{"id":11578,"date":"2019-08-27T13:20:13","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T13:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/?p=11578"},"modified":"2020-08-25T13:48:32","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T13:48:32","slug":"northpolecrossing-day-2-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/northpolecrossing-day-2-4\/","title":{"rendered":"#NorthPoleCrossing day 2-4"},"content":{"rendered":"

BLOG 2 \u2013 23.\u201326.08.2019<\/span>
\nNome, Alaska: Every morning since we all got here, the sun barely rises, and everyone is already up and tackling their different tasks. We have two main priorities: getting the boat ready and our expedition gear prepared before we set off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although I tend to favor solo expeditions, I am happy to be embarking on the crossing of the Arctic Ocean with Borge. Our past polar experience together means we know each other well enough to count on one another. At times, some things don\u2019t even need to be said or discussed, it is almost as if we know what the other thinks. I trust him with our equipment and our food rationing. This time, contrarily to our past expedition where we each brought our own equipment, we will be packing the same gear. This will allow us to minimize the weight we will have to pull in our sledges during the expedition. We are estimating our loads to weigh up to 170kgs per person, which we will split out in two sledges per person.<\/span><\/p>\n

During my crossing of Antarctica in 2016\/2017, I put all my food and equipment in one sledge that weighed over 200kg. I think back at how difficult the first couple of weeks were, pulling such a heavy load uphill onto the Antarctic plateau. The thing with weight is that you don\u2019t want to take too much food and equipment because this will have a negative impact on how fast you make progress. But at the same time, it is essential to anticipate and pack everything one might need for the next 3 months. We cannot afford to pack less food and equipment because if we end up spending more time on the ice as initially planned, there will be no way out. It is a tough bet to make, to pack enough, yet to make sure the weight doesn\u2019t slow us down. Fortunately, with our combined years of experience up until today, Borge and I can confidently make these bets and estimations.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Borge fully focuses on the expedition preparation, I continue to help Bernard and the rest of the crew to fix up the boat\u2019s withstanding issues. Before we embark on any long adventure in a remote part of the globe, we always need to make sure every single detail is double-checked, adjusted and secured. On top of that, during our sail up from Japan, we realized that our masts needed readjusting, some bolts tightening, cleaning here, polishing there, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we get all of that sorted, Laure our French chef onboard starts working on her food provisions. Cooking for 13 people for a month is no easy task. With the help of a couple of friendly locals, she goes to one of the two supermarkets in town and empties the shelves. She starts by purchasing our stocks of protein. Followed by dry staples, fresh fruit and vegetables, canned goods, snacks and so forth. With 11 guys onboard and only 2 girls, big portions need to be planned to make sure everyone has enough energy and manages to keep warm in the cooler temperatures that are awaiting us as we head up north.<\/span><\/p>\n

Food delivered, chopped, divided in rations, and stored. On the boat we tend to have heavier lunches, lighter dinners, and lots of sweet and salty snacks in between\u2026We never go hungry with this talented chef onboard! Laure is so essential to the wellbeing of our team. Shas been a part of the crew since 2013, and ever since she\u2019s been onboard, the boat is always clean and organized and our stomachs happier than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been very lucky to have the local\u2019s support and help since we\u2019ve arrived. They have been assisting with everything from grocery shopping, to welding, to finding missing pieces and important items we might need. It is very heartwarming to arrive somewhere new and to be treated like friends from the get-go. These are the type of interactions that renew my hope in human relations and dynamics. To be able to help and count on a stranger is becoming a rare phenomenon in today\u2019s fast-paced and ever-changing world. People have become more skeptical than trustworthy nowadays, which I can\u2019t blame them for, but it is always a pleasant surprise to be reminded that we can still count on a stranger.<\/span><\/p>\n

