Kunming resident Jin Feibao is attempting to summit each continent's highest peak and trek to both of the Earth's poles within a one-year period. Following his recent trip to Argentina's Mount Aconcagua, he has moved on to Norway and is skiing to the North Pole. GoKunming is reprinting transcripts of Jin Feibao's daily telephone reports to Kunming.
April 27: Champagne on top of the world
"Yesterday, we skied 11 hours, covering 13 kilometers and reaching the North Pole at 2:45 am on April 28, Beijing time.
Compared to the previous seven days, this last day of trekking and skiing was the hardest one. We were blocked by many wide crevasses with water inside, so we had to use GPS frequently to guide us as we zigzagged around the labrynthine crevasses.
During the day I stepped on a pack of thin ice that was too thin to hold my weight - it broke as soon as I put my full weight on it and I fell into the icy water. Luckily the hole I fell into was not wide, so I could prevent myself from falling in completely, only my legs were in the water. The tour leader rushed to me and pulled me from the frigid water, then picked up the powdery snow on the surface of the ice and used the snow to rub my wet pants to accelerate the freezing process of the water in my pants, thus lowering the danger of frostbite. After a while my legs felt okay again, so we kept pushing forward.
When the GPS showed that we were extremely close to the North Pole, everybody was so excited that all the expedition members began running like lunatics toward the direction of the pole. Finally, the GPS showed that we were standing on the exact spot of 90 degrees north latitude, at that moment, everyone went crazy. We forgot about the freezing cold and exhaustion and started yelling and taking photos and calling family and friends. The tour leader popped open a big bottle of champagne and we all toasted our accomplishment.
Last night we camped at the North Pole, which doesn't have any landmarks. This morning, we woke up and found out that we had drifted two kilometers while sleeping. Now we are waiting for a helicopter to pick us up from the ice and fly us back to Barneo camp, where we will take another airplane back to Longyearbyen in Norway.
At this moment sitting atop the world, I am very proud. I have successfully reached the 3 extremes on earth - the top of Mount Everest, the South Pole and the North Pole - within one year's time. I may be the first Chinese to accomplish this.
I want to express my gratitude to my hometown Kunming, my province Yunnan, my motherland China, and all my friends and family. Thank you all very much!"
April 27: Champagne on top of the world
"Yesterday, we skied 11 hours, covering 13 kilometers and reaching the North Pole at 2:45 am on April 28, Beijing time.
Compared to the previous seven days, this last day of trekking and skiing was the hardest one. We were blocked by many wide crevasses with water inside, so we had to use GPS frequently to guide us as we zigzagged around the labrynthine crevasses.
During the day I stepped on a pack of thin ice that was too thin to hold my weight - it broke as soon as I put my full weight on it and I fell into the icy water. Luckily the hole I fell into was not wide, so I could prevent myself from falling in completely, only my legs were in the water. The tour leader rushed to me and pulled me from the frigid water, then picked up the powdery snow on the surface of the ice and used the snow to rub my wet pants to accelerate the freezing process of the water in my pants, thus lowering the danger of frostbite. After a while my legs felt okay again, so we kept pushing forward.
When the GPS showed that we were extremely close to the North Pole, everybody was so excited that all the expedition members began running like lunatics toward the direction of the pole. Finally, the GPS showed that we were standing on the exact spot of 90 degrees north latitude, at that moment, everyone went crazy. We forgot about the freezing cold and exhaustion and started yelling and taking photos and calling family and friends. The tour leader popped open a big bottle of champagne and we all toasted our accomplishment.
Last night we camped at the North Pole, which doesn't have any landmarks. This morning, we woke up and found out that we had drifted two kilometers while sleeping. Now we are waiting for a helicopter to pick us up from the ice and fly us back to Barneo camp, where we will take another airplane back to Longyearbyen in Norway.
At this moment sitting atop the world, I am very proud. I have successfully reached the 3 extremes on earth - the top of Mount Everest, the South Pole and the North Pole - within one year's time. I may be the first Chinese to accomplish this.
I want to express my gratitude to my hometown Kunming, my province Yunnan, my motherland China, and all my friends and family. Thank you all very much!"
Kunming resident Jin Feibao is attempting to summit each continent's highest peak and trek to both of the Earth's poles within a one-year period. Following his recent trip to Argentina's Mount Aconcagua, he has moved on to Norway and is skiing to the North Pole. GoKunming is reprinting transcripts of Jin Feibao's daily telephone reports to Kunming.
April 24: Massive crevasses and snow-covered holes
"Yesterday, we skied 10 hours, but covered only 13 km. The weather was not good, it was very windy, the temperature dropped to -25˚C. We skied very hard into head-on winds.
On the way, we met a very wide crevasse - about eight meters wide. It was very long - at least several kilometers long. Standing on the edge of the crevasse we could see the blue water below. The ice we were standing on was only about one meter thick above the water level, which meant we were standing on the edge of a big floating piece of ice. There was no way to cross such a wide crevasse except to go around it, so we skied along the crevasse. Two hours later, we finally found an ice bridge and crossed it.
