Tracking
the Journey
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Distance to go:
0 Mi
Distance
Ben and Tarka will cover 1800 miles starting from Scott's Terra Nova Hut at the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back to the coast again. That's equivalent to 69 back-to-back marathons hauling up to 200kg each (the weight of roughly two adult men) of kit and supplies necessary to survive.
Distances here are shown in statute miles.
Adios Beardmore (Day 87)
Day 87: S83° 42' 59.65", E170° 44' 11.76"
Duration: 9 Hr
Daily distance: 24.5 Mi
Distance to go: 442.1 Mi
Temperature: -4 °C
Wind chill: -12 °C
Altitude: 1168 Ft
Today's tale was rather different to yesterday's. The wind was still blowing this morning though its ferocity had waned, and it calmed even further to give us a gentle tailwind all day as we travelled under the clearest of blue skies. We started the day on crampons but the depth of the surface snow cover increased as we descended and we were able to switch to skis after an hour or so, staying on them for the remainder of the day.
The surface was patchy and crusty until mid-way through the afternoon, hiding a great deal of crevasses, though our skis were "against the grain" and the widest were only a few feet across, and almost all closed-up by snow bridges, so we sped along with our skis safely spanning the gaps. Since about 3pm, we've had much deeper snow and much easier terrain as Mount Hope came into clear view and we neared the vast mouth of this giant glacier.
We covered just shy of 25 miles (40km) today and we're parked just over 4 miles (7km) away from our depot, which we'll pick up tomorrow morning before climbing up and through the Gateway, the small col that Shackleton identified as a safe route from the Ross Ice Shelf on to the Beardmore.
After swearing yesterday that we hated this place and that we were never coming back, I felt surprisingly emotional as we approached the final stretch of the glacier this evening, especially as I looked back along our tracks towards the Cloudmaker. The Beardmore - both the ascent and the descent - was the part of this journey that held the most fear and apprehension for me, and also the only part where I felt my experience lagged substantially behind Tarka's (who lives in the Alps and has spent hundreds of days on glaciers, both there, in Patagonia and in the Himalayas) so it's been an extraordinary learning curve, and an experience that has at times pushed me a long way beyond my comfort zone.
I suspect, like a microcosm of this entire expedition, that it will be an experience that was pretty hellish for most of the time I was going through it, but one that I'll look back on fondly (from a comfortable armchair, by a fire) as one of the most special times of my entire life.
Comments
# Uncle Pete, January 20th 2014
re Richard - looks like they are now past the Gateway (14:30 uk). Collective thoughts all around for the safe descent now - take extreme care, we are waiting there for you Ben and Tarka!
# Richard Pierce, January 20th 2014
Yes, looks like they must now be on their way down the other side of the Gateway. I’m holding my breath when I should be working. R
# CaninesCashews, January 20th 2014
What are you doing to me Richard?!? :-))
I always have the GE tracker open on my 2nd screen with the scrolling blog screen next to it. However I have habitually refrained from commenting ‘real time’, tending to wait for the blog the next day to add my two-penneth.
But today I have been drawn in to the boys’ descent off the old man and through the Gateway, and find myself completely unable to concentrate on the artwork I really should really be completing.
I am hoping by commenting I might make the psychological leap back to Photoshop, I have my doubts!!
Come on boys!
Gav
# Intrepid, January 20th 2014
... feeling the butterflies in my belly… With you all ...hooked on Google Earth today too!!
# Richard Pierce, January 20th 2014
Sorry, Gav. I don’t even know how to get Google Earth to work real time, and just look at it once an hour, quit out of it and then dive back in, which I’ll do now. I don’t usually broadcast real time, but today’s just been nerve-shredding beyond belief.
R
# CaninesCashews, January 20th 2014
I’m with you there Richard!
# Richard Pierce, January 20th 2014
Looks like they’re through, but still at 141 mt elevation (which means that tomorrow they’ll have to go up again to about 240 mt before finally descending to 52 mt for the majority of their trip back to Cape Evans. The question then, of course, will be whether or not the Sea Ice is still navigable for them to sledge to Evans. R
# Marina Kleinwort, January 20th 2014
I have never pressed “refresh” so many times over a weekend in my life! Boy will I be glad to know they are safely back on the ice shelf (which I suppose will provide its own challenges). Nerves have been jangling for a few days now. B & T are beyond inspirational. I should say your insights/comments are equally pretty compelling Richard so its a thank you from me to you too!
