 04.67 W
We had perfect weather today. Now it blows from middle glacier, which should give us clear skies but cannot guarantee that. Recently, Tuesday has been resting day among us. Today we had it too and it contained 8 x 50 minutes of skiing, documentation and some washing. We also reached new daily record with kilometers. Today we saw long-waited downhill today. We were able to see one hill and some very low level descending. Nothing we expected. There is something wrong with the maps we have, because we have passed 1500 m line 20 kilometers ago. Now we are still at 1650 meters. There is only 120 km to glacier exit and that should happened at 800 meters of altitude. We hope we will not fall from too high. To nearest exit point is only 35 kilometers to bottom of Inglefield-fjord. It goes via Quaanaaq deep into inland, but we cannot reach it without kayaks. So we will ski behind Quaanaaq, where exit would be easier. I think we have traveled totally wrong. Usually, each TV-show, book or any public performance there is normal manuscript, which follows certain patterns. We haven't followed that pattern but traveling has been quite mixed by tempo. Quick and slow, long and short. After summit we started our intentional lengthening of expedition. This was subject of my thoughts today. I even wondered if people follow this expedition like any realut tv-show, that would follow certain pattern. That what usually happens to me when following other expeditions. Sometimes I simply forget that there are only normal humans out there. Admiral Robert Peary was quite definite man. He had almost beforehand decided that he would be the first man at North Pole. He arrived to Thule area already 1891 and next spring he headed towards Pole but was forced to come back empty handed. He repeated same formula many times during forthcoming years. And he guarded everybody that no one would reach Pole before him. For example, when Otto Svedrup was investigationg ice situation near Ellesmere islands, Peary thought that he was about to go to North Pole and established an other expedition. And again he was forced to return, this time without too many toes. Peary's obsession was finally awarded when he reached Pole 1909. His story contains some inaccuracies, that has made some people think he did not reach the Pole. Nevertheless, in history books, he is the first man there. All these expeditions cost him many of his toes, so correct answer for my yesterday query is 2 toes. 9.7.2008Location:78 06.77 N, 66 40.39 W
Again, we dreamed about downhill skiing. And, we were disappointed again. Glacier continues to be flat. Only thing we can trust on is our map that definitely tells us where we are. Today was one of those days when you are skiing that second last day towards your goal. The whole day feels so frustrated, but you still need to do it. Technique has been quite awesome. Usually one face troubles with 12V equipment. There is different moisture and battery loading problem. Yesterday there had condensate lots of water in their shield bag, which Iridium did not like that much. But Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 was like it had been just bought from store. We have tried everything to break it, but it works properly. They only missing WLAN here and surroundings would be perfect for arctic explorer. My thoughts have flown a lot recently. I have been thinking what I want to do after few weeks when we are home again. On the other hand, I should kept my self concentrated, since hardest part is yet to come. At the edge of glacier there are crevasses waiting for us, then my mind must be focused. 10.7.2008Location:77 59.73 N, 68 22.41 W Land in sight!
We skied approximately 7 legs before we saw something totally different for past three months. First there were only few changes, but soon it was clear that there were the mountains and glacier called Piulip Nuna, which is located at west bank of Quaanaaq. It is so funny to thing that only few miles separates us and village full of people. Feelings were quite neutral, but big smile was on both faces today. As Vuorenmaa told me, "As a matter of fact, it is good to see land in every few months." I have told here we have broken some Finnish records in arctic traveling, and today we reached another new lines. Timo Polari had previous record with his South Pole expedition. We have now passed his 1133 kilometers and new record is currently 1163 km. We forgot the whole thing, since we were supposed have two men choir singing Queen's "We are the champion" and dance some folk dances at heat of moment. Snow has now changed to very wet stuff. Skis are ok but poles go through the surface already. Few hours today were quite difficult for that reason and we had our first overtime day with 9x50minutes. I'll charge us 50% extra of that. We haven't seen any crevasses yet, which is quite a blessing. If one is traveling alone, there is no such a problem, since then you take risks by yourself. With 2 or guys you have to decide whether take the risk that whole team will fall (one man and his sledge is quite heavy). We try to cope here by keeping our eyes open. I have been thinking that one day I'll fall into crevasse, but hope it will not be tomorrow 11.7.2008Location:77 44.92 N, 69 19.78 W
We were on the move 12 hours in row, and all that time qas quite tough ride, so setting on to land did not feel particularly special. We recorded our now familiar clause "so we crossed Greenland again, so thanks to ourselves once again". After leaving ice we had quite tough job to find place for tent at this rock-covered ground, and hard wind did not make our job any easier. Our morning started very early since we were too enthuastic to sleed, and snow surface was great. We thought that it would only take few hours to reach land. But, as always, the last day of expedition hit us hard. After few hours we had descended so much, that we were having a lot of wet snow arounf us. It was up-and-down going, and hard wind did not make it any easier. Temperature raise was also quick.
