Day 19

Lat S83deg 39.256’
Long W80deg 32.467’
Altitude 1230m
Daily distance 14.51nm

Really good day with the wind dropping slightly from yesterday. The whole day was largely sastrugi free, perhaps because I was on a plateau all day without much height change, but it was nice to be able to keep a straight line instead of weaving around the sastrugi. Constantly doing this tends to see you crabbing east or west slightly which isn’t too big a deal but why zigzag when you can go straight?
Felt good all day and finished feeling like I’d make good progress. On checking, it was 14.51 nautical miles which is on the up but it really felt like I had gone further.

My stove started spluttering and alternating between blue and yellow flame this morning so I got the spare into action to complete my snow melting for hot drinks. This is one thing that having a spare of is essential but it’s also good to have a servicing kit. I’ve got spare fuel pumps too but a quick strip and clean this evening has got it working fine again. Fuel bottles topped up too so hoping for trouble free snow melting for a while yet. I normally need one kettle boil in the evening for my dehydrated meal and desert and a hot drink then two kettles in the morning will sort my breakfast, another hot drink plus my liquid requirements for the day.
It felt a bit colder this evening after pitching the tent but getting the stove on early soon has you warm again, then it gets too hot and you’re opening vents! Can’t win!

Expecting much the same tomorrow but the map shows more height gain up to 1400 metres before this degree is out so that must start happening soon. After that it drops slightly to Thiel and then after that it’s uphill all the way to the pole at just under 3000 metres. I’ll be lighter by then but still not looking forward to it !

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