# CaninesCashews, January 20th 2014
On the way in they averaged around 160mt for the 180 miles prior to the Gateway hopefully it will be similar on the way back - not sure if I’ve done that right - completely addled today!?
# Richard Pierce, January 20th 2014
And I might have got those elevations wrong. When I zoom in on GE, they’re already down to 52 mt and it doesn’t go up again. I’m all atizzy, that’s what I do know. R
# Mal Owen, January 20th 2014
It’s been many years since I heard that expression all of a tiz or tizzy…my mum, bless her used to say it :-)
What a funny old day!
# CaninesCashews, January 20th 2014
What are we like - maybe I should stick to the arty stuff and you stick to the writing stuff and we should leave leave B & T to stick to the ice stuff!! :-)
# Richard Pierce, January 20th 2014
Quite! R
# Mal Owen, January 20th 2014
I bet you couldn’t resist a backwards last glance at the Old Man ? I’ve been sat here all day with bated breath, flicking between GE and the blog. George’s (btw what’s happened to him?) trick of adding /all to the blog link has been so useful.
I can’t believe how captivated I have been…....I haven’t felt so excited , fearful, , hopeful, helpless,drained and loads more adjectives in a long time !
# Helena, January 20th 2014
Holding my breath to hear from you again when you are safely done with the glacier :-)
Next time you make journey like this (e.g.through Sahara desert as I hate winter) I go with you :-D
# Uncle Pete, January 20th 2014
52m, that’s what I make it too Richard, brfilliant progress, I look forward to the morning Post with great interest.
I hope you have a chance to look back at the receding peaks and reflect with justifiable pride at your accomplishment. Keep those Punta Arenas steaks in mind as incentive as you trudge/race (!) across the Ice shelf. You surely deserve them.Keep safe and not complacent.
# Willie Hannah, January 20th 2014
Ben and Tarka, fantastic achievement today, the worst of the Beardsmore behind you, please don’t drop you guard until you are through the pass. It was always going to be the crux of the trip, exhaustion, kit malfunctions, hunger, conditions underfoot and the weather, if there was ever a better chance for “Old Beardie” to get one over on you, this would be it. Please don’t drop your guards until you are clear of the Pass. Then it’s a mere 400 plus miles to push. Truly HOOFING effort chaps. Be safe, be strong and bag those miles. Regards, Willie
# Christian, January 20th 2014
...in case you don’t need your crampons any longer, please send them to me to Berlin, since I am fighting with “black ice” on my way home. Cheers, Christian
# Sue (and Noodle ), January 20th 2014
When you wake up in the morning,Pooh,‘said Piglet at last,’ what’s the first thing you say to yourself ?.
’ What’s for breakfast ? ’ said Pooh. What do you say , Piglet?’
‘I say I wonder whats going to happen exciting to-day?’ said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. ‘It’s the same thing ,’ he said.
x
# Dave, January 20th 2014
The easy part will be when you’re well north of 60 degrees south, regaling people listening raptly with stories about your expedition, and mulling over where to go next.
Hope for the best, and be prepared for the worst.
# Rebecca, January 20th 2014
As always, you both are so impressive. I’ve been compulsively refreshing Google Earth today. I don’t know where, technically, the Beardmore ends, but your red pin is out of the grey nubblies and on the (from this vantage) smooth white. We’re celebrating that achievement here in Vermont, and hoping your remaining path to Hut Point is a relative breeze. Stay safe, and in continued good cheer.
# Christian, January 20th 2014
Fantastic, I am really impressed how fast mood can change.. not only yours but the mood of all followers in your blog, too.
Ben, Tarka, after these two days I learned that you need this kind of challenges. And as you mentioned it correctly,if it would be so easy everybody would do it.
Stay safe, keep your motivation high and start (in case you are not doing this already :-) ) enjoying your ways on the finish line.regards from freezing Berlin
# Enrico, January 20th 2014
Hey guys! Greet the Beardmore on my part!!