"The only piece of equipment that I didn't bring a replacement off because I was assured they would never break! I repaired it the best I could but each big bump I went over my ski fell off. I am now travelling downhill and pick up great speed. Falling is not so great when you're moving at 40 kms/hr!! The next thing of course, my sled would follow and hit me from behind at huge speeds and the cords of my kite would end up all tangled again.

The 7sqm kite that Daniel from Pleinair gave to me is fantastic and a pleasure to use. I'm really enjoying myself.

After all the struggling yesterday, I managed to do 85kms and am now at 86°34'S and 82°53'W.

I'm getting closer to Patriots. They don't seem to want to take me off the ice yet so I will keep on enjoying myself while I can!"

Next thing I would need to untangle the cords, change the kite again, etc… The entire day continued like this and after 15hrs of hard slog I only managed to do only 43 kms!

I can feel that the summer is coming to an end as there is less heat in the sun. As for me, I keep myself warm when I kite by wearing my down trousers, jacket and big mitts. My face is protected from the wind so I can feel the frostbite on my chin and lips is slowly improving.

In a few more weeks the sun will start setting and the Antarctic bases will be closed. After speaking with Patriot Hills it seems that they will let me stay a few extra days on the ice. It would be great if I can get to Patriot Hills within this time.

Today the winds seem to be stable but are more Easterly than Southerly. It may be difficult for me to move with the kite but I'll give it all I've got!"

It was after 10 hours or so that the ice became more uneven and the sastrugi's started appearing. I needed to change my kite to a smaller, slower one. With the slower kite I was travelling about 10kms an hour and after 13-14 hours of kiting I stopped at 87°45 S and 82°27 W. I had done 220 kms so I was feeling pretty proud of myself!!!

Now I've had a few hours sleep and am ready to start a second day of kiting. I wonder if I didn't stop in a sheltered spot because there doesn't seem to be any wind where I am. I'll try and move and see if I cannot get the wind back in my sails again. Regards to you all."

Mike

"The kite is ready and so am I! I'll try and kite as far as possible today. I've been looking forward to this for so long now that I hope I won't be disappointed. If weather predictions are good, I'll have two good days of kiting. It won't be enough for get me to Patriot Hills but I'll try and get as close as possible."

Good luck Mike!

The last news I had from Patriot Hills is that they are breaking up camp now as it is the end of the summer season.

If everything goes according to schedule I will be picked up on the 26th of January and will fly back to Chile on the 27th.

I feel frustrated because I have been in the tent for 2 days now. I was so looking forward to the kite trip back to Patriot Hills and to slide over the snow at a greater speed than I did on my way to the Pole. Unfortunately I am unable to change the weather or the date so will have to accept things the way they are.

I feel robbed from my pleasure but at the same time I have had a great experience in Antarctica. It was wonderful to walk the last degree with Borge, Clémence and Nicolas and of course to meet with Prince Albert.

I am sending you four pictures today. The first is of my kite under the snow, ready to go as soon as the wind will change with my tent in the back ground. I have 40 meter lines and to save time I leave them unrolled ready to go. The second photo is of me getting into the tent yesterday with some red ice cristals on my lip. It might look nasty but it is not bad at all. The third photo is the' tell tail' on my ski pole showing it is a sunny day with absolutely no wind. The last photo is 'canell' that Prince Albert gave me to add to my oatmeal. It is supposed to help your blood curculation in the cold. Well at least, that is what his doctor told him!

Best regards from the sitting duck in the tent!

It was a wonderful 10 days we have had in their company. Things will seem a little quiet in our offices for the next weeks as we sift through the load of photos and film that we took and we remember the amazing time we had!

Mike calls from 89°37.611S 90°57.004W.

Now it is snowing hard and there is a thick layer of fresh snow on the ground. This is a good point for me however as it makes the kiting smoother and less hard on my body. I just have to wait for the wind direction to change to a Southeasterly rather than a Northeasterly and then I will be able to get my kites out again. The wind should turn on Saturday and is predicted to be in my favour for two days. I doubt that it will be enough as I must be in Patriot Hills for the 27th but I'll give it all I can!"

