South Pole trekkers sew during R&R

updated 12:45 p.m. ET Dec. 15, 2009

Editor's note: Eric Larsen is attempting to be the first person to trek to the South Pole, North Pole and Mount Everest in one year. Msnbc.com will be posting select entries from Eric's posts while on the ice. Bookmark this page to track his progress.

Dec. 13 (Day 27): R&R
I'm not sure who was up first, but it definitely wasn't at our normal 6 am wake up call. Hallelujah!

You would think that after almost 12 hours of sleep that we wouldn't need a nap, but we did. Dong opted for an after breakfast snooze; whereas, Bill waited until the afternoon. It was so nice to not rush or freeze and not do the million other difficult things that we do on a normal travel day.

Surprisingly, we spent a large part of our day sewing. Bill fixed the tent and stove bag, Dong repaired another small hole in the tent and made a new nose beak for his goggles. I  modified my extra boot liners. There were other projects too — reinforcing a broken shovel blade, a final gear sort, and Dongsheng's successful attempt at opening a polar laundry service. After the initial wash, he just rolled it in snow and hung it on his ski poles to freeze dry.

It's hard to say what was so nice about being here. Our bodies needed the rest that much is obvious. But to sit back, relax, share stories ... We looked at the Thiel mountains from the comfort of our small home and enjoyed the snow for what it is ... The biggest, most formidable and most beautiful ice sheet in the world.

Dec. 12: Cache #2
A quick update from the ice: we woke up, we ate breakfast, we skied, we went to sleep. Yet while today in Antarctica was like so many others, it was significant for another reason — we reached our second cache (resupply).

We spent the afternoon sorting, rearranging and doing a little bit of bartering. Bill got some extra chocolate, I got can of Pringles, and Dong scored a few ramen packs and some several Worthers candies. One man's trash is another man's treasure :)

To make things even better (if that is possible considering our newfound bounty), we made mental preparations for our first full rest day tomorrow. The big question: what time would we wake up? 8 or 9?

There was a rumor floating around the tent that it might be as late as 10.

Dong was excited about doing laundry. Bill wanted to relax then take some pictures of the Thiels and I will be diving into some stories by Chekov that I have been lugging around Antarctica for the past 300 miles. If I start feeling really ambitious, I may change my underwear as well.

Physically and mentally, we feel good. However after being on the move every day for almost a month, the prospect of staying put for just 24 hours is intoxicating. It is the simple pleasures that get us through all the hardships.

Of course (and to point out the obvious) the simple pleasures are all we have.

Dec. 11: Halfway
'The best day of the expedition,' was how Dongsheng described the day. Bill added, 'warm and beautiful.' With the Thiel mountains growing after every step and a deep blue sky, it was truly magnificent.

Newsvine Discuss Head over to newsvine.com to exchange thoughts with Eric Larsen and his team.

This is the Antarctica that makes us smile.

Today was special for another reason as we passed 85 =B0 S. We are now officially half way to the South Pole! We feel good about accomplishing that small goal. After all, it only took us 25 days to get here. Only.

When was the last time it took you 25 days to get anywhere, let alone?

25 days to get half way somewhere? In our increasingly faster world, it is refreshing for us to measure progress in days and weeks. So often we parse time into the smallest possible units, packing in more and more.

Here we can watch our shadows arc across the snow and even notice when the angle has changed. We ski towards distant mountains for days and watch them shrink behind us for, at times, weeks. In relation to the entire scale of our journey, it feels more like we are becoming a part of this landscape rather than simply traveling across it.

This makes us smile too.

In another few weeks or so we will know what it will feel like to be successful in reaching the pole or not. Until then, we will continue forward — enjoying small successes, bracing for hardships, and hopefully, understanding this place and it's effect on our lives.

Copyright 2009 by Save The Poles

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