The days have been going by so fast since we\u2019ve all arrived. Everyone\u2019s been working hard, so much has been done, and finally it looks like we\u2019re pretty much set to go. Tomorrow we plan on waving goodbye to our Alaskan friends and make our way through the Bering Strait to venture into the Arctic Ocean. The seas might be a little rough at first, which might be a little challenging for our newcomers onboard. But there\u2019s nothing like rough seas to toughen a man up!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nome, Alaska : Tous les matins depuis notre arriv\u00e9e, le soleil se l\u00e8ve \u00e0 peine, et tout le monde est d\u00e9j\u00e0 lev\u00e9 et s’attaque \u00e0 ses diff\u00e9rentes t\u00e2ches. Nous avons deux priorit\u00e9s principales : pr\u00e9parer le bateau et notre mat\u00e9riel d’exp\u00e9dition avant le d\u00e9part, et bien que j’aie tendance \u00e0 privil\u00e9gier les exp\u00e9ditions en solitaire, je suis heureux d’entreprendre la travers\u00e9e de l’oc\u00e9an Arctique avec Borge. Notre exp\u00e9rience polaire pass\u00e9e ensemble signifie que nous nous connaissons assez bien pour compter les uns sur les autres. Parfois, certaines choses n’ont m\u00eame pas besoin d’\u00eatre dites ou discut\u00e9es, c’est presque comme si on savait ce que pense l’autre. Je lui confie notre \u00e9quipement et notre rationnement alimentaire.<\/p>\n

Cette fois-ci, contrairement \u00e0 notre exp\u00e9dition pr\u00e9c\u00e9dente o\u00f9 nous avions chacun apport\u00e9 notre propre \u00e9quipement, nous emballerons le m\u00eame mat\u00e9riel. Cela nous permettra de minimiser le poids que nous aurons \u00e0 tirer dans nos tra\u00eeneaux pendant l’exp\u00e9dition. Lors de ma travers\u00e9e de l’Antarctique en 2016\/2017, j’ai mis toute ma nourriture et tout mon \u00e9quipement dans un tra\u00eeneau de plus de 200 kg, qui p\u00e8se environ 170 kg par personne. Je me rappelle \u00e0 quel point les deux premi\u00e8res semaines ont \u00e9t\u00e9 difficiles, en tirant une charge aussi lourde vers le haut sur le plateau antarctique. Le probl\u00e8me avec le poids, c’est que vous ne voulez pas prendre trop de nourriture et d’\u00e9quipement parce que cela aura un impact n\u00e9gatif sur la vitesse \u00e0 laquelle vous progresserez. Mais en m\u00eame temps, il est essentiel d’anticiper et d’emballer tout ce dont on pourrait avoir besoin pour les 3 prochains mois. Nous ne pouvons pas nous permettre d’emballer moins de nourriture et d’\u00e9quipement parce que si nous passons plus de temps sur la glace comme pr\u00e9vu initialement, il n’y aura pas d’\u00e9chappatoire.<\/p>\n

C’est un pari difficile \u00e0 faire, \u00e0 emballer suffisamment, tout en s’assurant que le poids ne nous ralentit pas. Heureusement, avec nos ann\u00e9es d’exp\u00e9rience combin\u00e9es jusqu’\u00e0 aujourd’hui, Borge et moi pouvons faire ces paris et ces estimations en toute confiance, et comme Borge se concentre enti\u00e8rement sur la pr\u00e9paration de l’exp\u00e9dition, je continue \u00e0 aider Bernard et le reste de l’\u00e9quipage \u00e0 r\u00e9soudre les probl\u00e8mes de r\u00e9sistance du bateau.<\/p>\n

