The team will be out of reach for immediate medical attention. Rescue possibilities will depend on weather conditions. The unbalanced diet will suppress their appetite and the physical challenge gradually wear  down their body. 

High winds and cold can cause frostbite in minutes. Hypothermia kills faster than one hour. A fall in a crevasse can kill instantly. Traumas, burst appendix and other emergency could prove life threatening at Antarctica's isolated plateau. The team has put much emphasis on preparation for these conditions.

- "Last year, Tom developed chest pains and a strange fatigue, combined with sudden depressions. It was so horrible. He would go out all strong and happy. Then I would notice he gradually slowed. Within twenty minutes, he wouldn´t  stand on his feet. We would make camp and take a day off. He´d be fine, but then the symptoms would return, more and more often. He really battled with himself, but his body simply shut down on him.

We are still not sure what happened. It was an ongoing process over the final three weeks. It was truly nerve wrecking. The symptoms  would strike out of the blue, without any warning. Times of hope would instantly turn into moments of despair as the attack hit. Every day, we headed out praying for the strange illness to stay away, but it just kept coming back. 

We pushed forward in spite of it all, but I monitored Tom closely at all times. During breaks I would check his pulse, his temp, his eyes. His ratings were  fine, but he lost weight rapidly and just disappeared before my very eyes. He also developed a swelling on his front body, just below the rib. 

Then a plane arrived stating that the possibilities of a rescue between there and the pole were virtually nil. Toms chest pains, the depression and the fatigue were so symptomatic to a heart attack, we just couldn´t risk it. We hit the Argos termination button that night, only days from target. It was tough."

Thomas has had extensive check ups since. His ratings are excellent and there are really no explaining to the he condition he developed at Antarctica. The team will use the experience from the past journey to lighten the weight of the sleds and include more food. 

 -"It is so much easier when the gear and tech is already tried in the conditions. You simply don´t require so many backups. We have trained diligently, prepared better and done all checkups. Hopefully, with the added experience of Arctic travel, we´ll be fine this time. And one more thing. I won´t sneak any of my stuff into my mans sled this time" laughs Tina.