Christmas Eve – 24th December 2018

Day Ten: 109 miles travelled, 606 miles remaining

Today was difficult. Difficult, difficult, lemon difficult. I’d been skiing in a whiteout all day, no sign of the horizon, no cloud formations to look at, no sunshine. The nausea that hits whenever it’s this bad returned and it just made for a tough morning.

I then hit deep snow again. I seemed to have a reprieve from it for the last hour yesterday and hoped that meant I’d got through the worst of it. No such luck. All morning I wanted to stop. I was desperate to stop, set up camp and call it quits for the day. But I didn’t, something in me wouldn’t allow me to do that.

I unexpectedly vomited. I felt so unwell. Yet still I carried on; I made a deal with myself that I could stop after 10hours of skiing today. I kept vomiting.

I messaged my Dad (expedition manager too!) and Matt whilst I took breaks. I needed more support today to get through this patch. No part of me that wanted to carry in that precise moment. I wanted to go home and sit on the sofa in my Christmas pj’s with loved ones; I’d be doing last minute wrapping, no doubt. Instead I just kept going.

I cannot get over how deep this snow is and it continues to snow daily, all day long. It is incessant and it is making my progress seem redundant. This storm is still passing overhead and I’ve at least another 3 days of this. It is taking its toll on me as even getting in this daily mileage requires a lot of work, for little reward.

I’m sorry there isn’t anything more exciting to report than that, but that’s the truth of where I’m at right now. Looks like the White Christmas I hope for every year will actually come true, and of course it’s the one year when I’d really rather not have one.

By the time you read this it’ll be Christmas morning! Tune in Sky News – I should be calling in to say hello at 5pm!

Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you all have the loveliest of days. To my younger brother Adam who has expressed concern over Santa’s ability to deliver my presents here in Antarctica – you’re right to be worried, he doesn’t have a globally balanced compass like I do so tends to get awfully lost when he approaches the South Pole.

Luckily for me I’m told a small (and very lightweight) present has been secretly stashed in my sled for tomorrow. Christmas is saved!

Tomorrow is another day. Sleep to wake.

To help Jenny raise funds for Children in Need, click here or text ‘SPJD99 £3’ to 70070 to contribute £3.

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