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.

Day 65

Posted December 28th 2013,
by Ben Saunders

Category: Expedition, The Return Journey

Day 65: S89° 17' 22.68", E156° 06' 2.52"

Duration: 9 Hr

Daily distance: 19.8 Mi

Distance to go: 849.4 Mi

Temperature: -14 °C

Wind chill: -22 °C

Altitude: 9721 Ft

Another day on the white treadmill, and not an awful lot to report, other than that the weather was good to us today, and we're both feeling extraordinarily tired, but still giving our all.

There's been a lot of fresh snow recently and the surface is proving our biggest headache at the moment; you can see the deep furrows we've ploughed up to this evening's camp site. When we take our skis off in the evening and walk around in the deep powder to pitch our tent, we've marvelled several times at how on earth Birdie Bowers -an apparently indefatigable member of Scott's team who abhorred skis and chose to walk instead- managed on this type of stuff.

Speaking of marvelling, now Tarka and I are both feeling as knackered as we've ever felt, we reckon we're finally getting some sort of glimpse of what day-to-day life out here must have been like for Scott's party (and indeed for Shackleton on his Nimrod expedition). It's still an awfully long way back to the coast, which was the only way home a century ago, and like them, we're now threading a path through our lifeline of tiny depots, dotted along nearly 900 miles of nothingness.

Apologies if my post about the Pole sounded a bit negative (particularly to the US National Science Foundation personnel who live and work there!) but it was a long, tough day and I think the tiredness and lack of calories had put me in a bit of a grump. The blue skies today have cheered me up immensely, and I wish I had the words to explain my excitement about now being on the journey back to Ross Island. I'm still pinching myself at times that we've come as far as we have. Thanks for following, and I hope my updates will be back to normal once I've caught up on a bit of sleep...

Comments

# Allison, December 29th 2013

Had a lovely evening with a very proud Mum last night Ben. We are counting the days and watching your every move until you arrive home.

# Richard Pierce, December 29th 2013

I don’t think there’s any need to apologise for your comments about the South Pole. Just like you, people at the base there have a choice of whether or not to be there and a choice of how they treat Nature.

Good mileage, though not spectacular. One more day’s hard graft, and then a rest day on full rations is needed, I think, regardless of the weather.

Birdie, by the way, depoted his skis about 200 miles from the Pole because, at one point, he was not guaranteed a place in the Polar Party. There are still questions over if Scott always planned there to be 5 in the party, or if he just made that decision on the spur of the moment. There is a Wilson drawing made months before the walk to the Pole which shows 5 men in traces dragging a sled which might indicate 5 men were always the plan. On the other hand, rations were originally divided for four men to a tent (and the tents wrre 4-man tents), which rather more decidely suggests a 5-man party was not planned. Many people believe that the decision to take 5 men was one of the key decisions that Scott got wrong. Like all things, all these views are arguable.

Take care.

R

# Uncle Pete, December 29th 2013

Hope you soon make up your sleep/energy deficit and get back in the groove! I see from your track that you have managed to straighten your line again! It beggars the imagination to think how the early expeditions managed without satellite navigation, let alone what they would have thought of our following your every move almost in real time! As a matter of interest (apropos earlier comment about ‘position jumps’) would I be right in assuming your Google Earth position updates are automatically transmitted ‘hourly’? In which case the ‘path’ plotted is not necessarily the actual track, especially around the Pole complex - I was trying to figure just where on the ‘building plans’ you went! I see also that at each camp site the track zigzags around a bit, is this inherent error in the ‘sleeping’ updates or normal camp activity? I guess it would have had us even more on our toes around 8:30pm Boxing Day if the position updates had been briefly speeded up!
Keep it up and savour the remoteness that does still exist there - an experience for the few, except via your senses and reports….
ps It is frosty here in UK and we went to see ‘Frozen’ in 3D yesterday to keep in the mood - Tarka, keep an eye out for animated snowmen!

# Offroading Home, December 29th 2013

“Uncle Pete” ... Yes, for the most part, the “track points” (those that make up the continuous line) have been, to date, transmitted automatically. A handheld GPS unit will automatically record them in its memory every so-many milliseconds according to how you have set it up.  And they have rigged up some sort of automatic feed back to their server via satellite. Ben has never gotten very specific in print about anything technical; BUT, having followed it closely for months, the updates (through his Pilot satellite link) have appeared about every hour - even all through the night (count the data-points and divide by the total time).