Potential dangers like this are everywhere on the way to the North Pole. Sometimes the hard ice surface is too slippery - even the ski boards can not grip it. Falling down is unavoidable. Sometimes we ski on soft snow and can not avoid the holes hidden beneath the snowy top layer. Yesterday, a team member from the US fell into a snow-covered hole and damaged his ski boards. Luckily the hole was not deep so he wasn't hurt.
We have two tour leaders, both are very experienced. Usually one tour leader skis in the front, checking the ice. When he is unsure about the ice ahead he will take off his skis and walk forward with an exploring pole to check it thoroughly. Meanwhile the other tour leader will follow him with ropes in hand in case he falls through the ice.
We need to drink a lot of water on the way, so each morning before we start out I fill all my water bottles with hot water. Several days later, I discovered that some team members were filling their bottles with hot chocolate. I was drinking water, they were drinking chocolate - they were taking in more energy than me. I have learned from them, now I also fill my bottle with hot chocolate. As we press ahead each day, we not only eat chocolate but drink it too.
Last night while we camped the wind was still blowing hard. That explains why this morning my GPS indicated that we had drifted four kilometers away from where we initially set up camp, so we have to ski four more kilometers to make it up.
My GPS shows that we are only 30 kilometers from the North Pole. With head-on winds, drifting ice and massive crevasses, I'm guessing that our actual ski distance should be at least double the direct distance. However, we have confidence to reach the North Pole within 3 days."
April 25: "Everybody feels very tired"
"Yesterday, we skied 11 hours, covering 15 kilometers. It was still windy and the temperature was around -21˚C. After six days of skiing, everybody feels very tired, everybody feels it's harder and harder to keep going.
While skiing we came to a 30-meter-wide crevasse with water inside. It looked like a wide river - we had no choice but to ski around it. Sometimes we'd come across crevasses that were only three meters across with no water inside but a thin layer of ice on the bottom. In this situation we would lower two sleds to the middle of the crevasse, then fix two pairs of ski boards to connect the sleds with the ice, forming two instant bridges. We'd then cross the bridges and then drag the sleds up behind us. If a crevasse was less than one meter across, we'd use our ski boards as a bridge and cross it easily, then immediately run forward to drag the sled across it quickly.
In order to save fuels for melting ice into drinking water and for cooking, we have not washed our faces or brushed our teeth since we left Barneo camp. Even our bowls and dishes have not been washed. After every meal we seal our bowls and dishes in a plastic bag where they wait for the next use.
Going to the toilet is much easier than in Antarctica. One reason is because it's not as cold here. Another reason is we can always find ice walls. Even if it is only one meter high, it is enough to block the wind while we are doing the big job. We also take all our waste in sealed plastic bags on our sleds as we did in Antarctica.
Foodwise, we have noodles, instant rice, ham, sausage, bread, and chocolate. Of course I love rice the most.
Our tour leaders use a satellite phone to keep in touch with their colleagues in Barneo camp. The tour leader said that presently our seven-person team is the only team in North Pole area.
This expedition is very difficult and lonely, everybody has to have good imaginations to keep their spirits up. Everyday I think about Kunming's warm sunshine, delicious food and my family and friends - and Kunming's nightlife because there is no night here.
This morning we found that once again we drifted four kilometers from where we set up camp the night before. This time we were not surprised nor upset. Now this ski-forward-during-the-day-float-backward-while-sleeping thing as quite normal. Now, we are only 19 km away from the North Pole."
April 26: "I felt like we were skiing in the sky"
"Yesterday, we skied hard for 13 hours and covered 18 kilometers. But we drifted back several kilometers while sleeping. This morning, I checked my GPS and found out that we are still eight kilometers away from the North Pole. I estimate that we can reach our destination within 10 hours.
The weather was not good. It was very cloudy - it looked like the sky and the icy ground merged together. At times I felt like we were skiing in the sky, not on the ice. In the afternoon, it started to snow. The snowflakes were very tiny, like powder. But it was not windy so we didn't feel too cold. I forgot to take out the heat-preserving layer from my boots to air it before I went to sleep last night, so my boots were wet inside, very uncomfortable.
We encountered a really dangerous situation for the first time. While we were preparing to cross a crevasse with water inside, the ice on the other side of the crevasse suddenly started to move, submerging all the small pieces of floating ice in the water very fast. Our tour leader yelled "Go back! Go back!"
We hurried back to a pack of stable ice. Afterward our tour leader told us that if somebody had fallen into the water the person would have been carried away immediately by the floating ice with no chance of being rescued. We were all scared.
We were very close to the North Pole and expected to reach the North Pole yesterday. Unexpectedly, the nearer we got to the North Pole the wider the crevasses with water inside became and the higher the ice hills. We had to ski around one crevasse after another and climb one ice hill after another. In the early evening, we realized that it was impossible to reach the North Pole that day. We had to choose stable ice for our camp, everybody was exhausted.
We did have a pleasant surprise yesterday - we met another expedition team in this icy world. They rode sleds dragged by eight dogs each. Their tour leader was a woman from France and team members included one lady from France and a man from the US. The dogs were very friendly to us and we were very happy to meet them."
April 24: Massive crevasses and snow-covered holes
"Yesterday, we skied 10 hours, but covered only 13 km. The weather was not good, it was very windy, the temperature dropped to -25˚C. We skied very hard into head-on winds.
