“We just want to do it as well as possible ...”

Published on 14.04.2009 - General Info

John Hudson and Tyler Fish have just passed through 87 degrees North on their trek to the North Pole. The terrain is becoming difficult and the ice more than a little wayward. But does that bother John and Tyler? No, of course not!

The same philosophy and sense of duty done still pervades everything these two adventurers do. On 5th April, Tyler Fish used one well-chosen sentence to sum up the overall concept behind their journey when he wrote: "The main aim for us is not to complete this expedition as fast as we can, but to do it as well as we can....".

On another day, although the two men were having to contend with the daily dangers of crossing more and more leads of open water, Tyler still took the time to tell his readers about what someone like him thinks about and feels throughout the day as he trudges across the sea-ice in pursuit of perhaps achieving something no-one has ever done before. On 7th April, he wrote: "It all depends on whether you are leading or following. The person in front thinks about the fact that he is leading. Which way should we go? What obstacles are there ahead? Will there be any open water to cross? Are there any compression zones? If there are, how will we tackle them? Which is the best way through? Where is the other person at the moment? Is he very close or a long way behind? That's the sort of thing the person in the lead thinks. As for the person behind, he doesn't have so many things to think about and perhaps is able to concentrate more on the question of what the snow is like -less important details. Oh, we're skiing well... Hmm, things are getting more difficult... I think I'll go this way rather than that way... Those sorts of things. I have to say that it's best when the going is not too tough and especially when the surface we are going over is nice and even. Because then you can allow yourself to meditate, even though you are on the move. And to do that you need to let your mind wander a little (conditions allowing, of course). But when you are skiing along steadily, one step after another, one ski sliding alongside the other, the same actions and noises time after time and so on -that's when it's great. Because when that's happening, your mind can wander all over the place. Life, your family, your loves, kids, the past, future, your trip, etc. You just let yourself be carried away by all sorts of things. It's intoxicating..."

On 9th April, the two men were still 340 km from the Pole.

Hereis their progression table :

• March 02, D 01, N 83° 08 096' / W 74°005.863', 2,3 hours walk, 1.7 NM, -37°C
• March 03, D 02, N 83° 08.900' / W 74° 04', 5,5 hours walk, 0.87 NM, -41°C
• March 04, D 03, N 83° 10.321' / W 74° 02.344', 6 hours walk, 1.4 NM, -41°C
• March 05, D 04, N 83° 12.927' / W 74° 4.66', 7 hours walk, 2.63 NM, -41°C
• March 06, D 05, N 83° 14.665' / W 74° 03.906', 7 hours walk, 1.7 NM, -51°C
• March 07, D 06, N 83° 15.629' / W 74° 03.727', 7,5 hours walk, 0.97 NM, -50°C
• March 08, D 07, N 83° 19.526' / W 74° 02.124', 7 hours walk, 3.9 NM, -39°C
• March 09, D 08, N 83° 23.071' / W 74° 05.560', 8 hours walk, 3.6 NM, -37°C
• March 10, D 09, N 83° 26.482' / W 74° 07.548', 8 hours walk, 3.4 NM, -37°C
• March 11, D 10, N 83° 31.109' / W 74° 12.118', 8,3 hours walk, 4.7 NM, -33°C
• March 12, D 11, N 83° 34.625' / W 74° 16.487', 8,3 hours walk, 3.6 NM, -37°C
• March 13, D 12, N 83° 39.210' / W 74° 18.240', 8,7 hours walk, 4.6 NM, -39°C
• March 14, D 13, N 83° 42.946' / W 74° 16.704', 8,5 hours walk, 3.7 NM, -41°C
• March 15, D 14, N 83° 46.166' / W 74° 18.091', 8,5 hours walk, 3.2 NM, -38°C
• March 16, D 15, N 83° 50.895' / W 74° 13.882', .8.5 hours walk, 4.8 NM, -41°C
• March 17, D 16, N 83° 56.895' / W 74° 10.629', 8.5 hours walk, 6 NM, -38°C
• March 18, D 17, no data
• March 19, D 18, N 84° 09.479' / W 74° 21.600', 9 hours walk, 5.8 NM, -31°C
• March 20, D 19,ÂN 84° 14.691' / W 74° 34.747', 9 hours walk, 5.4 NM, -38°C
• March 21, D 20, N 84° 19' 47" / W 74° 43' 42", 9,30 hours walk, 5.2 NM, -37°C
• March 22, D 21, N 84° 26.564' / W 74° 40.361', 9,30 hours walk, 6.8 NM, -26°C
• March 23; D 22, N 84° 26.564' / W 74° 40.361', 9,30 hours walk, 6.8 NM, -26°C
• March 24, D 23, N 84° 39.114' / W 74° 35.147', 8h hours walk, 6.5 NM, -63°C
• March 25, D 24, N 84° 46.801' / W 74° 29.952', 9,30 hours walk, 7.3 NM, -34°C
• March 26, D 25, N 84° 54.501' / W 74° 30.444', 9,30 hours walk, 7.9 NM, -40°C
• March 27, D 26, N 84° 03.187' / W 74° 37.884', 9,30 hours walk, 8.7 NM, -41°C
• March 28, D 27, N 85° 12.012' / W 74° 30.144, 9,30 hours walk, 8.9 NM, -39°C
• March 29, D 28, no datas
• March 30, D 29, N 85° 27.644' / W 74° 34.404', 9,30 hours walk, 7.4 NM, -35°C
• March 31, D 30, N 85° 31.933' / W 74° 46.189', 10 hours walk, 5 NM, -35°C
• April 01, D 31, N 85° 40.464' / W 74° 43.564', 10 hours walk, 8.8 NM, -37°C
• April 02, D 32, N 85° 49.895' / W 74° 42.583', 10 hours walk, 9.4 NM, -34°C
• April 03, D 33, N 86° 00.274' / W 74° 46.742', 10,30 hours walk, 10.4 NM, -28°C
• April 03, D 33, N 86° 00.274' / W 74° 46.742', 10,30 hours walk, 10.4 NM, -28°C
• April 04, D 34, N 86° 11.503' / W 74° 50.097', 10 hours walk, 11.2 NM, -28°C
• April 05, D 35, N 86° 20.503' / W 74° 53.617', 8 hours walk, 8.8 NM, -30°C
• April 06, D 36, N 86° 30.177' / W 74° 57.139', 10 hours walk, 9.7 NM, -30°C
• April 07, D 37, N 86° 41.729' / W 75° 00.544', 10 hours walk, 11.2 NM, -32°C
• April 08, D 38, N 86° 53.747' / W 75° 11.969'; 10 hours walk, 11.7 NM, -34°C
• April 09, D 39, N 87° 03.306' / W 75° 13.153', 10 hours walk, 9.7 NM, -30°C
• April 10, D 40, N 87° 13.047' / W 75° 19.632, 11 hours walk, 10.1 NM, -27°C

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