And, yes - each GPS “reading” or “ping” gives a calculated trackpoint which has a certain error factor of “tens” or even “hundreds” of yards.  That’s why anyone who has navigated very close to the ground on Google Earth sees their “current location” bounce around whenever they are stationary.  Actually, the “bouncing” gives us comfort because at least we know their GPS/satellite connection is still working. [Yesterday and today there have been periods of several hours where it’s obvious there have been no “pings” at all.]

If it were merely the satellite link that was down, we would most likely then receive the missed hourly pings as a full update when they came back on line. But that hasn’t seemed to be the case so it’s more likely either the batteries on their GPS unit (phone?) or they are deliberately turning them off for some reason then merely manually doing a single “ping” when they come back on line.

If you go back and look at the distance they make between every “ping” on the line (it is possible on Google Earth to do that) you can see that up on the plateau they have plodded between 1.3 and 1.7 miles between data-points (again, mostly likely an hour).  In the past two months I’ve only noticed four times when their plot-points fly unexpectedly up to and over 10 or so miles all at once. Almost like they had, lets say… sprouted wings - (that would still be self-powered, right?); once, right at the beginning from the huts, jumping back from the pole, the last half of yesterday and now again the last half of today.

# George Chapman, December 29th 2013

#Offroading Home
How do you see the pings? You said you could even see the pings when they are sleeping. I can see the “Current Location” and the end of day blog points but I don’t know how to see each ping? I am using your Offroading Home overlay.

# Mal Owen, December 29th 2013

I really wish I understood and could use all this ..... :-)

# South Pole neutrino, December 29th 2013

Indeed, there still are bearded and non-bearded, male and female scientists pushing back the boundaries of human ingenuity and exploration at the South Pole. Here is just one example from 2013:
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2013/dec/13/cosmic-neutrinos-named-physics-world-2013-breakthrough-of-the-year
This is in no way to undermine Ben and Tarka’s amazing achievement thus far, or the challenge that still lies ahead of them.
It’s just that there are different facets of Antarctica. All of them inspiring.
As paradoxical and/or controversial as it may seem, all these fuel drums do serve a purpose: The expansion of our horizons.

# Janet Stanley, December 29th 2013

No apologies needed! I am always amazed you write this articulate, interesting blog after a hard day’s marching, take care & stay safe! :)

# andrew, December 29th 2013

If those last miles were Euros they would slip through your fingers and been gone in no time. Just ask your mother, Tarka. ( sorry sister, that was a sort of joke)

# Juanita, December 29th 2013

Keep the spirit :-)
remarkable what you have done, so I surfed on youtube and get the article from your web, I can not say , it is great how you are doing will inspire other people in this world. over the years, the world only knew the story through the news media if there is any information about a trip like that you do just for the consumption of research, but it’s real and we can update at any time, always successful and god bless your journey. well as got home safely and back together again with your family

# George Chapman, December 29th 2013

Glad to hear from you guys again. Looks like your still doing well. Take care of yourselves and enjoy the time you have there on Gods beautiful landscape.

# Alastair Humphreys, December 29th 2013

Your South Pole post was excellent - far better than bland platitudes. Really interesting too.

Amazing to imagine Scott et al in your shoes but minus the EPIRB, sat phone etc - what a terrifying, audacious prospect!

Onwards!

# Jerry Colonna, December 29th 2013

I agree with Al, Ben. The South Pole post was—like so much of your writing—poignantly powerful. You’re giving us a little chance to experience what it’s like there. I can’t imagine how tired you both must be.

Those tracks in the photo are stunning. Even more so because they lead you home (I know, I know, those are the tracks behind you and all but the metaphor still works.)

# torsten richter, December 29th 2013

Richard: I think the Scott very much wrong has been done. AND I AM ALSO SURE, IF he would have been the first at the Pole, they would have done it even back alive. There were no errors as described by Hunt Ford, who is not an expert anyway, but a mental problem and the bad luck with the weather. Even on the journey they’d had a snowstorm with four days stay in a tent, then violations of Evans And Oates. These were strong limitations that could not be planned. For me, remains Scott and his men the greatest explorers and heroes in polar history. Such a physical and mental prowess is second to none. Unfortunately they only had bad luck. Such men as Wilson, Bowers, Evans, Oates, Lashly, Crean, Teddy Evans and Scott just, they were great people with human frailties, but still heroes! And I admire their journey and appreciate them as higher as the Amundsen, the sooner started 2 weeks, and the over 100 miles shorter route and they also had the better weather, as Mrs. Salomon was able to prove, and they had their dogs ... Scott his men managed almost anything with superhuman strength. The book of Fiennes is the best Biography Scott and he could also expose Hunt Ford’s book, which has a deep aversion to Scott and spread many lies and much speculated and all the warm room ... I speak Huntford any skills from!

