We've just crossed our first milestone... the 81st Degree Latitude! That's 1 of 10 degrees to be covered during our expedition, meaning that we've skied over 60 Nautical Miles or 10% of our expedition distance!

QUICK FACTS:
1 NM = 1.852 KM
60 NM = 111.12 KM
Over half the length of Lebanon has been covered in a week!

I woke up to the thought of thousands of people running across Beirut, in the annual marathon...
I said to myself:

"Today, I will ski alongside my fellow marathon runners,
just as I ran alongside them last year."

Dear Beirut Marathon Runners & Organizers,

How I would have wished to be there with you to give the start of this Great Event as planned. Alas, I am halfway across the globe marching towards a seemingly unattainable finish line in the harshest of conditions. But my heart is with you all on this day, and I wish each and every one of you a great race. Run for Lebanon, Run for Yourselves, after all it's Your Marathon!

Sincerely, Max
from 81 degrees South - Antarctica

My Dear Son,

Speaking to you this morning put a warm smile on my face in this cold white desert.
Your voice at the other end of the line, or satellite I should say, gave me strength for the tough day ahead.

Last night I posted a photo of the ski on which your sister Kelly wrote me a note, now it's your turn, this one is for your Big Ed...
... and what a great idea it was to have these well wishes on my skis, seeing my children's writings and drawings every day gives me the strength and courage to overcome all challenges along the way.

Seeing this sastrugi shaped like a dolphin made me think of Tarek my Godson - your cousin, please share the photo with him.

Love to You, your sister Kelly, and your Mom.

-Dad

Sastrugi are various surface irregularities resulting from wind erosion, saltation of snow particles and deposition. Ranked by increasing size, these irregularities are known as ripples (~10 mm high), wind ridges, barchans and sastrugi (up to 1 meter high). Larger features are especially troublesome to skiers. Travel on the irregular surface of sastrugi can be very tiring, and can risk breaking skis—ripples and waves are often undercut, the surface is hard and unforgiving with constant minor topographic changes between ridge and trough.