On the way, we met a very wide crevasse - about eight meters wide. It was very long - at least several kilometers long. Standing on the edge of the crevasse we could see the blue water below. The ice we were standing on was only about one meter thick above the water level, which meant we were standing on the edge of a big floating piece of ice. There was no way to cross such a wide crevasse except to go around it, so we skied along the crevasse. Two hours later, we finally found an ice bridge and crossed it.
Potential dangers like this are everywhere on the way to the North Pole. Sometimes the hard ice surface is too slippery - even the ski boards can not grip it. Falling down is unavoidable. Sometimes we ski on soft snow and can not avoid the holes hidden beneath the snowy top layer. Yesterday, a team member from the US fell into a snow-covered hole and damaged his ski boards. Luckily the hole was not deep so he wasn't hurt.
We have two tour leaders, both are very experienced. Usually one tour leader skis in the front, checking the ice. When he is unsure about the ice ahead he will take off his skis and walk forward with an exploring pole to check it thoroughly. Meanwhile the other tour leader will follow him with ropes in hand in case he falls through the ice.
We need to drink a lot of water on the way, so each morning before we start out I fill all my water bottles with hot water. Several days later, I discovered that some team members were filling their bottles with hot chocolate. I was drinking water, they were drinking chocolate - they were taking in more energy than me. I have learned from them, now I also fill my bottle with hot chocolate. As we press ahead each day, we not only eat chocolate but drink it too.
Last night while we camped the wind was still blowing hard. That explains why this morning my GPS indicated that we had drifted four kilometers away from where we initially set up camp, so we have to ski four more kilometers to make it up.
My GPS shows that we are only 30 kilometers from the North Pole. With head-on winds, drifting ice and massive crevasses, I'm guessing that our actual ski distance should be at least double the direct distance. However, we have confidence to reach the North Pole within 3 days."
April 25: "Everybody feels very tired"
"Yesterday, we skied 11 hours, covering 15 kilometers. It was still windy and the temperature was around -21˚C. After six days of skiing, everybody feels very tired, everybody feels it's harder and harder to keep going.
While skiing we came to a 30-meter-wide crevasse with water inside. It looked like a wide river - we had no choice but to ski around it. Sometimes we'd come across crevasses that were only three meters across with no water inside but a thin layer of ice on the bottom. In this situation we would lower two sleds to the middle of the crevasse, then fix two pairs of ski boards to connect the sleds with the ice, forming two instant bridges. We'd then cross the bridges and then drag the sleds up behind us. If a crevasse was less than one meter across, we'd use our ski boards as a bridge and cross it easily, then immediately run forward to drag the sled across it quickly.
In order to save fuels for melting ice into drinking water and for cooking, we have not washed our faces or brushed our teeth since we left Barneo camp. Even our bowls and dishes have not been washed. After every meal we seal our bowls and dishes in a plastic bag where they wait for the next use.
Going to the toilet is much easier than in Antarctica. One reason is because it's not as cold here. Another reason is we can always find ice walls. Even if it is only one meter high, it is enough to block the wind while we are doing the big job. We also take all our waste in sealed plastic bags on our sleds as we did in Antarctica.
Foodwise, we have noodles, instant rice, ham, sausage, bread, and chocolate. Of course I love rice the most.
Our tour leaders use a satellite phone to keep in touch with their colleagues in Barneo camp. The tour leader said that presently our seven-person team is the only team in North Pole area.
This expedition is very difficult and lonely, everybody has to have good imaginations to keep their spirits up. Everyday I think about Kunming's warm sunshine, delicious food and my family and friends - and Kunming's nightlife because there is no night here.
This morning we found that once again we drifted four kilometers from where we set up camp the night before. This time we were not surprised nor upset. Now this ski-forward-during-the-day-float-backward-while-sleeping thing as quite normal. Now, we are only 19 km away from the North Pole."
April 26: "I felt like we were skiing in the sky"
"Yesterday, we skied hard for 13 hours and covered 18 kilometers. But we drifted back several kilometers while sleeping. This morning, I checked my GPS and found out that we are still eight kilometers away from the North Pole. I estimate that we can reach our destination within 10 hours.
The weather was not good. It was very cloudy - it looked like the sky and the icy ground merged together. At times I felt like we were skiing in the sky, not on the ice. In the afternoon, it started to snow. The snowflakes were very tiny, like powder. But it was not windy so we didn't feel too cold. I forgot to take out the heat-preserving layer from my boots to air it before I went to sleep last night, so my boots were wet inside, very uncomfortable.
We encountered a really dangerous situation for the first time. While we were preparing to cross a crevasse with water inside, the ice on the other side of the crevasse suddenly started to move, submerging all the small pieces of floating ice in the water very fast. Our tour leader yelled "Go back! Go back!"
We hurried back to a pack of stable ice. Afterward our tour leader told us that if somebody had fallen into the water the person would have been carried away immediately by the floating ice with no chance of being rescued. We were all scared.
We were very close to the North Pole and expected to reach the North Pole yesterday. Unexpectedly, the nearer we got to the North Pole the wider the crevasses with water inside became and the higher the ice hills. We had to ski around one crevasse after another and climb one ice hill after another. In the early evening, we realized that it was impossible to reach the North Pole that day. We had to choose stable ice for our camp, everybody was exhausted.
