29 Nov Journey On – Day 8 on SPEC

I have come to realize that I don’t miss all the “noise” from the outside world. I am slower than the others, which is not a bad thing, if I am 30 minutes behind the others, then then camp is set up and the hot water ready for tea…sssh…don’t tell anyone!

The incredible thing about being alone here is the silence….unbelievable silence. When I stop for some water while skiing I can hear a snowflake hit the ground. Is that madness? Antarctica is truly the most majestic place on earth. This is absolutely Mother Nature at her finest.

32 years ago, on day 8, I skied only 3.01nm. It was a blizzard that day, could not see anything, but we were young and fit enough to take advantage of the whiteout conditions and stay in our sleeping bags. This time, I need all the miles I can make in a day if we want to reach the South Pole in a timely manner.  Today, with another overcast day, and the wind stronger than before I manage to travel 9.88nm in just under 9 hours. It gets a little faster each day but it is all uphill all the way to the Geographic South Pole.

I need to remember, this is not a race, there is nothing to prove. I am here on a mission to test technology and bio fuels that are currently available.  If they can work here, in this inhospitable and remote land, then surely they will work at home; in your home.

The advanced bio fuels we have with us, were produced by the Shell technology center in Bangalore India. We are relying on them to melt snow, heat water and dry clothes in the tents. It has proven to be much more efficient than I first anticipated. They were developed solely for this Expedition using a technology that turns solid waste into a biofuel. So they turned wood chips into this biofuel. Could this be another step in the energy –mix as we transition away from fossil fuels and into clean energy? I hope so….every effort counts. Thanks to Shell and all those determined souls who made this happen.

Journey on….. Rob Swan-