Day 24 Write description img 1--> Saturday 29.11.2008 Position:S 74° 58,26' W 008° 42,81' Distance: 2km Elevation: 2580m We are so used to suffering, we are feeling guilty not to! We awoke to sunshine, clear skies and no wind - the storm had finally passed over us during the night and it was dead calm. What looked so dangerous and threatening the day before was unbelievably beautiful today. We repaired the kite successfully, which took us until noon. Still no winds, so we decided to manhaul. The storm left behind so much loose snow, it took everything just to get them moving. We are also quite painfully aware of our current altitude, as close to the Poles the partial oxygen pressure is lower than at the same height in the Rocky Mountains or the Alps. We were absolute despair . Finally we made it onto the Plateau and nothing is working - no katabatic winds and no hard surface. However the view is mindboggling! After 2km we finally give up exhausted. We wouldn't get very far anyways and to reach the depot we will have to have wind. So instead of continuing to suffer, we decided to do something fun and exciting: We started to build an igloo. At this point we decided to wait for kiting wind, which the expedition is actually designed for - and without it this route would be impossible anyways. It is just very difficult that our successful completion of our journey is now totally dependend on the wind. To add a few km through manhauling won't do too much and under these conditions we would be too beat to withstand the strenous hours of kiting. It is at this point challenging, even frustrating, to know that we have done everything humanly possible and now 'simply' have to have faith that all will be well. 29 Nov, 08 - 20:48 | Dispatch library Aloha Antarctica – Never again? That was a close shave! Back in Germany Saturday, 06.12.2008 - 20:35 Capetown 3 Dec, 08 - 12:20 Day 26 1 Dec, 08 - 15:37 Day 25 30 Nov, 08 - 19:56 Day 24 29 Nov, 08 - 20:48 Day 23 28 Nov, 08 - 20:39 Day 22 27 Nov, 08 - 20:21 Day 21 26 Nov, 08 - 19:23 Press 4 ende Day 20 25 Nov, 08 - 20:41 Tag 20 25 Nov, 08 - 20:01 Day 19 24 Nov, 08 - 19:29 Day 18 23 Nov, 08 - 19:22 Day 17 22 Nov, 08 - 20:18 Day 16 21 Nov, 08 - 20:36 Day 15 20 Nov, 08 - 20:25 Day 14 19 Nov, 08 - 20:27 Day 13 31 Dec, 08 - 20:37 Day 12 17 Nov, 09 - 20:29 Day 11 16 Nov, 08 - 20:36 Day 10 15 Nov, 08 - 20:16 Day 9 14 Nov, 08 - 20:02 Day 8 13 Nov, 08 - 19:59 Day 7 12 Nov, 08 - 18:50 Day 6 11 Nov, 08 - 19:37 Day 5 10 Nov, 08 - 19:29 Day 4 9 Nov, 08 - 18:39 Day 3 8 Nov, 08 - 20:51 Day 2 7 Nov, 08 - 19:13 We are on our way! 6 Nov, 08 - 22:27 Novo - day 4 4 Nov, 08 - 18:25 Novo Station 3 Nov, 08 - 17:50 Novo Station 2 Nov, 08 - 13:47 Icebog from 31.10.2008 31.10.2008 Last arrangements in Cape Town 30.10.2008 |
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