Latest News
14.12.09
Fine and dandy and pleasant
What have you been up to over the last three weeks? Getting your Christmas presents? Wrapping things up at work? Well, it's Day 22 now down south and the girls have spent those days with a single objective: reaching the South Pole. Their surroundings still inspire but it's not all fine and dandy and pleasant as Steph (Cyprus) explains:
Stephanie (Cyprus)'s PodCast:
Link to Podcast
Steph's PodCast in writing:
"Hi everyone, this is Steph. I'm calling from literally the middle of nowhere.
I'm standing outside, it's just about bed time and everyone's getting ready to go to bed, have a sleep and get ready for tomorrow. It's just unbelievable. I mean, we're on day 22. I'm just awestruck by this place. The emptiness, the nothingness. I'm outside the tent and I can see 360 degrees of white. Not flat, not really, we've got a couple of hills coming up towards the south. It's unbelievable, it's such a privilege to be here.I can't wait to come back and see everyone and show you photos and tell you about it. It's absolutely brilliant.
Obviously, not everything is fine and dandy and pleasant. It is a very hard experience. I've had my first cold injury, I've had chillblains on my leg. But hopefully it's nothing serious, as long as I look after them and they're not in the wind. They can turn to frost bite apparently if they become a full open wounds which is fairly scary. But you know, at least it's not frost bite, or frost nip.
Apart from that, you know, things are getting tough. We're getting in the mileage, I'm feeling the weight of my pulk from resupply. We're climbing up a lot of hills. We're gaining altitude, so the temperature is relatively colder. It's getting colder as we get along. But you know all is good.
I can't wait to speak to the family on Christmas Day, which should be a great experience. One of the oddest things about being on this expedition is being so cut off from the world outside. I have no idea what the current affairs are. I have no idea what's going on in the world and that's such a weird feeling, so isolated. But I'm looking for a good catch up. I'm looking forward to a good catch up on Christmas Day, so that should be good.
Miss everyone. Hope everyone is well, and still hoping I make it to the South Pole in one piece without any major injuries. So lots of love, speak again. Bye."
Photo by Robert Hollingworth