At afternoon there was only 5 kilometers to land. At level of 1000 meters there was no snow anymore and we skied on sole ice. And soon there was the first glacier river in front of us. then another. And after that we skied in water. It did not matter since sun was shining and hard wind dried us fast. We were not too cautious about our equipment, but skied with full force forward. But true tests are like this. And still not even scratch in our sledges. As a final stretch, we skied to wrong place. Our maps are not that strict, and soon we noticed that we have skied to wrong place. Nothing helped, and ascending started gain. Luckily we have this GPS to guide us, and last few hundred meters we just walked our sledges to these rocks where we have our camp now. It is now 12 o'clock at night. There was kind of celebration, since we drank some real coffee instead of usual instant one. We are tired now so we will go to sleep. And not to forget, we are not at final point (Qaanaaq) yet, so expedition continues. More tomorrowZZZZzzzzzzzzz. 12.7.2008Location:77 42.45 N, 69 26.22 W
All our gear was in biggest possible bags (namely, in bags where our kites were bagged). These we carried in our back. And smaller, 30 litres bags we had in front. And on sides, there we had tents, sleeping bags, tent poles etc. In hands, we had smaller gear like shot gun, ski poles etc. We did not know anything about the shapes of our current surface, so we just started walking towards seashore. First it was quite steady walking, although rocky, but soon descending was faster. Each inch of my body hurt. I also fell few times and hit my knee bad. We weren't able to carry all our gear at once, so we did another trip to up and then back. One return trip takes 5 hours. We still have our skis and sledges up there that we will get at morning. Our plan was, that we will leave our gear on shore of this Mc Cormic bay and walk to Quaanaaq. But few heavy glacier rivers do not allow this plan. No chance to cross them by foot, so that's the end of that plan. Tomorrow we know what we should do, So in addition to gear carrying, we will try to solve how we could arrange ourselves out of here. There is no horry with that, since we are still on vacation and one should enjoy his holidays. Even with hurting body. Next, and last update I will write from Quaanaaq, when we finally arrive there (hope some day).
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
© 2007-2008 Petet |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
So, it gave us storm
The resting day.
It was very nice summer day today. Usually people spend such a day at beach, but for skiing it starts to be quite hot. In April, many of you suggested skiing at night, and now would be time for it. However, I have planned to arrange my self a proper tanning.
It was exactly 2,5 months ago since we last saw land. Our log-books tell us that on 26.4 there were some nunataks at west.
Today we set our feet on land again. 82 days on ice with skis but now it is different. It feels like walking in heaven. Though Vuorenmaan thinks, that children born with skiing boots on that just fade away due to lack of usage.
Skiing in soft snow at edge of glacier is no fun at all, since there can be crevasses anywhere. And soon we started to see them. they weren't that bad, but each one you needed to double-check. Widest crevasses were around half meter wide.
Last night I did not sleep much. Heavy wind made such a noice in our tent. And the same wind continued blowing when we started our walking trip towards seashore. Distance from our camp is 5 km and descending 640 meters.
