Happy Birthday, Peter! Quite the epic end to their journey... The team began the day with a hearty breakfast of cottage cheese, porridge and eggs. They had a chance to tour Pyramiden and learn more about the history and a visit to the cultural building. It is a fascinating town that was a pinnacle of Russian mining communities in its time with beautiful frescoes of Arctic scenes, chandeliers, swimming pool, canteen- all abandoned but still beautiful. They then skied about 5 km to the ice edge to theoretically meet their boat to take them back to Longyearbyen, thinking their mission was accomplished. After waiting a while, they learned that the boat was stuck in the ice about 6-7 km away. So they strapped back on their skis and pulks and began their final journey along the shore by the edges of mountains. At times the ice was only a few feet wide which made for very challenging travel. Everyone did an awesome job and at least they had icebergs and birds flying around them to distract from the bonus km of skiing that they hadn't planned on. When they reached the boat, they loaded all their sleds and kit and sat straddling them, dressed in survival suits and life jackets. The boat was a rigid inflatable that made the one hour trek back to Longyearbyen. Due to the delays in getting back, they went straight to their final dinner without having a chance to shower but spirits were high in having accomplished their goal and they were ready to celebrate. Very highly deserved!! We're all extremely proud of this team and all they have accomplished. And Happy Birthday again, Peter!! Enjoy your R & R day in Longyearbyen tomorrow. You've earned it! Check back later for photos.
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