We did have a pleasant surprise yesterday - we met another expedition team in this icy world. They rode sleds dragged by eight dogs each. Their tour leader was a woman from France and team members included one lady from France and a man from the US. The dogs were very friendly to us and we were very happy to meet them."
Saturday, April 21: 89 degrees north latitude
"Yesterday at 6:30 pm, we boarded a mid-size Russian transport airplane and flew for about two and a half hours, arriving in Barneo at 9:00 pm Longyearbyen [Norway] local time.
There were about 30 passengers in the airplane, we all sat in the front half of the plane. All luggage was put in the back half. Two thirds of the passengers will not go to the North Pole, they will take some sightseeing tours around Barneo.
Barneo is a Russian research camp located at approximately 89 degrees north latitude, but it is on a big pack of ice which is always floating, so its precise location varies. Barneo was established by the former Soviet Union. In recent years, because Russia has not enough money to support its scientific research here, Barneo has gradually become a tour destination and the starting spot for North Pole expeditions.
Upon landing in Barneo, I saw some locals with their dog sleds waiting for tourists near the runway, so I guess taking sightseeing tours on dog sleds might be the major attractions for ordinary tourists here.
We ate some snacks in a restaurant camp in Barneo then we decided to head north immediately, because we are already three days behind our schedule and we wanted to stretch our legs after the flying. So we strapped on our skis and headed north. One and a half hours later, we had skied two kilometers. The tour leader chose a solid "old" ice float for us to camp on. He said this ice is about 3-4 meters thick.
It was the first time in my life that I slept on floating ice. When I thought that 3-4 meters below me was the deep and icy Arctic Ocean, I felt very uneasy. I could not sleep at first, but looking at the sound asleep 67-year-old Norbert, with whom I shared my tent, I gradually fell asleep."
Sunday, April 22: Crossing crevasses
"Yesterday, we skied seven hours, covering nine kilometers. It was a sunny day - nearly windless. The temperature was about -15˚C, much warmer than in the Antarctica - but the air is much wetter.
After breakfast, we started skiing to the north, dragging our sleds behind us. Each sled weighs about 40 kilograms. We checked our direction by GPS.
On the way we came upon many water leads and crevasses, which have as many kinds of shapes and sizes as you can image. When meeting the wide ones, we had to ski around them, which added more distance to our skiing. When coming upon narrow ones, we had to use the ski board as our bridge to cross them. After reaching the other side, we had to run immediately to pull the ski board across the crevasse, otherwise it would fall into the crevasse.
Sometimes the crevasses in front of us were too wide and too long, if we skied around them, it would cost us a lot of time, so we had to put down our skis and sleds, use a long rope to lower the tour leader down into the crevasse. He walked across the bottom of the crevasse to the other side, then climbed up out and fix the rope on the ice. Using this rope as a safe rope, we crossed the crevasse one by one as the tour leader did. We used the same method to drag our sleds across the crevasse.
Each time when somebody successfully crossed the crevasse, all other people would cheer and applaud, just like watching an acrobatic performance. If somebody could not cross it, then other team members would surely help him. Mr. Norbert is the oldest one in our team, his leg has been hurt when he playing football in his 20s. Whenever he has troubles crossing the crevasses, I always actively offer him a hand. This way no one is left behind, and no one will be left behind.
Because the air is very wet and we sweat so much, whenever we stopped to have a short rest we always found out that our headgear, gloves and clothes were wet. There is no way to dry these things except to put them in our sleeping bags and use our body heat to dry them as we sleep. If you put them outside under the sunshine they will not dry because the air is so humid.
On the way we didn't see any animals, but we saw some ice hills. They may have been the tops of large submerged icebergs. Some ice hills are as high as 60 meters, some looked like towers. Skiing to the North Pole is not as boring as skiing to the South Pole. We had some landmarks and some scenery to look at, although skiing on the uneven ice surface is not as enjoyable as skiing on the flat snow ground in Antarctica."
Monday, April 23: Thin ice
"Yesterday, we skied 9 hours, covered 14 km. The weather was the same - sunny, with a little cloud and a little breeze. Temperatures are still around -15˚C.
Now everybody is familiar with how to ski on the uneven ice surface, how to avoid water leads and how to cross different kinds of crevasses, so we made faster progress than the previous day.
On the way, we encountered some very thin ice - which can be easily broken with a ski pole, so everybody was afraid that the ice could break at any time. Everybody had to ski as fast as he could to lower the pressure on the thin ice. After crossing it, everyone was sweating. It consumed a lot of energy, so we had to stop frequently to eat chocolate bars and drink water. While resting on the ice, one man from the USA took out a harmonica and played some beautiful music. All of us fell silent at that moment, fully enjoying the music which seemed to be coming from heaven.
Up to now, according to my GPS, we have covered nearly one third of the total distance, if everything goes well, we should reach the North Pole within six days."
GoKunming is republishing the travel reports of Kunming resident Jin Feibao (金飞豹) as he treks with an international expedition to the South Pole. Jin has been making daily phone reports to Kunming which have been translated into English by Frank Gua. In this final post of his journey, Jin reaches the South Pole's Scott Station.