Torsten, Brandenburg / Germany

# Kristoffer, December 29th 2013

From helping Sienicki with his book, I have to say that Scott was mostly competent, although his orders for the dog teams make me wonder what he was thinking.  When it comes to being first to the Pole and making it back alive, you may be right, considering Sienicki’s explanation.  Amundsen himself had a four day snowstorm, with temperatures much colder than Scott’s.  I would not trust Solomon at all, period, as she committed heavy scientific misconduct in her original PNAS article and her book.  I would not trust Fiennes either, due to all the dishonesty in his book.  For all of Fiennes’ avowed hatred of Huntford, he happily repeats Huntford’s invention of Scott’s verbal orders to Lt. Evans.  Sienicki in his book will have an alternative explanation for what happened to Scott and his party, although I doubt you will like it.

# Richard Pierce, December 29th 2013

Hallo Torsten,

Dein Post liest als ob Du es auf Deutsch geschrieben hast und dann Google Translate benutzt hast. :-)

My own view of Scott is that he was competent, and that, like all people (including Amundsen), he made a few mistakes. That’s the position I’ve taken all along, including in my novel, is that none of us will really ever know what happened, but that Scott was not the absolute failure or the absolute hero people on opposing sides make him out to be, and that Amundsen was a great explorer but not the greatest of leaders.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Men-Richard-Pierce-ebook/dp/B007FR3UXU

R

# rod pattinson, December 29th 2013

well done great achievement sun shining today in London after storms happy new year your on your way home still following

# Matt, December 29th 2013

Ben & Tarka,

Congratulations on your achievement; your iron legs have been exceeded only by your iron wills.  It is so heartening to see what men can do when they apply themselves. Thanks so much for taking us along with you.

I wish you best of luck on your homeward journey.

# Richard H, December 29th 2013

Hi Ben and Tarka

Well done, you are a shining example of what can be achieved with a clear vision and determination. Your posts are eagerly awaited and I’ll be looking out for the pair of you until you arrive back at McMurdo.

There was a thankfully brief discussion about you “moaning” yesterday.

Well, having just dragged my overfed middle aged body round a bit of MTB single track in the Lakes this morning, having covered precisely 10.6 miles, climbing 1,686 feet and burning 723 calories (equivalent to about half a piece of christmas pudding with rum butter), I feel qualified to add to the debate.  I ‘m pleased to say that my technical equipment was adequate, but my ten minutes of preparation and training was woefully not so. I can report however that I have had one bath and a shower in the last 24 hours, and that we have a centrally heated loo which flushes - in fact a choice of three. My wife cooks regular meals excellently, and I help out from time to time.

In spite of all of this, I found today that my internal conversation whilst cycling was about never doing it again, the intense pain and lassitude that I felt and constantly thought about getting back for a bacon sarnie and a big mug of fresh coffee.

In the light of my personal experiences today,I therefore conclude that after a thousand miles, and doing what you are doing, and in the way that you are doing it, you are entitled to say whatever you like in your blog ;-)

Keep it up guys, you are inspiring an awful lot of people out there.

# Richard Pierce, December 29th 2013

Nice one, Mr H. :-) R

# Nick Webb, December 29th 2013

......writing a blog on an almost daily basis - that’s an added bonus for us and effort in itself.  I look forward to seeing your lecture on this journey and do hope you get some media coverage on your return so as to inspire people to go for it - everyone needs to hear the story of the longest unsupported polar journey in history.  The Jonathan Ross Show perhaps?  Thanks as always for your honest and timely posts, they are a pleasure to follow.

Just one question - is there any one thing you wish you had bought on the journey that you do not have?

# AlisonP, December 29th 2013

You two are amazing, in so many ways.  I cannot begin to fathom what it is like to pull a sled with hundreds of pounds for hundreds of miles, hours and hours every day.  Oh, and in the coldest place on earth.  I could completely understand your comments about the pole; it must have been a bit of a rude shock compared to two months with only the stark snowy landscape around you.  I was amazed that you did so many miles with so little rest just after reaching the pole.  I worry a little about you guys not getting enough rest, and hope that you can take a day off or at least a slower day before the descent of the Beardmore, so you are in tip top shape as you work your way carefully there.  Mother Nature continues to bless you with mostly good weather for your journey.  Thanks as always for taking the time and energy to write to your loyal and enthusiastic readers.  Rest up, lads, and stay safe.

