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20 February
We woke to a white world. What had been mud and stones the night before was now covered in 2 inches of snow. The wind had also picked up so after we checked in with the ship for a weather forecast we decided to sit tight.
Waiting in a tent listening to the wind and watching the snow fall is cosy. You are warm, settled and don’t feel very motivated to get up and out. However, this cosiness soon turns to frustration. Tent fever sets in; it is easy to get on someone’s nerves. Small things that are normally happily tolerated become annoying issues. It is just as much a test of character to be able to patiently wait as to get out and face the challenge. Knowing when to act is as important as the acting itself. So we waited.
Lunchtime came around and we reassessed the plan. Nordenskjold’s hut was too far and across the exposed Admiralty Sound we needed to move back towards base camp and wait out the poor weather.
It looked better after lunch so we decided to get back on the water and track back into Hebert Sound. Initially slow, we soon warmed up and just before 1300 simultaneously struck down the tents. This is coordinated as it means each pair has shelter and can wait in the warm until everyone is ready.
Once the tents come down we quickly prep the kayaks and get on the water. We are off again this time in the falling snow but as the wind is behind us it feels better than it was at the campsite. Also as we warm up; our feet and hands come back to life and soon we are back in the swing of the daily paddle. We head back towards the Naze via Humps Island and find ice blocking our way. It blocks our passage and Russ, the team navigator has to weave a course around the thicker concentrations. We follow in single file, fascinated by the beauty of the icebergs. We see the falling snow fall on the sea and freeze building up a layer of white slush puppy.
Our kayaks carve a silent path and we work hard at maintaining forward progress. We leave sight of the coast and set out to the island. The humps of the so named island appear out of the falling snow and also the wind picks up; an ominous sign. As we stop for lunch, albeit at 1630 we huddle in the lee of a beached iceberg and watch the tide come in. There is no tidal data in this area, part of the job that ENDURANCE our parent ship is currently working on improving; but for us it is guess work.
In a slow moving kayak the tidal stream is important and we had timed our paddle to take advantage of the rising tide. We had not anticipated how quickly it rose and even during out 45 min stop had to move the kayaks twice to stop them drifting off. Lunch complete, we set off again, this time with more urgency as the wind had chilled us and we’re running out of daylight hours.
The next part of the passage was clear of ice and we soon discovered why. The wind really had got up and this time became threatening. 30kts on the water is much more serious down here than in the UK. Wind chill on exposed flesh drops the temperature and the danger of frostbite is significant. We check each others exposed cheeks, ears and noses. Most are now wearing balaclavas and goggles. The white caps start breaking and the snow now swirls across the water a sure tell tale of the next gust. During the stronger gusts we are brought to a standstill just holding ground.
Now making the shelter of the shoreline becomes essential for survival so the pace picks up and each silently digs deep knowing what is required. Our risk margin is now small; if anything breaks or goes wrong we will be in trouble. This focuses our efforts and a light banter breaks out as we regroup in the lee of the shoreline. Only temporary however, as we are still on the water and need to fine a campsite. No shelter here, so we start to pick our way round the shoreline hugging the cliffs and inching our way round the headlands into the bays. Pete is concerned that stopping in this wind with wet clothes is risky so we need to find the best most sheltered place for the tents that we can. Most the flat ground is also to close to the high tide line.
We press on. Mike and BV together spot a possibility and both land to check out the site. Tucked in a valley (well off the beach anyway) a bit of flat stream bed proves ideal as it isn’t the season for flash floods, we hope. We drag the kayaks the 100m up to the site and set about erecting tents in the gale. It is a four man job to put up each tent. And we work together collecting rocks to hold down the flysheets and position the kayaks to afford some extra protection. Effort now pays later as waking up in the night and having to fix a tent is very unpleasant. After collecting and piling up extra snow to melt for water and a final toilet stop we close down the tents and pause. It has been 4 hours since Humps Island and this is the first rest we have had.
Sitting eating our evening meal most are quietly reflective of another challenging event completed satisfactorily. This is Adventurous Training at its very best. So a special `thank you’ to all those involved in allowing us to do this. Now, only a noisy sleepless night wondering if the tent will blow away…a serious possibility.
Personal Message: Love to Sue and my boys, Ran and Ruaridh. Next time you get to come along as well - although we’ll go somewhere warmer with campsites! Mark
21 February
Today we stayed in our tents because the weather outside has been very poor. The wind must have been gale force at times. We are all in good health and well fed even though with wind chill it is probably minus 25 degrees.
Waiting for a weather update at 16:00 but we are here to stay until tomorrow morning. Hope to get to base camp tomorrow if it has not been blown away.
We have had communication problems because the batteries are very much affected by the extreme weather.
All individuals have done remarkable well to date and the team spirit is high.
Personal Message: I’ve been able to reflect today and I am profoundly thankful to many people for being here. I want to say `thank you’ to all my friends and family who have supported me and the people at work who are covering for me in my absence. I owe you; big time. Thanks guys...Steve.
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Endurance Kayak Blog
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Richard Abbot
Steve Paris Hunter
Mark Jameson
Mark Townsend
Matt Twiselton
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