January 25, 2017
Life on Ice
After several days in the ice and even more together learning about polar travel, we have become an efficient unit traveling across the ice. I watched with admiration as Tim, Joseph and Pierre all took turns navigating and leading the group. It was a proud moment for me.
Leading and teaching this course, while fun and engaging, can be quite stressful at times. Out here, one small mistake can have huge consequences and as a leader / guide I have to be hyper vigilant. I know from first hand experience how quickly we can go from status quo to a survival situation. Knowing all the possible outcomes of being on the ice is a heavy burden to bear.
Of course, survival out here isn't rocket science. However, there is enough subtle nuance to learn, awareness to build and skills to hone to make for a steep learning curve. It can be overwhelming - which is why we start slow.
But eventually everyone accrues the necessary knowledge and even though it's colder and we travel farther each day, life on ice becomes easier.
After spending the morning talking about Polar Bear safety - and practicing with a gun, we set out in a wide arc westerly then toward the south. After skiing for an hour in the biting cold, the sun came out and we were treated to clear skis. For our lunch break, we lounged carefree on our sleds eating soup and snacks.
After several shifts of skiing, the sun began to sink lower on the horizon and the temperature dropped significantly. Eventually, Darcy picked out a comfortable piece of snow near a pressure ridge and we quickly set up our MSR tents.
Leading and teaching this course, while fun and engaging, can be quite stressful at times. Out here, one small mistake can have huge consequences and as a leader / guide I have to be hyper vigilant. I know from first hand experience how quickly we can go from status quo to a survival situation. Knowing all the possible outcomes of being on the ice is a heavy burden to bear.
Of course, survival out here isn't rocket science. However, there is enough subtle nuance to learn, awareness to build and skills to hone to make for a steep learning curve. It can be overwhelming - which is why we start slow.
But eventually everyone accrues the necessary knowledge and even though it's colder and we travel farther each day, life on ice becomes easier.
After spending the morning talking about Polar Bear safety - and practicing with a gun, we set out in a wide arc westerly then toward the south. After skiing for an hour in the biting cold, the sun came out and we were treated to clear skis. For our lunch break, we lounged carefree on our sleds eating soup and snacks.
After several shifts of skiing, the sun began to sink lower on the horizon and the temperature dropped significantly. Eventually, Darcy picked out a comfortable piece of snow near a pressure ridge and we quickly set up our MSR tents.