After a long day yesterday and a few sore bodies we decided to give ourselves an extra hours sleep and woke at 08:00. The weather had gotten worse overnight and it was snowing consistently and visibility was down to 100m or less.

We weren't going anywhere for a while. I don't think anyone was upset with this and looked forward to the extra rest time. We headed outside in the blowing snow to experience this kind of weather and how our kit and clothing can handle it, as well as become more comfortable in it. We skied less than a minute or two and could no longer see the tents. It was good for the team to experience these kinds of situations.

We played around on a gentle slope for an hour practicing ski techniques that would help on the descent down the Moysalbreen glacier.

Back in the tents we discussed options and possible routes to get back down. After getting an updated forecast the plan was to rest and nap for the remainder of the afternoon and set off when the weather improved in the evening.

Sitting around telling stories and jokes showed how good a rest day can be in the polar environment.

We got him at 15:00 and had lunch and then waited for the weather again. By 17:45 it was beginning to clear. We pack up our gear and the camp and we're on the move again just before 19:00. A steepish climb up to the Moysalbreen pass was achieved with more skill and ease than yesterdays ascent.

Some magical views greeted us as we crested the ridge. The fresh layer of powder on the surface made skiing easier and a lot of fun. A short way down we were able to sit on the sleds and toboggan down for a kilometre or so. The sounds of laughter echoed off the surrounding mountains and as we levelled off a bit and slid to a stop there were smiles all round! The light was amazing and the many shades of blue reflected on the fresh snow covered slopes and mountain was simply stunning. We continued down with another tobogganing section a few hundred metres later.

That brought us to the top of a moraine field and a mostly frozen lake. We skirted around the edge and stopped for a snack. A quick climb up a small embankment for a recce revealed a beautiful but convoluted moraine lake and river system. Something to tackle at the start of a day not the end.

It was a firm flat area where we where so we began pitching tents around 21:30. A good night sleep should have is fresh to find our way through the fun looking terrain below. Then skiing back into Adventdalen and begin making our way back towards our start point.

H

Photos are

Mark, Irina, Rob, Jenn and David just before setting off after the weather cleared.
The team skiing up towards the pass.
The end of one of the tobogganing runs.
An iPhone not doing justice to the beauty of the descent.
A view of the adventure that awaits us tomorrow!