January 19: Arrival at the South Pole
"Today we trekked nearly non-stop for 13 hours, covered 21.9 km, reached the South Pole at 10:15 pm [Jan 18 local time; 8:15 am on Friday, Jan 19, Beijing time]. We also experienced the coldest temperature of our expedition: 50C below zero, or -60F.
"According to [tour guide] David's plan, we should reach the South Pole tomorrow, not today, but when we trekked to a place where only 15 km from the South Pole, we saw a small black spot on the horizon. David told us it was Scott Station.
We were all very excited, we finally could see our destination. All of us decided at the spot that we should not stop, we should continue going until we reach the South Pole. But David knew that I was suffering from neck pain, so he decided to let me make the final decision whether to go or stop. I looked at the black spot on the horizon, and said without any hesitation: 'Let's go!'
"So, after 13 hours of trekking and skiing in an extremely cold environment, we successfully reached the South Pole, one day ahead of our schedule.
"When walked into the Scott Station, it was already night time, although the sun was still hanging in the sky. We saw many countries' national flags hanging outside a huge building. A receptionist took us to a restaurant to have dinner. We had hot coffee, hot milk, and some fresh cakes. It was all free. Each one of us was very happy and excited.
"Then, the receptionist guided us on a short tour of the station. My god, the station is much, much bigger than we thought. It looks like a city of science, like the futuristic scenery we have seen in Hollywood movies. There is a hospital, fitness center, cinema, restaurants, shops, post office, laboratories, etc and all are equipped with world-class facilities. Some of the buildings are still under construction.
"There are more than 500 people living here long-term, including about 100 top-level scientists, they stay here to research the earth, universe, geography, etc. Most of the working staff is from the US.
"The station didn't provide accommodations to tourists, so we had to set up our tents near the station. We are all very tired now, we are going to sleep. Tomorrow morning, we will do some shopping and take some photographs, then we will fly back to the Patriot Hills camp."
GoKunming would like to congratulate Jin Feibao and his team on reaching the South Pole safely and thank Jin, Gregg Millett and Frank Gua for their help in providing Jin's daily reports.
January 19: Arrival at the South Pole
"Today we trekked nearly non-stop for 13 hours, covered 21.9 km, reached the South Pole at 10:15 pm [Jan 18 local time; 8:15 am on Friday, Jan 19, Beijing time]. We also experienced the coldest temperature of our expedition: 50C below zero, or -60F.
"According to [tour guide] David's plan, we should reach the South Pole tomorrow, not today, but when we trekked to a place where only 15 km from the South Pole, we saw a small black spot on the horizon. David told us it was Scott Station.
We were all very excited, we finally could see our destination. All of us decided at the spot that we should not stop, we should continue going until we reach the South Pole. But David knew that I was suffering from neck pain, so he decided to let me make the final decision whether to go or stop. I looked at the black spot on the horizon, and said without any hesitation: 'Let's go!'
"So, after 13 hours of trekking and skiing in an extremely cold environment, we successfully reached the South Pole, one day ahead of our schedule.
"When walked into the Scott Station, it was already night time, although the sun was still hanging in the sky. We saw many countries' national flags hanging outside a huge building. A receptionist took us to a restaurant to have dinner. We had hot coffee, hot milk, and some fresh cakes. It was all free. Each one of us was very happy and excited.
"Then, the receptionist guided us on a short tour of the station. My god, the station is much, much bigger than we thought. It looks like a city of science, like the futuristic scenery we have seen in Hollywood movies. There is a hospital, fitness center, cinema, restaurants, shops, post office, laboratories, etc and all are equipped with world-class facilities. Some of the buildings are still under construction.
"There are more than 500 people living here long-term, including about 100 top-level scientists, they stay here to research the earth, universe, geography, etc. Most of the working staff is from the US.
"The station didn't provide accommodations to tourists, so we had to set up our tents near the station. We are all very tired now, we are going to sleep. Tomorrow morning, we will do some shopping and take some photographs, then we will fly back to the Patriot Hills camp."
GoKunming would like to congratulate Jin Feibao and his team on reaching the South Pole safely and thank Jin, Gregg Millett and Frank Gua for their help in providing Jin's daily reports.
GoKunming is republishing the travel reports of Kunming resident Jin Feibao (金飞豹) as he travels with an international expedition to the South Pole. Jin has been making daily phone reports to Kunming which have been translated into English by Frank Gua.
January 18: 21.9 km from the South Pole
"Today, it's a little warmer than yesterday, the temperature is 38C below zero. We trekked 17.9 km. Now, we are only 21.9 km away from the South Pole. But we still can not see the houses built on the South Pole [Scott Station].
"David [the tour leader] told us that Scott Station is well equipped, where we can buy beer and Coca-cola, there is also a shop to sell souvenirs. What David said encouraged us to continue pushing forward.
"After 6 days of trekking and skiing, I discovered today that my body has already adapted to this frigid environment. Now I can walk like a camel - no need to drink water on the way. I just need to drink enough water before we start trekking, then I will drink water only when we camp. It is really amazing, because Antarctica is in fact drier than the Sahara Desert in Africa.
