Christina: Mother Nature will decide…
Published on 29.03.2010 - North Pole Solo 2010
The Londoner doesn't know what to do any more. Admittedly she has just been successfully resupplied (on 22 March), but her two sledges are too heavy for her if she has to get them across the same stretch three or four times.
Despair? No. But discouragement, yes! Christina Franco can't take any more... She was still 635 kilometres from the Pole. When she took her position by GPS on 23 March, the day after her resupply, she realised that she was not that far from where she was on the 17th, that is to say six days earlier! What a drag... 21 kilometres lost in a few days... She then decided, in order to lighten her load, that she would get shot of ten or so superfluous kilos - which she was to leave on the pack ice. The last straw was that a white-out set in and that it started to snow.
On 25 March, she managed to make 9 kilometres, hoping that the drift during the night would not be too great. On the 27th, things improved somewhat in terms of the drift and the weather alike: less white-out, more sun, less wind, less cold...
The adventurer's mindset therefore had room for hope and courage once again. But on 27 March, when she looked at herself in a little mirror for the first time since the beginning of her adventure, she wondered who on earth she was looking at. It was like the demolished face of a politician who has been elected and who can be seen six months later, so worn by his overwhelming responsibilities... So what, she said to herself that day: after all, what can I do? It's Mother Nature that will decide...
