I was anxious, now that we had started, that we should make every effort to extricate ourselves, and this temporary check so early was rather annoying.

So that afternoon Wild and I ski-ed out to the crack and found that it had closed up again.

We marked out the track with small flags as we returned.

Each day, after all hands had turned in, Wild and I would go ahead for two miles or so to reconnoitre the next day's route, marking it with pieces of wood, tins, and small flags.

We had to pick the road which though it might be somewhat devious, was flattest and had least hummocks.
Pressure-ridges had to be skirted, and where this was not possible the best place to make a bridge of ice-blocks across the lead or over the ridge had to be found and marked.