Hollinger in Antarctica

Thanks for the messages from Ian, Anna, Bob, Alison and Kenneth. I have just spent another day at Patriot Hills confined to my tent and wandering the short distances between the mess tent and toilet tent.  The weather has been particularly bad again (poor visibility, lots of swirling snow) so I have been helping some of the Patriot Hills staff with general duties.  I helped put up a clam tent this afternoon to house some competitors for the Antarctic marathon.  The marathon is due to be held on 14^th December but the competitors are stranded in Punta, unable to get to the start line.  We are due to fly out on the flight that they are due to fly in on.  With all this waiting around I have taken some time to reflect on my experiences, rather than worry about the fact that we could be stranded here for at least another week (given the weather conditions).  So in this update I thought I would tell you what I will miss most about Antarctica when I eventually leave! The top three things I will miss are firstly the spectacular views that I get out of the tent every morning and evening (assuming that there is not a blizzard!). Secondly, I will miss Amy’s company in the tent after a hard day of man hauling. There is nothing more satisfying than being in a warm tent, with the stove roaring, preparing dinner, drinking a hot drink and having a good chat. Although we didn’t know each other before the expedition, Amy has become a very good friend and it is great to have such good company given the difficult mental and physical conditions. Thirdly, I will miss the tranquillity (assuming the wind isn’t blowing and Phil isn’t talking!). Unlike back home, there is nothing to mark the start of the day. Imagine you are lying in your bed at home – you know it’s time to get up when it starts to get light or you begin to hear traffic outside or the sound of the birds singing. With 24 hours of daylight, no traffic and no birds there is nothing to tell you that it’s time to get up. Happy birthday to Sarah 13CH, Jennifer 12BF, Leo 11DV, Alison 11LB and Abigail 8DY