Tracking
the Journey

  • 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.

Christmas Day (Day 62)

Posted December 25th 2013,
by Ben Saunders

Category: Expedition, The Antarctic Plateau (Outbound)

Day 62: S89° 39' 35.64", E160° 27' 24.42"

Duration: 9 Hr

Daily distance: 22.8 Mi

Distance to go: 925.9 Mi

Temperature: -8 °C

Wind chill: -16 °C

Altitude: 9426 Ft

After our frustration yesterday, today turned out to be perhaps the most enjoyable of the entire expedition so far. Tarka and I swapped presents soon after our alarms went off at 5.30am; he loved his teabags and powdered milk, and it turns out he's been dragging with him for 61 days an ingenious vacuum-packed disposable filter coffee maker that produces three cups (or in my case exactly one brim-full 500ml Nalgene bottle) of incredibly good Brazilian gourmet coffee. We both agreed they were the most enjoyable cups of tea and coffee we'd ever had, and the smell of the coffee brewing was out of this world.

I sat there waiting for it, drooling like a greedy mutt and missing home desperately as I thought of the coffee I'd make in my little espresso pot before walking my dog in Battersea Park, or the cafetiere my girlfriend and I would brew before heading out on big bike rides in the Chilterns. Tarks and I were both quite emotional as we got ready to go this morning, and while we both managed to avoid outright blubbing in the tent, but our voices both quavered a few times as we talked about Christmases at home and missing our loved ones, and my goggles definitely got a little misted up in the first hour.

The weather today was entirely unexpected, and incredibly good. The wind early on (the temperatures on the site are recorded by me first thing in the morning, as soon as we take the tent down) died away, and the clouds parted after the first hour to leave us with a glorious blue sky and bright sunshine. Incredibly I skied for a few hours today without a jacket, in just my thermal underwear top. I doubt the storm-lashed Brits sat reading this at home will have much sympathy for us here when I say that I needed to dig out my factor 50 sunblock.

We skied hard today, no doubt boosted by our first slug of caffeine in two months, and thought we might have been on for a 40km-day until the terrain started undulating way more than I was expecting. We still managed a record distance, but we did a lot of up and down and I'm feeling pretty drained this evening.

Our plan tomorrow is to keep racing south, put up our tent about 8km from the Pole, leave the sleds and leg it there and back again on skis with a light backpack each (actually an ultralight drybag, clipped to our sledge harnesses, with a down jacket, food, drink, a satellite phone, our tracker and a few other bits and bobs). If all goes to plan, it'll be a big mileage day, and we hope to turn around at the Pole as quickly as we can.

It probably sounds very antisocial, but I'd honestly prefer not have contact with people there, and I'm far more excited about starting the return journey than I am about standing by the Pole itself, surrounded by centrally-heated buildings, cargo containers, giant vehicles, rumbling generators, parked aircraft, tents and fuel drums. Tonight should be our last night camped on the southward leg of this journey, and for me the really special part starts when we turn and head for home from the Pole.

P.S. You'll note from the photo that Tarka has also been dragging party hats, though as we're travelling so light our Christmas dinner this evening contained no special treats, other than the fact it was freeze-dried Kung Po chicken, which is one of our favourites and we'd been saving it. You'll also note our faces are now walnut-coloured, greasy from sunblock and sprouting tramp-like beards...

Comments

# Ruben, December 26th 2013

Checking up on you guys has become a daily ritual now - first thing I’m reaching for when I wake up is my iPhone, to check up on Ben and Tarka! It’s incredible to see the both of you celebrating Christmas in such high spirits, in undoubtably the least hospitable place on this planet. I have a feeling one of you will have brought some bubbly for new year’s eve… ;)

# Richard Pierce, December 26th 2013

Dear Ben, dear Tarka,

I feel incredibly guily for taking the chance over Christmas to have a few lie-ins, and to be a latecomer to your blog posts.

You’ve done brilliantly well to ski so far on Christmas Day, and it’s wonderful to see your comradeship, exemplified in the silly hats and the smiling faces.

I love your strategy for the Pole, and think it’s absolutely right, and I hope your wish to get there, take a few snaps and scarper again before anyone else notices is fulfilled.

I’m not sure mankind’s permanent intrusion on the Pole is warranted nor required, and I’m sure readers of this blog (who aren’t aware of this yet) will be shocked to know that the American base at McMurdo was running a nuclear power station until the mid or late-50s. It is indeed questionable if the permanent base at the South Pole is more than territory-marking rather than genuinely scientific (regardless of the Antarctic Treaty).

Continue to be lone men, happy in each other’s company and that of your beautiful continent. You will miss it incredibly when you’ve completed your quest, so, savour and enjoy while you can - and I know that sounds weird when, after all, your bodies and minds a re taking incredible punishment from that beautiful but harsh mistress.

God Speed.

R

# CaninesCashews, December 26th 2013

Hi guys,
What a great photo and an amazing mileage.
You must have read each other minds with those gifts – very impressive.
Love the sound of your plan for a slingshot around the pole and completely understand the reasons behind it.  Sans sleds should make for a great experience on the run in and out too – variety is the spice of life and all that.
I can share with you the impact your adventure is having on this little family in S.E. London; just minutes after getting up on Christmas morning and seeing his presents in the stocking,  my seven year old son asked if Santa would find you in all that snow in Antarctica, because you must be on his ‘nice list’!
I reassured him that you could be found from your GPS and Santa could be very technical like that, he seemed satisfied with that answer.
As you reach the turn and start the epic walk back think of Trenton Lee Stewart who wrote “May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.”

Best wishes for the pole today.

Stay Safe,
Gav

# George Chapman, December 26th 2013

Wow. All these recent post are getting too mushy for me. I think we should go back to being Monday morning arm chair quarterbacks like a lot of folks were being two weeks ago.

# Richard Pierce, December 26th 2013

Brilliant, George, brilliant.

We’ll stop being mushy once they’ve done the turnround :-)

R

# Mal Owen, December 27th 2013

Sorry George! it’ll be even mushier when they get back to base and complete Scott’s epic journey !

# Andrea, December 26th 2013

Well, I don’t have the skills to express my feelings in good english, so I welcome you on the Pole following google earth tracking and will rise a champagne flute cheering for you when you reach your goal. Well deserved.
Hoping for a safe and sound return journey. My best wishes!
Andrea.

# Chris Wilson, December 26th 2013

Merry Christmas guys!  Awesome progress, and even though you are far from loved ones and espresso machines what a place to spend the big day!!

Have an awesome time at the south pole!

# Tamara and Alex, December 26th 2013

Happy Christmas Tarka and Ben! We’ve just watched the video with my parents in Cheltenham. Looks amazing and we have snow jealousy! Keep up the good work! Love T and A x

# Sharyle, December 26th 2013

Loved your Xmas video and blog entry. Tea and coffee!  It’s fantastic to know you’re almost to the Pole and doing so well.  Fascinating to learn of your plan to sprint to the Pole and turn around quickly.  Seeing all those man made structures may be a shock.  Carry on!  You both are amazing!

# rodney pattinson, December 26th 2013

well done nearly there please build snowman at pole pics   hull 2 man united 3

# Bryce , December 26th 2013

Merry Christmas to you Ben and Tarka. May you be blessed with a speedy and safe day as you whip around the pole and head for home. Thank you for the gift you are offering to so many with your adventurous spirit.

# Suri, December 26th 2013

Hi Ben and Tarka, Merry Christmas and Congratulations for being just one step closer to the South pole. Good Luck.

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