Today was characterized by leads, cracks and holes in the ice. We came across several tens of such obstacles during the day. The good thing was that at no time was it necessary to put on our dry-suits and swim. Each of the leads could be either circumnavigated or skied over.

Having said this, there was no stopping our young Jermi (Tertsunen) from taking a dip. Jermi was scouting a route through an area of weak, slushy ice. The ice gave way. He was armpit-deep in seawater without his dry-suit on. We have practiced for such events before departure; we went into our recovery routine, and everything went like clockwork.

Part of the team helped Jermi out of the water; other team members erected a tent; and one man lit a stove for hot water. One hour and twenty minutes later, we were on our way once more. Jermi was warm and relatively dry; none the worse for his refreshing experience.

Weather-wise, a surprisingly bitter, cold wind was brewing. As evening drew on, the temperature dropped significantly.

Distance remaining to the Pole: 179 km
Skiing days remaining: 6

All is well with the Expedition.