Day 39–Stillness Again

December 13, 2011

S79°39.887 E034°08.371

Elevation 11466 feet

No luck with the wind again today. A windless day, at 3500 meters on an expedition like this, doesn’t leave many option. The thinner air at this altitude shortens the breath, and hauling the sledges–particularly with this terrain–is simply not an option. Not yet, anyhow. We are slipping on our mileage, each static day tagging a few extra kilometers to our daily requirements, hiking it up to 44.3. But as usual: you can’t get mad at the weather…

The day is spent in the tent fixing, sowing, and refining gear. Luckily, the sun was baking the tent, so we kept toasty. There is always a lot of sowing going on: on mitts, gaiters, clothing. Eric spent some time consolidating the repair job on his binding, hoping that it will hold for the rest of the trip. I added a layer to my over boot gaiters, hoping to gain extra warmth. My toes have been numb from the cold and rough terrain. My big right toe has just lost its nail from being brutalized two weeks ago; it looks a mess. Eric’s cough won’t go away. But on the bright side, my ribs seem to be healing. The downwind tacks we have been kiting go a long way in reducing the squeeze from the harness. They mostly feel like a bad bruise–a sneeze are their worse enemy!–but I am hopeful that they could be healed by the end of the trip. We are almost halfway there. Still a lot of trail to cover. Hopefully some will be tomorrow.