http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/feed.xml Keep up-to-date with the latest posts from the team at the centenary expedition to the South Pole. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:13:00 +0100 en Our expedition is now at an end after yet another busy day at the South Pole with Norwegian and international media. Public interest in the last few days has been overwhelming. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-15-expedition-completed.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-15-expedition-completed.html Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:13:00 +0100 Thank you for allowing us to follow in the long-gone tracks of your skis for these past few weeks. To feel for ourselves your experiences and hardships in the icy wasteland. We had to clench our teeth to manage 4 km/h where you flew forward at 7.5 km/h behind the dogs. But we sometimes took pleasure in the wind. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-15-esteemed-mr-amundsen.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-15-esteemed-mr-amundsen.html Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:11:00 +0100 All four members of the expedition are now gathered at the South Pole, 100 years to the day after Roald Amundsen's great achievement. Vegard Ulvang and Harald Dag Jølle completed the expedition on skis and reached the Pole at 11.30 am Norwegian time. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-14-vegard-and-harald-dag-have-arrived-at-the-south-pole.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-14-vegard-and-harald-dag-have-arrived-at-the-south-pole.html Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:12:00 +0100 Because of different time zones, we are ahead of the celebration in Norway. The first event was that Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg skied the last few kilometres of Amundsen’s route in to the South Pole. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-14-jubilee-celebration.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-14-jubilee-celebration.html Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:44:00 +0100 After we had set up camp 80 km from the South Pole last night it became clear that time was too short and the kilometres too many for us to make it in time for the Jubilee festivities. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-13-quick-changes.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-13-quick-changes.html Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:52:00 +0100 To make it in time for the centenary celebration, the two were flown in the last 80 km to the Pole tonight. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-13-flown-to-the-pole.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-13-flown-to-the-pole.html Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:34:00 +0100 We're doing everything in our power to reach the South Pole by the fourteenth. We have two days and 80 kilometres to go. It ought to be doable. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-12-the-home-stretch.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-12-the-home-stretch.html Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:57:00 +0100 For the past few days our emotions have been on a roller-coaster along with our estimates of whether or not we will make it to the South Pole in time for the Jubilee 14 December. One moment we were in an optimistic mood; the next moment we were uncertain – to say the least. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-11-faith-and-doubt.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-11-faith-and-doubt.html Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:43:00 +0100 Today we passed the latitude of Shackleton’s farthest south record from January 1909. It would have been an excellent reason to stop and reflect, but today we have only two things on our minds: 14 December and the incredibly gritty snow. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-10-science-and-records.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-10-science-and-records.html Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:52:00 +0100 Fish glue is what Amundsen called the abrasive snow we have been fighting against all day. It’s almost like skiing in sand, and over ten full hours of active skiing resulted in a disappointing 27 km. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-09-amundsens-tent.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-09-amundsens-tent.html Fri, 9 Dec 2011 15:48:00 +0100 We had almost given up. Amongst the team insinuations have been overheard to the effect that it was all a big bluff – a cheap publicity stunt by United Bakeries. The UB fiver was non-existent. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-08-the-fiver.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-08-the-fiver.html Thu, 8 Dec 2011 12:07:00 +0100 New day, new opportunities. For the South Pole skier, only time will tell. Today provided a great example that Titan Dome, for all its 3200-m elevation, has more to offer than contrary winds and bitter cold. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-07-the-titan-dome.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-07-the-titan-dome.html Wed, 7 Dec 2011 12:38:00 +0100 “You’ll be home for Christmas won’t you Daddy?” The six-year-old’s voice sounded a bit troubled, and the sentimental father at 87 degrees south felt tears sting his eyes when he talked to his daughter by satellite telephone. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-06-contact.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-06-contact.html Tue, 6 Dec 2011 13:11:00 +0100 That’s the name Stein Tronstad from the Norwegian Polar Institute gave to the last map sheet, the one we are now using. At the moment, it’s difficult to see any charm. We have had yet another day of -30°C and strong headwinds. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-05-charmer-segment.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-05-charmer-segment.html Mon, 5 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0100 Those who have never skied to the South Pole might imagine it to be frightfully boring. That the same old things are repeated day after day. But that is a far cry from reality. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-04-contrasts.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-04-contrasts.html Sun, 4 Dec 2011 14:12:00 +0100 It has been a brisk day with gales and -30°C. The snow gets rough when it drifts and our skis meet much more resistance. We have also been obliged to keep a close watch on our faces and hands today because of the strong wind. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-03-the-pole-of-inaccessibility.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-03-the-pole-of-inaccessibility.html Sat, 3 Dec 2011 19:29:00 +0100 Suddenly it was there again last night. The sun. After nearly three days’ absence it was glorious seeing sunlight shining on the cloth of our tents. It makes all the difference. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-02-sun-on-the-tent.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-02-sun-on-the-tent.html Fri, 2 Dec 2011 19:09:00 +0100 We most certainly agree with Amundsen that “the Butcher” is no inviting place. Two days in a tent. Cold, the air full of snow. We wanted to move on. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-01-breaking-camp.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-12-01-breaking-camp.html Thu, 1 Dec 2011 21:08:00 +0100 This was supposed to be the day we started on the last 500 km to the South Pole. But the weather put a stop to that. During the night the wind picked up so much that it would have been foolhardy to set out on skis. The risk of frostbite was too great. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-30-storm.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-30-storm.html Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:01:00 +0100 It is a day of rest on the Plateau. This means the expedition’s official bloggers have the day off, and the task of reporting today’s news falls to the less serious team members. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-29-a-day-of-rest.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-29-a-day-of-rest.html Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:08:00 +0100 “In four days we have reached the plateau from the coast,” wrote Amundsen proudly in his diary. He gave full credit to the dogs. “Come and say that dogs cannot be used here.” http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-28-the-butcher.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-28-the-butcher.html Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:58:00 +0100 It isn’t possible to write today’s text without expressing our gratitude to Alse T. Johansen’s expedition. They struggled manfully up the slopes, leaving wonderful tracks behind them! http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-27-no-mount-johansen.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-27-no-mount-johansen.html Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:50:00 +0100 An incredible two thirds of the world’s fresh water – water in the atmosphere, rivers, lakes, glaciers, and groundwater – is stored here in Antarctica. Today we have waded in deep powder snow, gaining 800 metres of elevation, through a spectacular frozen landscape. Glaciers tumble down between the mountains, making their way to the Ross Sea. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-26-a-world-of-ice.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-26-a-world-of-ice.html Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:03:00 +0100 We are impressed. How did the five men who were here in 1911 gain an understanding of the landscape so quickly? How did they know which path to choose? Where we are supposed to make our ascent, it looks as though the onward road ends abruptly in a vertical wall of rock. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-25-finding-the-way.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-25-finding-the-way.html Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:00:00 +0100 Words escape us. Even a seasoned adventurer falls silent when he looks around here. Modern-day superlatives like wicked cool, awesome, and insane spring to mind as our skis swish ever closer to the Axel Heiberg Glacier. http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-24-axel-heiberg.html http://sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/diary/south-pole/2011-11-24-axel-heiberg.html Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:35:00 +0100