#10: Expedition successfully completed

Last night’s blog didn’t get through, sorry if you were waiting for it!! Camp 8, just 3km from our bus pickup, was a cold one with the temperature dropping to -25C overnight. This followed a tough day with a strong wind from the east that blew snow around us all day. At lunch we put one tent up and piled the 12 of us in, better to be a bit cramped and protected than dealing with the wind and snow. The wind continue until well into the night but we woke to a still, clear and chilly day. We arrived at Camp Barentz to a warm bus which whizzed us back into town. Strange to be travelling so fast! This was an amazing group of individuals that gelled together as a functional team in very quick time. Our strategy of changing tent partners every night creates a unity in such a big group that is difficult to create otherwise. But it was also a coalition of similarly-minded active people inspired by moving across a unique polar environment, experiencing Svalbard for a one-and-only expedition or using the experience as a stepping stone to the next polar adventure. In either case, their combined spirits of adventure were immensely appreciated and enjoyed. Eric