Is the ice more beautiful because, for us here, it is dangerous and potentially deadly? Or is it beautiful because so few people have seen this place? Perhaps, its the fact that we are looking at something that may be gone in the future. Or does beauty lie just by existing?

We continue to be astounded by the forms and variety of ice here. Each day has seen a slight change in conditions. Today, we were pleased to find harder patches of snow as well as fewer pressure ridges; however, we are presently camped among some of the biggest pressure we've seen yet.

One surprise was finding a nearly kilometer wide lead in the early afternoon. While we regularly encounter leads, this was the first that was relatively new. Stepping gingerly, we watched as the ice bowed underneath our Atlas snowshoes and sent ripples forward. We decided to skirt the thinest sections.

This is a good example of our of our biggest dilemmas: Go North or not. The shortest distance between here and the North Pole is a straight line (obviously). But it isn't always the direct path that is the quickest. There are so many obstacles - big and small - that we are constantly balancing effort, efficiency, distance, and most importantly, safety.

We extended one of our rest breaks so AJ could collect his first algae sample for the University of Plymouth. The algae has a unique chemical signature which scientists can use to 'ground truth' present day patterns - ice coverage and climate - with fossil records. (Check out AJ's web site for more information.)

'It felt weird standing on a thin piece of ice staring at the black abyss of the Arctic Ocean,' commented AJ. 'It was surprisingly difficult to manage the procedure at 40 below.'

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, Terramar, Seventh Generation, Goal0, Atlas, Sierra Designs and Optic Nerve.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com

For information about guided Antarctic expeditions, please visit http://www.antarctic-logistics.com/

For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com

For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net