First triple digit progress of the voyage
Published on 05.12.2011 - Antarctic Ice Expedition
Brillant feat : Sam and Dixie have made a toast to celebrate the first excellent day of the trip, with 109 km on the counter !
It started gently on 3 December when both expeditioners discovered at night that, despite the fact that they had started kiting only around noon, they had an excellent surprise. The morning dawned amid dead quite with no wind. Taking advantage of the situation, they took it easy, taking time to have breakfast, to enjoy music in the warm tent and to go outside for some repairs.
All of a sudden (like always in the Antarctic), the wind hesitantly increased. Giving a try, the weather suddenly cleared out, the surface was smooth and both men, without even noticing it probably, were on the move for five hours ! Result : 36 km done. Good surprise.
The next surprise came the next day. Since the morning, the wind was up and the weather excellent. Excerpts : "... The wind was up and in no time both Ozone Frenzy-11 kites were enthusiastically flying above our heads. As we launched I could not suppress a scream of joy. We were flying ! It was such a pleasure to go fast. We went straight downwind. Not the easiest course, but it was fun to make quick figure eights with the kite all the while zigzagging slightly on the skis. We were able to shift our weight from one leg to another, a technique which prevents cramping.
"The next four hours we knew we were making great progress. We stopped once to eat a little bit and again at 13.30 for a brief pause. We couldn't stop for long or we would invite the cold to assault our bodies. While we were kiting, we were actually really warm. I had my jacket and my fleece open most of the day to let the perspiration escape. Since we were heading downwind and due to the fur ruffs on our hoods, our faces stayed warm as well. ..."
At the end of day 12, Dixie and Sam advanced 511 kilometers making for a daily distance average of 42.58 kilometers. On day 13, they reported an advancement of 43 km. This time, the expedition is well on its way..