"The strong wind has sculpted the hard snow ground into a wave-like shape, we walk on it wearing our skis - it's like tango dancing, slide forward one step, then slide forwad another step. We repeated this tango dance again and again and again. I am wondering, when I get back to Kunming, will I still walk like a normal person ?
"My neck is still painful, I know I still have some painkillers left, but I decided not to use them today, better leave it for the last two days. David said the last two days are the hardest.
"I should not be defeated by my neck pain, not so close to my destination. I have made up my mind, even if I can only crawl, I will surely crawl to the South Pole."
January 18: 21.9 km from the South Pole
"Today, it's a little warmer than yesterday, the temperature is 38C below zero. We trekked 17.9 km. Now, we are only 21.9 km away from the South Pole. But we still can not see the houses built on the South Pole [Scott Station].
"David [the tour leader] told us that Scott Station is well equipped, where we can buy beer and Coca-cola, there is also a shop to sell souvenirs. What David said encouraged us to continue pushing forward.
"After 6 days of trekking and skiing, I discovered today that my body has already adapted to this frigid environment. Now I can walk like a camel - no need to drink water on the way. I just need to drink enough water before we start trekking, then I will drink water only when we camp. It is really amazing, because Antarctica is in fact drier than the Sahara Desert in Africa.
"The strong wind has sculpted the hard snow ground into a wave-like shape, we walk on it wearing our skis - it's like tango dancing, slide forward one step, then slide forwad another step. We repeated this tango dance again and again and again. I am wondering, when I get back to Kunming, will I still walk like a normal person ?
"My neck is still painful, I know I still have some painkillers left, but I decided not to use them today, better leave it for the last two days. David said the last two days are the hardest.
"I should not be defeated by my neck pain, not so close to my destination. I have made up my mind, even if I can only crawl, I will surely crawl to the South Pole."
GoKunming is republishing the travel reports of Kunming resident Jin Feibao (金飞豹) as he travels with an international expedition to the South Pole. Jin has been making daily phone reports to Kunming which have been translated into English by Frank Gua.
January 16: 54.5 km from South Pole
"Today, the weather is very good, without wind, the temperature rose to 20C below zero. We can call it a warm day. We took the full advantage of such a good day and trekked 15.9 km.
"We have taken 10 days' food on our sleds, now 5 days have passed. You'd think the sled would be lighter, but it is not because we have to carry all of our waste on our sleds. So, the food is lighter and lighter but the waste is heavier and heavier, thus our burden is nearly the same all the way to the South Pole.
"I have asked [tour leader] David to give me several more of the plastic bags [for waste storage], which I will take back to China, I will ask China's factories to produce them, and I will advocate China's mountaineers to use them to seal their waste when they climb China's mountains in the future. This is a very good thing for China's environmental protection. Next year will be a good chance to spread this message, because China's climbers will take the Olympic torch to the top of Mt Everest. They will need this kind of plastic bag. I hope the next time Chinese explorers come to Antarctica, they can use the made-in-China plastic bags.
"Today, my neck bone is still sore and painful, and I found that I have noticeably lost weight. So I can say that I have found the secret to losing weight: trekking to the South Pole, it's 100% effective.
"Now, we have covered more than half of the distance [from camp to the South Pole], we are all still in good spirits, we've been cooperating better than before and we are going faster and faster. David said that we can reach the South Pole within 4 days if the weather stays good. I am sure that we can reach the South Pole this Friday [Jan 19] or Saturday [Jan 20]."
January 17: 37.9 km from South Pole
"Today, we trekked 8 hours, covered 16.6 km. When we started in the morning, it was still sunny, but in the afternoon, the weather changed, it's really cloudy but not windy. The temperature dropped to 42C below zero. In such freezing conditions, we dare not stop, we have to keep going.
"Today, my mind has become numb, I am walking like a machine, or maybe like a dog dragging the sled, without any thoughts, without any imaginings or pleasant memories.
"My neck is still painful. The good news is several days ago I taught David some simple massage skills, so now he can give me a relaxing massage when we camp.
"Now we are only 39 km away from the South Pole. But the nearer to the South Pole, the harder the snow and ice on the ground become, which made dragging the sled more difficult, because it is always bumping. However, when sitting down in our tents, we encourage each other and talk about visiting each other's homes after this adventure. Surely we have built a deep friendship, which is one of the benefits I have received from this expedition."
January 16: 54.5 km from South Pole
"Today, the weather is very good, without wind, the temperature rose to 20C below zero. We can call it a warm day. We took the full advantage of such a good day and trekked 15.9 km.
"We have taken 10 days' food on our sleds, now 5 days have passed. You'd think the sled would be lighter, but it is not because we have to carry all of our waste on our sleds. So, the food is lighter and lighter but the waste is heavier and heavier, thus our burden is nearly the same all the way to the South Pole.
"I have asked [tour leader] David to give me several more of the plastic bags [for waste storage], which I will take back to China, I will ask China's factories to produce them, and I will advocate China's mountaineers to use them to seal their waste when they climb China's mountains in the future. This is a very good thing for China's environmental protection. Next year will be a good chance to spread this message, because China's climbers will take the Olympic torch to the top of Mt Everest. They will need this kind of plastic bag. I hope the next time Chinese explorers come to Antarctica, they can use the made-in-China plastic bags.
