Blog Entry

Written by: Drittunge
Members: Gabby, (Laura) Gribbs, Rose, Tasha, Katie, Laura, Callum and Alistair

If you don’t want to hear about us throwing ourselves down glaciers then “go put on a brew” because this is exactly what we did; backwards, forwards, head first and roly-poly, braking only with something that resembled a weapon (ice axe). Despite this, Tasha can still walk but she has difficulties getting to the toilet safely by creating rockfalls narrowly missing “Windy Alley” while her comrades sleep peacefully below.
When we say Windy Alley we are referring to our open-air camp next to the glacier where we Bivied (sleeping in sleeping bags under the “night” sky) for three nights while sporting sunglasses and suncream. We stayed in fluctuating temperatures from 30 degrees to minus 3 leaving us burnt, frozen and bitten from every angle, but we are still enjoying it!
Rose (along with 22 others) managed to celebrate her Dad’s birthday by climbing up to the highest ice point in Finnmark. It was a long way up but an even longer way down with crevasses opening up below our feet, which resembled Sibera’s answer to football boots. Katie managed to lead the rescue group as Rob trailed behind admiring the view leaving the rest of the rope team in the capable hands of its youngest member.
Gabby’s enjoying 3000 calories a day; no chance of her wasting away! Although if you saw the bizarre combinations - take peanut butter and pitta bread as an example - we are currently creating (with the help of Laura’s can-opening skills) you would think all the sunshine has gone to our heads. Alistair has been playing the role of tinkerer so that we can eat, despite our temperamental stoves’ best efforts by clearing them of soot.
Callum has been good at carrying things when the girls have been struggling, even if we do have to “work as a team” to get it over the heavy rocks.
Despite Gribbs taking up so much room in the tent and receiving several death threats, we are all still alive.