Alpine ski touring is often about being first, fast and early. By contrast , there's rarely that time pressure in the Arctic. Knowing when to sit still and wait is a key skill. One of Andy and Janice's core skills is to make that sitting and waiting a pleasure. Having programmed an early start to max the spring snow potential, we waited all morning for the fog to burn off . Cheesy muffins and coffee helped this process along enormously.

The cloud cleared after lunch and we skinned up behind the hut to do an afternoon mini tour. Ptarmigan, reindeer and a solitary musk ox were great supplements to the warm sunshine and stunning views. I now have a few more steep delights for week 2!

The descent back to the hut was on excellent spring snow. All this bodes well for the next couple of weeks...

PICTURE : Departing the hut once the cloud cleared