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It's been another frustrating day today. I got up and the visibility was a bit bad but it seemed to be brightening up so I felt I'll go for it but after about 4 hours the weather was closing back in again so I stopped and put up the tent so only covered about 3miles in that 4 hours cos it was uphill all the way and my sledge is feeling heavier than ever even though in theory it should be getting lighter as I eat all the food in it and use the fuel and things like that but yeah really disappointing not to be able to make more distance and what's made it worse is that pretty much as soon as I had the tent up and got settled in for the night and everything else it's only went and sort of cleared up outside. But trying to stay positive hopefully now the weather is clearing it will clear up nicely for tomorrow and maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get some miles under my belt. And thinking even more positively, today I crossed the 86th Latitude - line of latitiude. You mark your journey to the pole in terms of degress to the pole. I started off at 85.5 degress and today I crossed into 86 degrees, so I'm now just 4 degrees from the South Pole. So alittle closer than I was yesterday but only 3 miles - let's hope I can do better tomorrow.

Hello, it's day 3 of the expedition and it's been yet another lovely day. I've skied all day alongside a big scarpment of rock with ise flowing over the top of it - so it's been sort of cascades of ice, almost like frozen waterfalls, really really spectacular. It's still good weather so I can't really believe my luck - I can see everything perfectly. Today i was hoping to spot the gap in this wall of mountains that I will take to go up onto the plateau - so every little bay in the mountains I've been hoping is the entrance to the bit of the Leverett Glacier that passes through the mountains. I haven't quite reached there yet - but I'm right infront of Mount Beasley - which according to my map is right on the corner of the entrance that goes up onto the plateau. I did a little bit of an uphill climb today, I gained 200m. But I think once I get round the corner there's alot more climbing to do! And I think that's why I'm so eager to see this particular part of the glacier, because it has the potential to be quite hard work - I've got to gain quite alot of ground - so I want to see with my own eyes how steep it is. But tomrorow I will be seeing that part of the glacier and I can't wait! I just hope this weather holds up - it's been a treat being able to see these mountains in this gorgeous weather... So long may it continue

Hi it is Day 1 of the expedition, and I can't tell you what an amazing place I'm in right now. If I can describe it to you- if I face South Directly informing of me is this big wall of mountains that stretch to my left and to my right and they are absolutely beautiful - some are completely snow-covered but the others closest to me have quite a lot of rock - and the rock varies Through the day the colour of tis rock. It goes from vibrant orange right through to a dark brown and then A sort of maroon colour. So I've just been watching the light change on the mountains all day As I've been skiing. Some of them have looked so close it's almost like I could go over and tramp around on the rock but I think the scale is probably abit deceptive! But the weird thing is, If I turn round, 180 degrees, and face North across the Ross Ice Shelf, it's just a flat white horizon and the sort of views I'm used to seeing in Antarctica, and so I feel as if I'm skiing a fine line between two different worlds - completely different views and different environments. I have to say, as much as I'm enjoying skiing along and looking at the mountains, it's quite satisfying to note that those mountains that were looming large over me this morning have disappeared in the horizon behind me. I made 13.5 nautical miles today which is a good start but I want to improve on that as the weight in my sledge lightens. But the weather is lovely - blue skies all day, a very light wind, so just really hoping that the weather stays like this for a little bit so that I can really get some miles under my belt and get underway before I have to start facing horrible Antarctic winds and bad weather. So, for now a good start but definite room for improvement. I'm looking forward to turn the corner tomorrow and actually go up the Leverett Glacier - so I'm looking forward to seeing what's round the next corner. Speak to you then.

Hello from the Ross Ice Shelf. I finally got here. It took 2 planes today to manage to get me to the far side of Antarctica and the start of my expedition. A few hours ago they dropped me off on the ice-shelf after an amazing flight over the Transantarctic Mountains - and here I am. I've set up my tent, I'm alone on the Ross Ice Shelf and looking at a big white horizon on the one side towards the North - and to the South, this wall of mountain, absolutely spectacular. I couldn't ask for better weather. It's really calm, it's sunny, warm - so it's been very kind to me for my first night on the ice. I can't wait to get started in the morning - and start my journey to the South Pole and the opposite side of Antarctica. I'm currently at about 85 degrees South and tomorrow I'm going to be chipping away at that - so yeah. Here's to a good nights sleep and a good start tomorrow.