"Today, my neck bone is still sore and painful, and I found that I have noticeably lost weight. So I can say that I have found the secret to losing weight: trekking to the South Pole, it's 100% effective.
"Now, we have covered more than half of the distance [from camp to the South Pole], we are all still in good spirits, we've been cooperating better than before and we are going faster and faster. David said that we can reach the South Pole within 4 days if the weather stays good. I am sure that we can reach the South Pole this Friday [Jan 19] or Saturday [Jan 20]."
January 17: 37.9 km from South Pole
"Today, we trekked 8 hours, covered 16.6 km. When we started in the morning, it was still sunny, but in the afternoon, the weather changed, it's really cloudy but not windy. The temperature dropped to 42C below zero. In such freezing conditions, we dare not stop, we have to keep going.
"Today, my mind has become numb, I am walking like a machine, or maybe like a dog dragging the sled, without any thoughts, without any imaginings or pleasant memories.
"My neck is still painful. The good news is several days ago I taught David some simple massage skills, so now he can give me a relaxing massage when we camp.
"Now we are only 39 km away from the South Pole. But the nearer to the South Pole, the harder the snow and ice on the ground become, which made dragging the sled more difficult, because it is always bumping. However, when sitting down in our tents, we encourage each other and talk about visiting each other's homes after this adventure. Surely we have built a deep friendship, which is one of the benefits I have received from this expedition."
Kunming resident Jin Feibao is one of the highest-profile outdoor adventurers in China. He has summited Mount Everest with his brother Jin Feibiao and is now approaching the South Pole with an international team. Summiting Mount McKinley is one of the next projects on Jin's agenda for this year.
Jin FeibaoJin has been reporting back to Kunming every day and GoKunming has obtained permission to republish his reports. English translations of the reports are provided by Jin's American friend Gregg Millett.
In the coming days, we will run updates on Jin Feibao's progress in reaching the South Pole under some of the earth's most extreme conditions. Today we are republishing his reports from January 13-15, at the end of which his group is already more than one-third of the way to the South Pole, with another 70 km to go. Some members of Jin's team are beginning to experience difficulties, but he is maintaining a positive attitude.
January 13: 98 km from the South Pole
"Today, the weather changed, the wind is very strong, the visibility is only 4 meters, the temperature is about 40C below zero, so David (the tour guide) decided that we should stay in our tents, waiting for the storm to pass. So, we got a day to rest.
"It's extremely cold outside our tents, even the GPS can not work in such freezing environment. I have to take my GPS back into my tent can it wake up to life again. When GPS doesn't work, I have to depend on the gradienter to judge the direction. The gradienter is a small ball-like instrument which I hang in front of my chest, so I can check my direction frequently when trekking.
"Peeing is not difficult, because I have a big bottle, I can pee into this bottle inside my tent, then seal the waste in a plastic bag and put it outside on my sled. But shitting is really torture, I have to go outside my tent, dig out a big snow hole, more than one meter deep, then do the job inside the hole. This way, I will not be blown away by strong wind, after the release, seal the plastic bag and take it to my sled.
"Today, I realized that my face has minor frostbite because the strong wind drove the snow and ice off the ground to hit my face, like it was hit by many mini bullets. So, I decided to use a scarf to wrap up my face and ears first, then put my big goggles on the scarf to fix it in place. This way, my face will be protected when trekking."
January 14: 84.2 km from the South Pole
"Today, the strong wind has stopped, but we are covered in endless fog, the temperature dropped to 41C below zero, the visibility is only 10 meters.
"However, we trekked 13.8 km in 7 hours, much faster than our first day. With the help of GPS, we headed south, we can not differentiate between sky and land, everything is the same gray in such fog, like we are marching into a time tunnel.
"I have to keep thinking something else, such as my hometown Kunming - the warm sunshine, colorful flowers, Stone Forest, over-the-bridge rice noodles, the exhibitions I have enjoyed with my friends in Yunnan Provincial Museum, etc. These kind of imaginings and pleasant memories help me to keep putting one leg in front of the other and help me to pass the boring times on the way.
"Today, my face has been well protected by the scarf, so I can say that I have saved my face. But other team members' faces have become frostbitten. So, when we stopped, I told them my way of dealing with it.
"After 7 hours of trekking and skiing, David told us that we have covered 13.8 km. Now we are only 84.2 km away from the South Pole. Everyone is very happy. So we stopped to set up our camp. Other team members all looked exhausted, but David and I were not so tired, so we helped the other teams set up their tents first, then we started to set up our tent.
"With everything settled, we started to cook water, then used the boiled water to cook the instant rice. Dinner is always better than lunch, our lunch is always chocolate bars. In such a place, eating is only for surviving, not for enjoyment."
January 15: 70.4 km from the South Pole
"Today, we finally marched out of the time tunnel (the fog area) and saw the blue sky again, so we trekked faster than yesterday. In 7 hours, we covered 14.5 km. Up to now, we have already trekked 40.3 km, covering more than 1/3 of the 110 km distance [to the South Pole].
"But today is a very hard day for the man with us from Boston walked very slow, so we had to stop frequently on the way to wait for him to catch up. Later we realized that he had nearly used up all his strength. It was impossible for him to keep up with our pace.
