Awful weather!

After my post about the beautiful weather, things changed quite a bit!
Overnight, temperatures rose to about 0 degrees and it snowed a bit (10cm), after which it started raining-freezing rain. Of course, that morning was my first drive on my own...from pad 5 to 26, about 12km. The morning drive was interesting: it was still raining when I left but the windscreen wipers decided to give up after the first wipe...so I had to keep stopping every 2 minutes to wipe the windscreen...I was not a happy bunny! Luckily, the oil pump had been mended on Wednesday so the heating actually worked and helped melt off any ice I hadn't been able to brush off. I also tried to drive on fresh snow, to minimise the chance of skidding. Luckily there was no traffic at that time.
I got there in one piece, although the road leading up to pad 26 is terrible; it already was the days before, when everything was still completely frozen.
Until yesterday, driving anywhere was like trying to cross a giant ice rink with occasional patches of frozen gravel and/or sand. Day before yesterday, many roads had frozen tracks, which I had to stay 0n for fear of slipping off the edge of the road...but road 26 had the novelty of serious ruts (all frozen of course) including on bends...
My drive back yesterday evening was even more challenging, as much of the snow had melted and everything was just one messy, icy puddle. I decided to go very slowly all the way (15kph) which was a decision I did not regret when I felt the car slipping several times along the way...I think I have small slips under control now, although I would not want to test that theory too extensively.
As I peered into the darkness ahead through my cracked windscreen with a wiper stuck halfway on its journey up wishing as hard as I could that no-one would come the other way, I suddenly felt a strong connection to James Herriott and tales of his early experiences. I decided that if he could do it on the beautiful heights of Yorkshire, so could I on my journey through the Siberian taiga. So it was with renewed confidence that I slowly moved over to the right side of the road to pass the large lorry that was coming the other way!
When I finally got to pad 5 I phoned pad 26 and everyone sounded rather relieved! I must say that having the CB in the car blinking away as I drive is a rather reassuring thing too.
Safety-wise, I cannot believe we are not given advanced driving courses before coming out here. It is certainly an issue I will raise with The Hague as it is a serious problem. Regarding local HSE people, if that instructor had spent the time he did showing us videos about drink driving, on practical exercises to deal with skidding, I would be a much happier (and safer) person.
But at least I am able to get about...not so Sasha, who is still in the process of passing one of the many levels of the driving test for Russian staff...