News News about this trip.

February 10th 2012:It is February allready and there is no fast ice in Tempelfjorden and Billefjorden.
The whole January month has been TEN degrees warmer then normal on Spitsbergen. This in combination with the (for this time) warmer Atlantic Ocean makes this happen. The main wind direction on Spitsbergen has been south-west this winter. It is waiting for wind from the east,to bring the cold and makes it easier to get ice in Tempelfjorden and Billefjorden. Almost daily I look at the ice-map. You can see the sea-ice map if you Click here 
I have no idea yet how to get in Petuniabukta in March, maybe I can take a boat to Pyramiden!!!!

The last 14 days the night temperatures has been colder in Holland then on Spitsbergen!!!
6 days ago, after a day with snowfall, the temperature did fall down to -23°C.
The snowfall wasn't enough to go skiing over the ground but enough to ski over the many frozen channels in Holland. It is a perfect flat underground. Most people in Holland goes ice-skating now, but I go cross country skiing. Today I prepaired a nice ski-trail, to use for 2 ski-marathons:one on Saterday and one on Sunday.
It is a nice way for training, and that in Holland...........

Making the ski-trail over the small snowcovered frozen channels for the 2 marathon's. Look at the many rabbit footprints.

February 12th 2012: I finished the second marathon today. I started very early in the morning (in the darkness),because bad weather was coming in (snow or rain). It is raining at the coastline but here it is snowing.

Early start during the second marathon.

It was a very good training. Allthough I didn't go on topspeed (make no sense) I reached my fastest rounds on both marathons after 20km. The average speed was then 9km/hour. Not fast, just keep on going. During each marathon I had to "klunen" (walk over ground) at 55 places!!.

One of the ski-tracks on the channels.

If it is not raining tomorrow at my place, I will give it a try to start a 3rd marathon. I will start very early again.

Critical passage during the end of the 2nd marathon.(water left and right)



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