Three Sails – 17th December 2018

Day Three: 33 miles travelled, 682 miles remaining

Today I passed Three Sails, an evenly spaced row of three nunataks mostly submerged in snow. The range lies 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of Haven Mountain at the northwest edge of the Britannia Range and marked the point where I was due to make a slight left to aim for the South Pole. As I trudged onwards, there was a change underfoot and it felt as if I’d skied into a huge sand pit of snow. The sled came grinding to a halt.

The current conditions have been making it tough going, with the layer of snow thicker than usual. Antarctica is technically a desert – the coldest, driest and windiest continent on the planet – so it actually sees far less snow than perhaps you would expect. But this year, there was a fresh covering that I had to contend with. Every three or four steps my sled got lodged and began sinking and I’d have to use full force to free it, expending precious energy. Sometimes it even just hung there freely, balanced on the snow… because why not!

A demoralising day if I’m honest, progress was slow and there was nothing I could do about it. I also accidentally took a pee on my compass and could only watch as it instantly froze. That is the kind of mistake you only make once in a lifetime.

I’m dreading another day of it tomorrow and hope for better conditions as I move through the degrees to reach the South Pole. Tomorrow might have to be the first time I listen to some music! I’d been saving it as treat once I reached Three Sails and then forgot to listen to anything. I’m still going uphill but hopefully it’ll only be another day before it levels out a little.

Behind me, somewhere in the clouds, are the back of the Ellsworth Mountains, with Mount Vinson rising above the other peaks. No matter the outcome, I don’t want to forget any of this.

Antarctica the most beautiful and peaceful place I’ve ever visited. Today, I saw a tiny parting in the clouds for the first time in days. I kept willing the sun to come out, for a change from the monotony of grey skies. It took a few hours, but I was spoiled with sunshine for a couple of minutes at a time. It felt positive though, and the sun highlighted the icy patches in the snow which helped. I allowed myself a few moments pause during the day just to take in the sunshine. Despite starting off in whiteout conditions, things were looking up. The constant wind, however, kept me grounded.

As I write this, I’m lying in my sleeping bag after the most incredible dinner of Fettucine Alfredo by Backpackers Pantry (possibly even more delicious than their Pad Thai). I’m suddenly wondering what all the fuss was about today… a bit of warm food and the ills of the day are forgotten.

However, I have been really worried at my progress if these conditions remain. The weather is usually a lot more stable this late in the season, yet it is doing funny things. Even more snowfall is forecast for the next few days and the staff tents at Union Glacier have been blowing away.

On another note, I could do with a hand naming my sled! if any of you have any suggestions feel free to comment on my social channels or at the bottom of this blog. She’s a hard-worker but a bit sarcastic, if that helps!

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