Expedition update from 24.04.2013
“Today was a good day. We run for 22 km and didn’t come across a single open water lead. A ton of large hummocky ice, as big as one’s house, but overall our route was clear. Another good news is that we have reached 87? of North Latitude. There are about 500 km left until Greenland. The dogs run well as if they got springs in their feet: the sled is almost empty. We expect scheduled air resupply to be arranged on April 30th by Canadian Kenn Borek Air. It will deliver ten barrels of provision for us and the dogs. The food was packed back in Petrozavodsk (Republic of Karelia, Russia) by Victor and his team, and then they were shipped to Canada via Spitsbergen. We both wonder how our dogs are going to react to the restored weight of the sled (after resupply) which will be close to 520 kg again. Back at the start, the dogs were fresh and didn’t mind the weight, but now after a few days of a relative break they might throw some opposition at us. By April 30th we are planning to reach 85@@apos@@ of North Latitude which means we have 6 days to run two degrees south. All our thoughts and talks are about Greenland and how wonderful it will be to feel the firm terra under our feet.”
Russian polar station “Barneo” has finished its season in the Arctic and by now everyone is back at Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen Island where they will board planes taking them back home. Fedor and Victor had a great experience of working with the people of “Barneo”, where everyone was highly professional in his trade and exuberated a great deal of enthusiasm towards the visitors.
Right now there is another Russian expedition happening in the Arctic: The Sea-Ice Automobile Expedition 2013. The team left Severnaya Zemlya (Northern Land) and is heading towards Canada (Resolute Bay) via the North Pole. Their means of transportation – two amphibious vehicles “Emelja”.
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