The end of the adventure in sight…
Published on 21.04.2009 - Victorinox North Pole 09 Expedition
It looks like being a fine end to their expedition for the two young Americans. They do not appear to be concerned at all that they have had to start rationing their fuel and food rations. In fact they feel it adds spice to their adventure.
To ensure that they don't get stressed during the final stages (which is always a difficult period to get through, even when things are going well), John and Tyler have decided to stop operating based on normal 24-hour days, but to extend their days to 27 hours. This can be seen from their progress table below: now that they are only one degree from the Pole, they are on the move for about 15 hours a day.
In their blog, they also make the following predictions: they should reach the Pole on either 24th or 25th April. Given how these two young men have already organised their progress across the ice and the way they have made sure that morale is always high, despite the setbacks they have experienced, we can have every confidence in their estimates. So they will reach the North Pole this coming Friday or Saturday.
As for the conditions they have encountered over the past week, the surface of the ice has improved (which is to be expected given the fact they are nearing the Pole and the ice there is older and hence flatter) and temperatures have become much milder. Highlight of the week: on 17th April, as they were crossing a lead of open water, John fell in (it was ten in the morning) and was in the water up to his neck for over a minute before Tyler could hoist him out of the ocean. But no real harm done. However, John notes that having to change his clothes out there on the sea-ice under those conditions was "freezing, colder than freezing, even..."
HereÂis their progression table :
- March 02, D 01, N 83° 08 096' / W 74°005.863', 2,3 hours walk, 1.7 NM, -37°C
- March 03, D 02, N 83° 08.900' / W 74° 04', 5,5 hours walk, 0.87 NM, -41°C
- March 04, D 03, N 83° 10.321' / W 74° 02.344', 6 hours walk, 1.4 NM, -41°C
- March 05, D 04, N 83° 12.927' / W 74° 4.66', 7 hours walk, 2.63 NM, -41°C
- March 06, D 05, N 83° 14.665' / W 74° 03.906', 7 hours walk, 1.7 NM, -51°C
- March 07, D 06, N 83° 15.629' / W 74° 03.727', 7,5 hours walk, 0.97 NM, -50°C
- March 08, D 07, N 83° 19.526' / W 74° 02.124', 7 hours walk, 3.9 NM, -39°C
- March 09, D 08, N 83° 23.071' / W 74° 05.560', 8 hours walk, 3.6 NM, -37°C
- March 10, D 09, N 83° 26.482' / W 74° 07.548', 8 hours walk, 3.4 NM, -37°C
- March 11, D 10, N 83° 31.109' / W 74° 12.118', 8,3 hours walk, 4.7 NM, -33°C
- March 12, D 11, N 83° 34.625' / W 74° 16.487', 8,3 hours walk, 3.6 NM, -37°C
- March 13, D 12, N 83° 39.210' / W 74° 18.240', 8,7 hours walk, 4.6 NM, -39°C
- March 14, D 13, N 83° 42.946' / W 74° 16.704', 8,5 hours walk, 3.7 NM, -41°C
- March 15, D 14, N 83° 46.166' / W 74° 18.091', 8,5 hours walk, 3.2 NM, -38°C
- March 16, D 15, N 83° 50.895' / W 74° 13.882', .8.5 hours walk, 4.8 NM, -41°C
- March 17, D 16, N 83° 56.895' / W 74° 10.629', 8.5 hours walk, 6 NM, -38°C
- March 18, D 17, no data
- March 19, D 18, N 84° 09.479' / W 74° 21.600', 9 hours walk, 5.8 NM, -31°C
- March 20, D 19, N 84° 14.691' / W 74° 34.747', 9 hours walk, 5.4 NM, -38°C
- March 21, D 20, N 84° 19' 47" / W 74° 43' 42", 9,30 hours walk, 5.2 NM, -37°C
- March 22, D 21, N 84° 26.564' / W 74° 40.361', 9,30 hours walk, 6.8 NM, -26°C
- March 23; D 22, N 84° 26.564' / W 74° 40.361', 9,30 hours walk, 6.8 NM, -26°C
- March 24, D 23, N 84° 39.114' / W 74° 35.147', 8h hours walk, 6.5 NM, -63°C
- March 25, D 24, N 84° 46.801' / W 74° 29.952', 9,30 hours walk, 7.3 NM, -34°C
- March 26, D 25, N 84° 54.501' / W 74° 30.444', 9,30 hours walk, 7.9 NM, -40°C
- March 27, D 26, N 84° 03.187' / W 74° 37.884', 9,30 hours walk, 8.7 NM, -41°C
- March 28, D 27, N 85° 12.012' / W 74° 30.144, 9,30 hours walk, 8.9 NM, -39°C
- March 29, D 28, no datas
- March 30, D 29, N 85° 27.644' / W 74° 34.404', 9,30 hours walk, 7.4 NM, -35°C
- March 31, D 30, N 85° 31.933' / W 74° 46.189', 10 hours walk, 5 NM, -35°C
- April 01, D 31, N 85° 40.464' / W 74° 43.564', 10 hours walk, 8.8 NM, -37°C
- April 02, D 32, N 85° 49.895'/ W 74° 42.583', 10 hours walk, 9.4 NM, -34°C
- April 03, D 33, N 86° 00.274' / W 74° 46.742', 10,30 hours walk, 10.4 NM, -28°C
- April 03, D 33, N 86° 00.274' / W 74° 46.742', 10,30 hours walk, 10.4 NM, -28°C
- April 04, D 34, N 86° 11.503' / W 74° 50.097', 10 hours walk, 11.2 NM, -28°C
- April 05, D 35, N 86° 20.503' / W 74° 53.617', 8 hours walk, 8.8 NM, -30°C
- April 06, D 36, N 86° 30.177' / W 74° 57.139', 10 hours walk, 9.7 NM, -30°C
- April 07, D 37, N 86° 41.729' / W 75° 00.544', 10 hours walk, 11.2 NM, -32°C
- April 08, D 38, N 86° 53.747' / W 75° 11.969'; 10 hours walk, 11.7 NM, -34°C
- April 09, D 39, N 87° 03.306' / W 75° 13.153', 10 hours walk, 9.7 NM, -30°C
- April 10, D 40, N 87° 13.047' / W 75° 19.632, 11 hours walk, 10.1 NM, -27°C
- April 11, D 41, N 87° 24.221' / W 75° 26.748', 11 hours walk, 11.6 NM, -28°C
- April 12, D 42, N 87° 34.015' / W 74°Â52.656', 11 hours walk, 10.5 NM, -27°C
- April 13, D 43, N 87° 41.772' : W 73° 33.662', 10.5 hours walk, 8.4 NM, -27°C
- April 14, D 44, N 87° 50.579' / W 70° 42.310', 11.5 hours walk, 11 NM, -26°C
- April 15, D 45, N 88° 03.593' / W 68° 27.494', 13 hours walk, 14.5 NM, -25°C
- April 16, D 46, N 88° 15.531' / W 66° 53.278', 13 hours walk, 12.3 NM, -22°C
- April 17, D 47, N 88° 22.131' / W 64° 57.022', 13 hours walk,
- April 18, D 48, N 88° 33.777' / W 65° 03.242', 13 hours walk, 13.3 NM, -22°C
- April 19, D 49, N 88° 48.391' / W 63° 32.578', 15.5 hours walk, 15.1 NM, -21°C
