We started early on skis and covered a solid 16 km, steadily climbing. The terrain shifted from the chaotic, bumpy crevasse fields into a more consistent incline – but the crevasses are still very much around. We’re not out of the danger zone yet.

It was a demanding day for everyone. I found myself constantly refining how I use my body – hauling an ~80 kg sled uphill is all about efficiency. I kept shifting the load: from legs to poles and back, sometimes pulling from the hips, sometimes from the shoulders. Every part of the body is engaged, and managing that balance is key to avoiding early fatigue.

Towards lunch, I felt my energy drop – most likely not enough calories. Lunch became a reset point. I went heavy on the high-calorie items from my daily ration, and it made a real difference. Within a short time, I was back on track.

On the tech side, CRAIG didn’t behave as expected. It started logging data around 04:00, but stopped by 07:00. Once we reached camp, I stabilized the sensor setup, and it’s now back to working properly. (Field testing at its finest.)

By the end of the day, temperatures rose significantly. At one point, we were all skiing in base layers – a reminder of how quickly conditions can shift here. It looks like we’re heading into a stretch of unusually warm days.