March 13, 2009: 41st short message (03:48 a.m. MEZ)
After some administrative tasks and the last refueling in Russia (enough for 2700l of bioethanol mixture) we returned to the road department yesterday. Just now we left this camp near Amguema and try to reach the village of Vacarem at the Arctic Ocean which is appr. 200km away
March 13, 2009: 42nd short message (10:06 a.m. MEZ)
Big setback / again heavy damage. Again a broken accessory differential. The manufacturer says they seem to be too weak for the expedition vehicles. Stronger ones should have been used. We were standing for hours somewhere in the deep snow and tried to get F2 ready. F2, the vehicle which was already modified with a totally new accessory differential out of F3. Currently we try to reach the road camp again with a rough-and-ready fixed vehicle. F1 is towing both trailers. That's really a damn bad situation. I am totally upset. The third rear-axle differential within 5000km. We will try to repair it as I brought spare differentials for a huge amount of money with me on my return flight to Russia - in wise foresight and with support of the differential manufacturer.
The worst thing is that we lost minimum two days of optimal weather conditions again. What a crap.
March 13, 2009: 43rd short message (01:14 p.m. MEZ)
Just now we drove the 1600th km with the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R on both vehicles with an air pressure not above 0.5 bar without any damage. Additionally there was no tire damage at any vehicle or trailer since Paris. That means 26123 harmless kilometers under toughest expedition conditions.
March 13, 2009: 44th short message (01:48 p.m. MEZ)
We reached the roadcamp after 6.5 hours of driving. The situation with the differential is really such annoying that the nerves of team were all on edge. To make matters worse, all drivers are on the winter ways and the house was locked. We are standing in front of the door, but ok. Outside temperature: -32?C. We are only running the good Webastos to save fuel which is already reduced due to the damage. We hope that there is anyone coming back tomorrow, that we can enter the garage. Otherwise we will change the differential in front of the door.
March 14, 2009: 45th short message (11:40 p.m. MEZ)
We changed the differential under most difficult conditions and just started over again - 42 hours after the breakdown. We kept on repairing and hardly slept. We hope to reach Vacarem at the Artic Ocean. Weather conditions perfect. Appr. -30?C and sunshine.
GPS cords: N 67 16`57" / W 178 39`22"
March 15, 2009: 46th short message (09:54 a.m. MEZ)
We are struggling for every further kilometer in direction of Vancarem. Currently we are appr. 55km in front of the village. So far, we needed 13 hours for 130km. Since the last mine, which was located appr. 90 km behind the roadcamp, there is nothing but a small slope, made by a chain-driven vehicle. The vehicles manage the situation very good, although we have to shovel and break the track over and over again. Weather is excellent. Nearly no wind and starlit. We are only running on air pressure of 0.1 (front) and 0.2 (rear) any more.
GPS cords: N 67 40`00" / W 176 50`59"
March 15, 2009: 47th short message (03:04 p.m. MEZ)
We did it. We reached Vacarem at the Arctic Ocean, which is inhabited by Chukchi people, after shoveling, track scouting, deflating, winching and so on. Temperature appr. -30?C, storm force 4, light snow fall. Team in good health, fuel reserve ok. Now we are resting. Together with local people we will tomorrow discuss the opportunity to reach Nuteplement from here. The countdown to the Bering Strait started: Appr. 400km left.
GPS cords: N 67 50`22" / W 175 52`15"
