Getting out of the tent this morning, I was greeted by a stiff wind, light snow and overcast skies.

'Great,' I thought. 'There is nothing worse than traveling on the Arctic Ocean in a white out. Resigned to a fate of blindly stumbling through snow drifts and ice blocks, I went back in the tent to finish my breakfast.

'At least it's warmer out today,' I told Victor and Bachir trying to sound optimistic.

There is an exponential intensity to cold that can make our lives on the ice enjoyable or unbearable. The difference between -10 and -20 is a somewhat bearable change. Sure the cold stings, nylon is brittle but most things function relatively well at this temperature. Going from -20 to -30 or colder, on the other hand, is like spiral down through Dante's Inferno (but the cold version). Simple acts like zipping a jacket or going to the bathroom can feel like near death experiences.

Conversely, when the temperature warms up five or 10 degrees as it did today. Expedition life instantly becomes more enjoyable. We lounged (well kind of) on our sleds during snack breaks, took our time eating our lunch soup and generally felt more relaxed. Today wasn't the pitched battle for survival of the prior five days, but as Victor pointed out, 'It's still the Arctic Ocean.'

Not only was the weather warmer but we had nearly ideal ice conditions for the first half of the day. One big open pan after another for nearly the entire morning. At one break Bachir swept his arm across the horizon and observed, 'Look at all this. It's amazing!'

And he is right. It is amazing. Ice for as far as we can see.

We have settled nicely into this life. After six days on the trail, we are performing like a well oiled machine. Our bellies our full and our socks are nearly dry and the sun circles around us and we get ready for our final night's sleep before reaching the pole.