3rd February 3: Day 10, Adventdalen Valley - Ali Kershaw

N78 11 29
E16 30 37
Distance travelled yesterday: 10k.

Getting up for bear watch is never a great feeling when you climb out of your toasty sleeping bag, but once you are out and a hot drink in hand it never feels too bad and last night’s shift was particularly enjoyable, as not only was the sky littered with more stars than I have ever seen but Dom and I were treated to two hours of nature’s very own lightshow with constant green dancing auroras which filled the sky. The two hours spent staring into space on reflection were probably not our most diligent bear watch to date but certainly one of the most enjoyable.

Today has been another great day with clear skies most of the day and spectacular views around us. We packed up as usual and set off at Dom’s request, who is leader today and I think everyone was very pleased to get moving after last night, as it had been the coldest night we spent here so far.

With Mary and Mark setting a perfect pace for the group we climbed our way back up the valley we had passed through yesterday and sadly it’s time for us to head for home. I say sadly because the last few days have given everyone the chance to really see some beautiful scenery and I know many of us would have liked the chance to go further up the valley. However we were hampered at the beginning of our expedition by the bad weather and so last night’s camp will be our furthest for this trip

I think everyone enjoyed today’s walk, with perhaps the exception of poor Yolanda who wasn’t feeling great but battled on like the true team player she is and I know that everyone hopes the clear weather we have had for the last two days continues.

At about 4pm we started looking for a suitable stop to make camp and as we were looking we came to a stop where we could make out the movements of a large animal ahead; we lost sight of it in the darkness which was quite eerie put proceeded to prepare ourselves with flares at the ready and, although we don’t know if it was a bear, I for one will be slightly more nervous on bear watch tonight which will be from 3-5am.

We’ve made camp and the usual hustle and bustle of camp can be heard from everyone sat in their tents: stoves are roaring away heating water for dinner, drinks and water bottles; ice axes are chipping away to make room for ice screws and guy ropes; people are chatting, reading, or writing diaries and the occasional yell for "Who's got a shovel?" or "Water?" (fuel is precious so spare hot water is distributed to the team for drinking or filling flasks or hot water bottles), can be heard.

So what have I learnt whilst I’ve been here? Well, lots. But some thoughts I have for now are...

I’ve learnt that I:

- I hate the wet cold ice on my sleeping bag in the morning
- I love walking through the spectacular scenery we are surrounded by
- I’m a lot happier in my own company when skiing single file than I thought I’d be
- I miss daylight
- I hate getting up for bear watch
- I love the time on bear watch to appreciate my surroundings in silence whilst everyone else sleeps
- If I spill my food, I can just wait for it to freeze and flick it off!
- Dehydrated ration packs are a commodity that can be traded
- How much I miss Charlie (boyf), friends and family
- But most of all I’ve learnt that for me surviving in the cold is going to be a challenge but one that I’m keep to pursue.

To me this has been the last big stepping stone on a 2 year plan of getting to the point where I can undertake a polar journey, although I know that it will be tough, I’m looking forward to the next step of my Arctic adventure.

Thanks to Ali Kershaw for this post.