The bad news is we are still in Resolute Bay! It’s been 6 weeks since we left the UK and the FSB team have only spent 6 days out on the sea ice…how depressing is that!!

The only good news to come of our continual delays, is that we were able to wave off our new friend, the Italian adventurer Michele Pontrandolfo, on the start of his latest adventure. He is on his way to attempt another solo expedition, this time to the 1996 Magnetic North Pole.

We have spent the past 2 weeks enjoying Michele’s company and helping him with his preparations. He has been here at South Camp Inn completely on his own, no support crew and no project manager, so I think he was grateful for a few friends to mull over kit problems as they arose.

He will now man-haul his 2 sleds 600km from Resolute Bay on Cornwallis Island to the Pole on his own and unsupported. He is due to finish near Isachsen in approximately 40 days. If you can read Italian and want to follow his journey visit his site Artiko.

For my part I am heading out to do some training now, I think Tarka has some abseiling planned for me and possibly various techniques of creating snow anchors for belays. Best get walking as I have to get to the top of the cliff before i can learn how to go off it!

Friday has the next plane with our name on!

 

 

After a mammoth four flights, in planes that got smaller and smaller, our last being a 12 seater prop, we have made it to Resolute Bay! Our journey took us from London to Ottowa, then onto Iqaluit, from here to Nanismk and then to Canada most northerly town, Resolute Bay.

 

 

Charlie Paton and I arrived last night to a pleasant -47, whilst the Ice Team, Pen Hadow, Martin Hartley and Ann Daniels have stayed on in Ottowa, along with Ian Wesley (kit boy) and Tarka. They are staying down a few extra days for some scheduled press conferences and have collared Tarks as their french speaking translator.

We will spend the next week here in Resolute sorting and preparing kit,  going through weather reading and prediction, working with the pilots to understand exactly what they require from the runways we must build and maintain and finally repeat training exercises such as falling through the sea ice and polar bear safety.

The Inuit town of Resolute is little more than the size of a hamlet back home in the UK, maybe a small village at a push, with a population of approximately 230 people, the facilities of a school, small supermarket, hotel and its lifeline - the airport!

We are still waiting for the freight to arrive, so for now I am furiously working away at eating all Randy (the cook) can throw at me…his chocolate brownies are amazing!!