Avant de nous lancer dans une longue aventure dans une r\u00e9gion recul\u00e9e du globe, nous devons toujours nous assurer que chaque d\u00e9tail est v\u00e9rifi\u00e9, ajust\u00e9 et s\u00e9curis\u00e9. De plus, lors de notre remont\u00e9e du Japon, nous avons r\u00e9alis\u00e9 que nos m\u00e2ts avaient besoin d’\u00eatre r\u00e9ajust\u00e9s, que nos boulons devaient \u00eatre serr\u00e9s, nettoy\u00e9s ici, polis l\u00e0, et ainsi de suite. Cuisiner pour 13 personnes pendant un mois n’est pas chose facile. Avec l’aide de quelques amis locaux, elle se rend dans l’un des deux supermarch\u00e9s de la ville et vide les \u00e9tag\u00e8res. Elle commence par acheter nos stocks de prot\u00e9ines. Suivent les aliments de base secs, les fruits et l\u00e9gumes frais, les conserves, les collations, etc. Avec 11 gars \u00e0 bord et seulement 2 filles, de grosses portions doivent \u00eatre planifi\u00e9es pour s’assurer que tout le monde a assez d’\u00e9nergie et parvient \u00e0 se r\u00e9chauffer dans les temp\u00e9ratures plus fra\u00eeches qui nous attendent alors que nous allons vers le nord. Sur le bateau, nous avons tendance \u00e0 avoir des d\u00e9jeuners plus lourds, des d\u00eeners plus l\u00e9gers et beaucoup de collations sucr\u00e9es et sal\u00e9es entre les deux… Nous n’avons jamais faim avec ce chef de talent \u00e0 bord ! Laure est essentielle au bien-\u00eatre de notre \u00e9quipe. Il fait partie de l’\u00e9quipage depuis 2013, et depuis qu’il est \u00e0 bord, le bateau est toujours propre et organis\u00e9 et nos estomacs sont plus heureux que jamais…<\/p>\n

Nous avons eu beaucoup de chance d’avoir le soutien et l’aide du local depuis notre arriv\u00e9e. Ils nous ont aid\u00e9s \u00e0 tout, de l’\u00e9picerie \u00e0 la soudure, en passant par la recherche de pi\u00e8ces manquantes et d’articles importants dont nous pourrions avoir besoin. C’est tr\u00e8s r\u00e9confortant d’arriver dans un nouvel endroit et d’\u00eatre trait\u00e9 comme des amis d\u00e8s le d\u00e9part. C’est ce type d’interactions qui renouvellent mon espoir dans les relations et les dynamiques humaines. Pouvoir aider et compter sur un \u00e9tranger devient un ph\u00e9nom\u00e8ne rare dans le monde d’aujourd’hui, qui \u00e9volue \u00e0 un rythme effr\u00e9n\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Les gens sont devenus plus sceptiques que dignes de confiance de nos jours, ce dont je ne peux pas leur en vouloir, mais c’est toujours une agr\u00e9able surprise qu’on nous rappelle que nous pouvons encore compter sur un \u00e9tranger. Tout le monde a travaill\u00e9 dur, tant de choses ont \u00e9t\u00e9 faites, et finalement, il semble que nous soyons pr\u00eats \u00e0 partir. Demain, nous ferons nos adieux \u00e0 nos amis de l’Alaska et traverserons le d\u00e9troit de B\u00e9ring pour nous aventurer dans l’oc\u00e9an Arctique. La mer pourrait \u00eatre un peu agit\u00e9e au d\u00e9but, ce qui pourrait \u00eatre un peu difficile pour nos nouveaux arrivants \u00e0 bord. Mais il n’y a rien de mieux qu’une mer agit\u00e9e pour endurcir un homme !<\/p>\n\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BLOG 2 \u2013 23.\u201326.08.2019 Nome, Alaska: Every morning since we all got here, the sun barely rises, and everyone is already up and tackling their different tasks. We have two main priorities: getting the boat ready and our expedition gear prepared before we set off. Although I tend to favor solo expeditions, I am happy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":11471,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346,136],"tags":[31,20,125,141,23,369,159,49,126,128],"class_list":["post-11578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-northpolecrossing","category-pole2pole","tag-adventure","tag-arctic","tag-expedition","tag-mikehorn","tag-north-pole","tag-norway","tag-p2p","tag-pangaea-2","tag-pole2pole","tag-sailing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mikehorn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}