Update: April 16, 2003
Longyearbyen, Svalbard

Arctic greetings!

Hmmm.... How does one describe what is occurring just outside my window? The title of my update, of course, may   give you a clue.

Last night, I decide that in order to be able to sleep, it might be a good idea to draw the drapes closed to block out the  nighttime sun. Smart. I did sleep, as opposed to the night before. At somewhere around 6:00am, I awoke to some  major window-rattling. My hotel is but 6 kilometers from the airport, and I was convinced that the Antonov plane which  had delivered one expedition group up to the pole yesterday was returning and was about to land. I bolted out of bed to  watch this monster come down and land. Alas, to my surprise, it was not the polar aircraft bearing down, but the polar wind! The roads which were here only yesterday are simply gone... If it were not for my nice comfy warm room and the few buildings which I can still see, I may as well BE at the pole! I estimate the snow-laden winds to be gusting at 50-60  mph... Can you say: hostile weather conditions? Not too condusive to flying any kind of plane - not even the Antonov-74 which is supposedly the world's best polar aircraft because of its unique design. It belongs to the category of STOL aircraft (Short Take-Off and Landing). And that is certainly the situation we have here at this airport between to mountain ridges of the fiord. Nonetheless, I doubt that even it can fly in these conditions. The first flight for our group up to Borneo is set for 1:00pm, but we may have to adopt the basic and very typical approach to many an expedition,  namely: hunker down and wait this out. Quite honestly, I'd rather be hunkering here than at the pole. The ski group which  is there at the moment can't be having too much fun, especially taking into consideration the fact that we here in  Longyearbyen are still 600 miles south of degree 90. I can only imagine what is happening up there! What is complicating matters is the effect of the full moon. We may not feel the moon's effect so much in lower sections of the  globe, but up here, it is a major force to be reckoned with.  Allow me to explain, and take notes. There WILL be a quiz when I return! The ice floe of the frozen Arctic Ocean is permanently adrift since there is no land to stop its movement. It  is pushed both by wind and ocean currents, and undergoes tremendous stress and strain when the pack ice speeds up. This happens after a storm as well as at the time of the full moon. We now have BOTH! On such occasions, the ice will most definitely fissure and split, opening up leads of open water. This could be a teensie bit of a problem, especially if that's where your tent happens to own real estate. The term 'human popsicle' comes to mind.... Not that the 12 THOUSAND foot depth of the ocean below makes any difference whatsoever, at least it's less than 3 minutes to  find out if you're going to be spending eternity wearing wings up in the clouds or burning below while sporting a pitch  fork and little pointy things on your head. However, the main concern is not necessarily the danger of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the fact that the runway may be permanently damaged, making it imperative that a new one be constructed in record speed. I don't care if you're a Ukrainian or a Martian pilot, you cannot land an Antonov just anywhere. And stating that cracks in the ice-runway are an inconvenience could be considered as somewhat of an   understatement. This plane is far too heavy, and sets down in tremendously hard-hit fashion to keep it from skidding. Additional problems are created by the piling up of pack ice which can form huge pressure ridges of up to 60 meters (which would be close to 180 feet)! Talk about speed bumps of monumental proportion! The reason this happens is that the pack ice drifts against the wind deviating off course at 30-40 degrees to the right. Even when the winds die down, the inertia keeps the ice moving for another 24 hours. If one plate collides into another, any poor unsuspecting expeditioner may get a quick flying lesson. Welcome to the Arctic Amusement Park. Who needs Disneyland when you  can have all this?!? Well, you can't say that I have not learned a lot about polar travel.....

On a side note, I must say that I feel exceptionally privileged to be part of this group which includes quite a number of  rather famous people. At the dinner table last night, I sat next to Helmut Linzbichler, a climber who is just Mt. Everest shy of successfully having summitted the highest peak on each of the 7 continents. Across from me was Alan  Chambers who was one of the two first Brits to walk unsupported from Canada to the North Pole pulling their own sledges (in 2000)!  To his left was a man who sailed AROUND Antarctica! And the list goes on. (why I suddenly feel so inferior, I can't imagine...)

Anyway...... as bad as the weather is, I am going to venture out of doors, and see how long I can retain my vertical  posture. I mean, this IS what I came for - of my own volition... And I need to give my military-edition arctic gear a test  run. As good of a place as any....

Should you not hear from me for a couple of days, assume that the weather machine took a bit of a breather, and that I  am off to follow my dream....... Wish us all luck!

Over and out!
Moki

P.S. If I reach the pole, I must do everything in my power to contain my overflow of emotions, and must keep from crying!!! For if I do, I will freeze my eyelids shut! No joke! Bet you didn't think of THAT, didja?