-22.11.2008- Medical Negotiations

Today Teemu has managed to ski 5 kilometers despite his sore leg. Teemu's leg is still swollen and sore so he is having negotiations with ALE's doctor about continuation possibilities... Teemu would like to continue skiing if possible. For a start ALE's doctor ordered 24 hours of rest so that the swelling would diminish.

-supporting troops

-21.11.2008- Bad luck continues

Today the weather was ideal for skiing. Sun was shining and wind was very mild. Temperature was around -15 degrees so that didn't feel bad either. The flu is pretty much history now so everything seemed to be going well and I was happy to be back on track and determined to gain more kilometers. A lot of kilometers. Amazingly, my bad luck continues as after lunch, I keeled over and hit my leg to the ski pretty hard. I tried to continue skiing anyway but after a while I realized that it's not very wise because the leg was swollen and very painful. I had to make camp and take some painkillers to ease the pain.

It's amazing how much bad luck has accumulated from the start to this point: loosing the jacket, the flu episode and now this leg trauma. Well, no pain no gain I guess...

I don't have much time to spend standing still anymore, so let's hope that my leg can cope the skiing tomorrow and days after that. Right now I sit in my tent with all of the equipment and try to keep my focus on tomorrow...

Coordinates:
S80° 47.720'
W80° 04.267'
Route travelled (as the crow flies): 10,6 km

-20.11.2008- Tasting blood in my mouth

My ski slipped and the result was that my teeth clanked together and my tongue got in the way. Nobody to blame but myself. I had a bloodtaste in my mouth for the next hour. Excluding that incident skiing was very routine. My nose still suffers from the flu. I have to make a note to my notebook that never trek when having a flu...

Today was again windy and cold. I had the second part of the ascent to go. I made camp under the (hopefully) final ascent. Snow has been quite rough (sastrugi) right from the start and I guess that's not going to change any time soon. I have to zigzag little all the time and be careful with the rough snow. For my relief every now and then there's flat ground between the rough ones. Every time I look to my side there seems to be flatter ground, and the same thing when looking straight ahead. For real, that's just a mirage and the same sastrugi awaits where ever I turn.

I have some problems with the solar panel so no pictures today. I promise more pictures as soon as I get the solar panel problem fixed. The Yellowbrick may also not be working properly because I stayed put couple of days. It is first time we are testing Yellowbrick in these Antarctic conditions.

Coordinates:
S80° 42.017'
W80° 05.926'
Route travelled (as the crow flies): 12,3 km

-19.11.2008- University Student Fencers Rules!

Today's camp and kilometers are dedicated to University Student Fencers! YM RULES! Keep the gymnasium in order and I will come there some day in the near future to show you some fencing...If you look closely you can see a little sword that Tappis gave me. Thank you for that. It's a rapier but I'll let it go this time...

In the morning the weather was really cold and wind felt brutal and that didn't change much during the day. Temperature was -21 degrees in the forenoon and if you count the wind in, overall wind chill was at its worst -35 degrees. I had so much clothing on me that skiing felt a bit difficult, but then again it always is after suffering from fever. I can't ski using my whole capacity yet. I really hope that the fever is in the past now eventhough I still have some nasal problems.

I had to set up my tent when making luch today, because after the fever I felt like I would have frozen to death if standing still more than few seconds. I had to force myself to get up and running again after the lunch in a cosy tent...

It was a cold cold day, but despite that it felt good to be skiing again! When I'm fully recovered from the fever, the progress will also get better.

Coordinates:
S80° 35.419'
W80° 01440'
Route travelled (as the crow flies): 12,5 km

-18.11.2008- Fever

I suffered from fever last night so I decided not to change position today. I talked to ALE's doctor again and he recommended resting so that the flu doesn't cut my expedition completely this early on.

Outside the wind blows 12m/s and visibility is quite poor so most likely I won't miss much if I spend this day recovering. Still, it's a drag to stay still with so few kilometers travelled. But I quess it's in my best interest to rest for now and continue skiing when I'm healthy again.

-17.11.2008- Problems

It seems that I didn't get over the flu I had in Chile. Yesterday's rest didn't cure it either so today I had no choice but to set up my tent after two hours of skiing.

I talked to ALE's doctor John Epps about my flu and he recommended resting the rest of the day. Man has to do what the doctor says so I will lie in my sleeping bag the rest of the day and try to get my strenght back. I will contact ALE again in the evening to report my condition.

Luckily I brought some extra food with me! Still, resting many days in a row is not a desirable thing this early on.

<== 10.11.2008                 NEWEST UPDATE                          24.11.2008 ==>