“Ironic enough, I wish it was a touch colder, or a bit windier,” Henry Worsley, November 16, 2015, reporting from Planet Antarctica.
While ski teams are gathering in Punta Arenas, preparing food and buying last minute needed items, solo traverse skier, Henry Worsley crossed into 81 degree South, on November 15. He celebrated it with whiskey out of a glass bottle and said he wished the bottle was plastic to save weight.
Weather in general has been good on Henry’s route, no storms and in fact no wind, but way too warm for sledge-hauling; ranging from minus 7 to minus 13 Celsius.
Henry got off Berkner Island on the Ronne Ice Shelf and experienced his first white-out, which made navigation difficult as well as balancing while skiing. The “white darkness” as Shackleton called it, Henry recalls.
Surface is soft snow, which makes hauling difficult.
HIs routine:
9 hours sleep (which he says he needs very much)
Up at 7:30
Start hauling at 9 am
90 minute sessions with 5 minutes breaks in between
Stop at 5:30 – 5 45 pm
Latest available data:
Campsite Location November 16th, Day 4
S81º 13.315 W51º 41.388
Total distance 34.4 nautical miles
Tracker position 2015-11-18 06:12:04Z
81º 24 00S 51º 23.33W
IN PUNTA ARENAS
Emma Kelty and Khai Nguyen report that they are busy packing for 50 days with guide Carl Alvey. They will be skiing the Hercules Inlet route, resupplied.
IN CAPE TOWN
Weather at Novolazarevskaya has improved and there was a possibility of a TAC Ilyushin flight late evening, usually around midnight, on November 17th. Several ex-polar skiers were waiting for the delayed flight to get to Queen Maud Land.
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