A glorious day!The temperature was -22°C when we woke up and noticeably more pleasant than the past few days. And then the wind veered to one side and we hoisted our sails. Our experience as ski-sailors is limited, so problems with cut lines and a few tumbles into the snow are only to be expected. But our skills are steadily improving.
“In port today. Had a storm from the S. during the night. It blew well. Eased towards the small hours. Got a meridian sight.”– Amundsen on this day 100 years ago (Read more …) 
Later in the day we hitched ourselves up in pairs. One man sailed with the other in tow. Absolute luxury compared to “man-hauling”. During one of our breaks, Jan-Gunnar was interviewed by an American talk show host, familiar to all viewers of “Travel with Rick Steves”, which is aired in 150 American cities. Modern satellite communication offers possibilities Amundsen most definitely did not have. The wind abated in the evening, but by then we had set a new record: 38 km. On this date 100 years ago, Amundsen took a day off. We are now 198 km behind “the Chief” – closer than we’ve ever been. Today’s weather forecast predicts high pressure for a while longer. That means lots of sun, plenty of cold, and winds from the south. Position: S 81 10.914, W 167 20.294
Temperature: -22°C Wind: 4 m/s from the south-southeast Distance traversed: 38 km Distance behind Amundsen: 198 km Did you know that whaling sped up the mapping of Antarctica?
When whaling in the Southern Ocean began, in the early 1900s, the need for maps of relevant sea areas and coastlines became pressing. |
South Pole 1911–2011 is an informational outreach project run by the Norwegian Polar Institute
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