Position: Lat: 87.591 South Long: 86.48 West

Miles covered: 32

Total miles covered: 478

Miles to the South Pole: 145

Air temperature: - 24/- 25 C

Conditions: Very cold, wind 5 - 8 knots, visibility good

Progress has been very good since Friday. On the day itself they covered 10 miles, travelling uphill for 3/4 of the time, over soft snow and encountering very large sastrugi. Then, on Saturday, they travelled 11 miles, again over soft snow at first, but flat terrain with medium-sized sastrugi. Later on they travelled uphill again and the sastrugi were larger. It was extremely cold at - 25 C and wind of 8 knots.

On Sunday they covered 11 miles - a variable and overall very hard day, with hard ice, soft snow, a marshmallow surface, erratic sastrugi and uphill, flat and downhill stages. The wind was 5/6 knots and they had very good visibility. The sun is now right in their faces for the final 3 hours 'trudging' each day - it is very bright and hot and they are planning to alter their time schedule to accommodate this problem.

The general situation is good - there are the odd aches and strains among the team but nothing that would not be expected.

Messages have been passed to the team from all sorts of supporters (these were very much appreciated by them all), together with the latest Leeds Utd result (at last, one that would prove no threat to morale). Rosie also delivered her latest report, 'Vanity Fayre', all about the Polar Beauty Parlour.

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