"So, we decided to help him, to divide his burden - the luggage on his sled, about 40 kg, - to the rest of us, so, each one of us has to add about 10 kg weight on our sleds. But we have not complained, we know that we are a team, and we should not leave anyone behind. We should march to the South Pole together. This is the critical time when teamwork will show its power.
"Today, my neck is sore and painful. When we stopped to set up our camp after 7 hours of trekking, I found my neck could hardly move, I guess it's because I kept walking with the same posture for too long, when I was thinking how to deal with this neck pain, the man from Frankfurt handed me a small bottle of oil, I took it and found out that it is a kind of medical oil made in China. We both laughed. In China, this oil is very popular, used for treat mosquito bites and car sickness. I didn't expect that I will use it in Antarctica.
"Thank you, teamwork!"
GoKunming will continue to provide updates by Jin Feibao as he closes in on the South Pole.
Jin FeibaoIn the coming days, we will run updates on Jin Feibao's progress in reaching the South Pole under some of the earth's most extreme conditions. Today we are republishing his reports from January 13-15, at the end of which his group is already more than one-third of the way to the South Pole, with another 70 km to go. Some members of Jin's team are beginning to experience difficulties, but he is maintaining a positive attitude.
January 13: 98 km from the South Pole
"Today, the weather changed, the wind is very strong, the visibility is only 4 meters, the temperature is about 40C below zero, so David (the tour guide) decided that we should stay in our tents, waiting for the storm to pass. So, we got a day to rest.
"It's extremely cold outside our tents, even the GPS can not work in such freezing environment. I have to take my GPS back into my tent can it wake up to life again. When GPS doesn't work, I have to depend on the gradienter to judge the direction. The gradienter is a small ball-like instrument which I hang in front of my chest, so I can check my direction frequently when trekking.
"Peeing is not difficult, because I have a big bottle, I can pee into this bottle inside my tent, then seal the waste in a plastic bag and put it outside on my sled. But shitting is really torture, I have to go outside my tent, dig out a big snow hole, more than one meter deep, then do the job inside the hole. This way, I will not be blown away by strong wind, after the release, seal the plastic bag and take it to my sled.
"Today, I realized that my face has minor frostbite because the strong wind drove the snow and ice off the ground to hit my face, like it was hit by many mini bullets. So, I decided to use a scarf to wrap up my face and ears first, then put my big goggles on the scarf to fix it in place. This way, my face will be protected when trekking."
January 14: 84.2 km from the South Pole
"Today, the strong wind has stopped, but we are covered in endless fog, the temperature dropped to 41C below zero, the visibility is only 10 meters.
"However, we trekked 13.8 km in 7 hours, much faster than our first day. With the help of GPS, we headed south, we can not differentiate between sky and land, everything is the same gray in such fog, like we are marching into a time tunnel.
"I have to keep thinking something else, such as my hometown Kunming - the warm sunshine, colorful flowers, Stone Forest, over-the-bridge rice noodles, the exhibitions I have enjoyed with my friends in Yunnan Provincial Museum, etc. These kind of imaginings and pleasant memories help me to keep putting one leg in front of the other and help me to pass the boring times on the way.
"Today, my face has been well protected by the scarf, so I can say that I have saved my face. But other team members' faces have become frostbitten. So, when we stopped, I told them my way of dealing with it.
"After 7 hours of trekking and skiing, David told us that we have covered 13.8 km. Now we are only 84.2 km away from the South Pole. Everyone is very happy. So we stopped to set up our camp. Other team members all looked exhausted, but David and I were not so tired, so we helped the other teams set up their tents first, then we started to set up our tent.
"With everything settled, we started to cook water, then used the boiled water to cook the instant rice. Dinner is always better than lunch, our lunch is always chocolate bars. In such a place, eating is only for surviving, not for enjoyment."
January 15: 70.4 km from the South Pole
"Today, we finally marched out of the time tunnel (the fog area) and saw the blue sky again, so we trekked faster than yesterday. In 7 hours, we covered 14.5 km. Up to now, we have already trekked 40.3 km, covering more than 1/3 of the 110 km distance [to the South Pole].
"But today is a very hard day for the man with us from Boston walked very slow, so we had to stop frequently on the way to wait for him to catch up. Later we realized that he had nearly used up all his strength. It was impossible for him to keep up with our pace.
"So, we decided to help him, to divide his burden - the luggage on his sled, about 40 kg, - to the rest of us, so, each one of us has to add about 10 kg weight on our sleds. But we have not complained, we know that we are a team, and we should not leave anyone behind. We should march to the South Pole together. This is the critical time when teamwork will show its power.
"Today, my neck is sore and painful. When we stopped to set up our camp after 7 hours of trekking, I found my neck could hardly move, I guess it's because I kept walking with the same posture for too long, when I was thinking how to deal with this neck pain, the man from Frankfurt handed me a small bottle of oil, I took it and found out that it is a kind of medical oil made in China. We both laughed. In China, this oil is very popular, used for treat mosquito bites and car sickness. I didn't expect that I will use it in Antarctica.
"Thank you, teamwork!"
GoKunming will continue to provide updates by Jin Feibao as he closes in on the South Pole.
