A thousand kilometres to go

11 November 2011
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Darling body, please be nice,
And carry me across the ice.

“Fine weather. Gentle breath of air from NW. Partly clear, partly overcast. The sky’s appearance changes very quickly. A few moments, and everything has altered.”– Amundsen on this day 100 years ago (Read more …)

Stein P. AasheimA slightly worn out polar traveller keeping his fingers crossed that his body will stay the course. Photo: Norwegian Polar Institute Darling body, please be nice,
Come with me across the ice.

We still have a thousand kilometres to go,
And this I promise: Next time I’ll say “No!”

With goodies and gravy I stuffed you myself,
But this isn’t Heaven, it’s the Ross Ice Shelf!

Your tendons are swollen, your knees both in pain
But darling sweet body, please do not complain.

And I will reward all your work in the snow
With chips and jacuzzis and wine from Bordeaux

I vow I will take you to Costa del Sol,
But first a small detour past the South Pole.

I know what you’re thinking, I know what you’ll say
But I’ve looked at the map and there’s only one way...

So please, dear old body, I beg and implore,
All I ask is kilometres. One thousand more.

Stein P.
(Translated by Janet Holmén)
Position: S 81 47.056, W 166 50.024
Temperature: -25°C
Wind: 2 m/s from south-southeast
Distance traversed: 34 km
Distance behind Amundsen: 214 km

Did you know that the first woman who skied to the South Pole was Norwegian?

Did you know that the first woman who skied to the South Pole was Norwegian?

Liv Arnesen from Bærum made international headlines when – as the first woman ever – she skied alone to the South Pole without any support or supplies from the outside world. Arnesen set out from Hercules Inlet at the southern end of the Weddell Sea 5 November 1994. She reached the South Pole fifty days later, on Christmas Eve of the same year, after having skied 1200 km. She was picked up and flown out of the continent.