#23: Windy!

It was super windy this morning, gusting around 80kph, but with a storm coming our way Saturday night we had no choice but to get out and make some distance. As we were packing up this morning, I heard a helpless cry from Nia as the pot lid caught the wind and sailed off with the drift snow. Ten minutes later however, I heard a shout of a more triumphant nature and watched her run downwind for 30 metres or so, retrieving the lid from where it had lodged itself in a ridge of sastrugi! Great success! The day went smoothly, though the snow was softer and deeper than we have had, with a crust on top making it harder for the person navigating to ‘break tracks’. The wind dropped steadily throughout the day to a more manageable level, and we braved lunch outside today without putting the tent up! We skied into the evening as our shadows grew longer on snow tinged with purple. Once we reached 30km we stopped to set up camp, finding the flattest patches of ground amongst the bumpy ridges. A couple more big days, then we will rest during the storm and head down the icefall to the finish. Getting close now! Mardi