Remember a few days back when I posted an update on Mike Horn and Borge Ousland’s progress, letting readers know that the two men had been extracted safely from the ice at long last? Well, as it turns out, that wasn’t the end of their journey quite yet after all, as the two exhausted explorers currently find themselves still stuck on the ice aboard the very ship that came to rescue them.
In an update posted to social media, Horn indicates that the Lance, which is the name of the ship that came to pick them up, is currently stuck in the ice at the exact same point as where it met them. The vessel was used in lieu of Mike’s own ship, the Pangaea, which couldn’t safely navigate it’s way to the extraction point. But because Lance had to sit in the same place for a week waiting for Horn and Ousland to arrive, the lead that it followed into the designated pick-up zone has now closed. Because of this, they haven’t been able to go anywhere.
The ship has made several attempts to break through the ice already, but each of those has failed to dislodge it from its current location. Horn says that if they are unable to break free in the next two days, a storm is expected to hit the region on Friday, bringing high winds along with it. That should help push some of the ice out of the way and allow the Lance to get moving again. The ship is scheduled to rendezvous with Pangaea further south once it has cleared the ice floes.
Despite being stuck in place, Horn and Ousland have found themselves in much better shape than they were just a few days ago. They are off the ice and on a warm ship, with plenty of food, comfortable beds, and other human beings to interact with. After spending nearly three months skiing across the polar ice cap, just being inside and not sleeping in a tent is a major step up. Still, both explorers are ready to head home and connect with friends and family. Despite the vast improvements to their living conditions, the adventure isn’t quite over just yet.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on their situation and share further updates as warranted.
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