In the meantime all our YEP have now left Château-d'Oex and are returning to their respective homes all around the world.
It was a wonderful 10 days we have had in their company. Things will seem a little quiet in our offices for the next weeks as we sift through the load of photos and film that we took and we remember the amazing time we had!

The aim of this new expedition of Mike Horn, a four year expedition around the world by sea and land, is to reunite the continents with an important environmental message. Using young adults from all corners of the planet, Pangaea’s Expedition message will be relayed around the entire world.

Sixteen young adults have participated in the second YEP selection camp in Château d’Oex, Switzerland. Eight of these 16 candidates were selected by the Mike Horn Team, and their decisions were based on the feedback from the guides and speakers who participated in the camp, as well as the results from the different physical and mental tests done with the specialists from the Mayo Clinic.

These Pangaea ambassadors are ready to live a unique and important experience in the heart of the nature. They will open new boundaries, and discover the world in which they live, with the aim of finding solutions to actively preserve the planet for the future generations.

The eight young adults selected are :

Alisa Baranskaya, 20yrs, Russia
Zofia Drapella, 17yrs, Polond
Raphael Gabella, 19yrs, Switzerland
Jun Lee, 17yrs, China
Andrew Lynch, 18yrs, USA
Daniel Maidment, 14yrs, South Africa
Simon Straetker, 15yrs, Germany
Annelies Vanherck, 16yrs, Belgium

These young explorers will join Mike Horn in the Fjords of the South Island of New Zealand. Onboard Pangaea, they will study different subjects, such as the salinity and the temperature of water, as well as the marine biodiversity and the different groups of dolphins that inhabit the region. They will trek for several days through the native bush of the National Forest and discover the local culture through the meetings with the Maoris.

This trip will complement the studies about New Zealand, its culture, climate, geopgraphy and biodiversity, that they had with Dr. Roswitha Stolz from the University of Munich, and other presentations concerning the environment, sustainability, latest technologies, physical training and communication.

The eight selected are now ready to engage themselves in the mission that lies ahead of them and to transmit their experience to the rest of the world.

The Mike Horn Team is thrilled at the outcome of the second camp : Martin Horn reports, « We have spent 10 fantastic days with a team of motivated and enthusiastic young adults. Our primary objective is to find true ambassadors who will transmit the message of the Pangaea Expedition to the entire world. We congratulate all our young explorers for their energy and engagement.”

The team are thrilled to have achieved their goal and to be able to share in this victorious moment together.

Mike Horn, renown South African explorer, started his South Pole expedition from the northern edge of the Antarctic continent on the 1st of December 2008. This Antarctic leg represents the first expedition of Pangaea (Pan Global Adventure for Environmental Action ) and Antarctica is the first continent to be visited throughout the four year global project, which departed from Ushuaia, the southernmost town of Argentina, in October 2008.

Throughout this journey, employing the Young Explorers Programme (otherwise know as YEP) young adults from around the world, are being invited to join Mike Horn on various stages of his expedition.

Clémence Cadario (20yrs, FR) and Nicolas Valdivieso (18yrs, Chile), two YEP candidates who applied to join Pangaea via www.mikehorn.com attended the first Selection Camp in Château d'Oex in September 2008. Six of the 12 chosen candidates had the opportunity to explore the Antarctic Peninsula in October 2008 with Mike Horn and whereas Clémence and Nicolas were chosen to meet up with Mike Horn later, as he skied the last degree to the South Pole.

Mike reports " Clémence and Nicolas are tired but content. They have excelled in their efforts to push forward under the harsh Antarctic conditions. They will be amongst the youngest young adults to ever ski the last degree to the South Pole and certainly they would rank as the fastest of their age. It's wonderful to be able to share these great moments of achievement with the younger generation and to hand down some of the knowledge and passion that I have for the environment and exploration."

The second Pangaea YEP (Young Explorer Programme) selection camp currently taking place in Château-d’Oex, Switzerland, is in its last days. Sixteen youths from 13 different nationalities are now competing in the famous Pangaea Raid, a two day trek over the Swiss Alps. On Wednesday the final choice will be made as to who of the 16 will be chosen by our jury to join Mike Horn himself on an expedition in the Fjordlands of the South Island, New Zealand, in May 2009 aboard Pangaea.