# Bill Hucks, December 29th 2013

Your remarkable progress has been the result of constant effort and drive.  It is possible a rest day may provide your bodies a chance to recharge and further improve your progress.  The symptom of constant fatigue should be recognized and treated.  Time for a rest day, gentlemen.

# George Chapman, December 29th 2013

Looks like to me from looking at Google Earth these guys have only got in 5 miles today as of 12-29-13 13:30 EST. So either we are having update problems or they have taken a rest for today. Normally by this time of day they would be 3/4 the way through their days mileage. Wishing them well. Hope it’s not weather problems.

# dj, December 29th 2013

George… remember, they said that they dropped their Pilot to save weight and are on their phones.  That didn’t seem to effect anything on the rest of their way there, but perhaps might be making some battery recharge issues.  Their track did the same thing yesterday - dropped several hours then all of a sudden jumped 11 miles (coincidentally after you wrote your comment yesterday); and the same thing coming back from the pole.  It’s now 12:30 PM (MST) and they’ve still only gone 5 miles according to their tracker plot.

# Kristoffer, December 29th 2013

The strange thing is, these suddenly irregular position updates only began once they were at the pole.

# George Chapman, December 29th 2013

#dj
You may be right about power shortages. We will see at the end of the day. I would think if I was running low on power I would stop writing the blogs to save power. I’m assuming a ping would take very little power verses the power it takes to write a blog. It’s just interesting I’m not trying to second guess anyone. They may need to take a rest but I would not think they would take down the tent and then move for five miles and decide to stop for the day unless they had weather problems. We will hear about it in their next blog I’m sure.
Keep going guys, your doing great.

# Scott Expedition Team, December 29th 2013

Hi. Ben and Tarka are having a few technical difficulties with the automated tracker which is causing the intermittent transmissions. We’re working on fixing it but daily positions will be reported automatically in the meantime.

# dj, December 29th 2013

“Automated tracker?” That isn’t with their pilot that they dropped off (back somewhere?).  Or do you guys also have a satellite tracker following their phones - which they said they would be “updating” on?

# George Chapman, December 29th 2013

They dropped off the Pilot on day 57.

# dj, December 29th 2013

Thanks Andy…  your now saying that they “have it” within this context, gives us a bit of insight of how you are actually using it and what means - above merely stating “we’ve got it in the tech bag” like we all read back in the link you provided.

For those who don’t know (I’ve just looked it up on the web) the NAL Shout Nano seems similar to one of those “spot” devices some people have let us follow their Everest climbs on.  It’s a self contained, battery powered unit with a built in GPS device designed to “be asleep” at very low power then “wake up” at pre-programmed intervals, measure its location, check for “messages” from “headquarters” and send a condensed location plus optional outbound message back to headquarters via satellite connection.  It also can do a “manual wakeup” to send a GPS coordinate if desired (or in an emergency). Which could, but not necessarily,  explain why the day at the pole the pointer stood idle for awhile then made a quick ping directly over the pole quickly followed by a normal ping out in the snow (at the ceremonial pole(?)). [If it was me, I too would want to make darned sure the track included an exact coordinate of 90 degrees south, directly on the pole, even if I had to stand there and ping it many times - or go back and manually add it later].

It doesn’t say how long the batteries are expected to last but it is charged via a standard USB connector - one can assume it could piggy-back on another device, even little solar cells - if they weren’t left back with the pilot. If they were, it would explain why the devices batteries might be becoming intermittent.

The web site talks about a “subscription” so we could guess that a “data-point” is initially sent back to the Shout Nano headquarters then either pushed to the expedition servers and database or had an API that could be queried by the expedition servers on an automatic basis (lets hope someone isn’t sitting there manually entering in a coordinate every hour or so.) We haven’t been told how often the Nano is set to “wake up” or if/how often Ben has sent a manual ping; but, they advertise their Google Earth waypoint “updates hourly.” If this stream of data is what is being used to build the track we see on Google Earth, then that also would explain why its track points aren’t automatically used as the location for the daily blog post and can be “misplaced” like they have been on occasion.

Lets hope that the “few technical difficulties” you mention is really only that the batteries are running low.

# Intrepid, December 29th 2013

Guys,

How you have the umpf for getting up, getting out, making tracks, moving forward, heading back… is so immensely incredible. Deep bows to your strength, stamina, endurance, perseverance, fortitude, humor, and keeping everyone in the loop.

Godspeed.

PS. Tarka, you and your family are a stitch. Good of you all to keep things balanced for the grump types!

# dj, December 29th 2013

You are correct, it IS “an awfully long way back to the coast” BUT it’s just few miles to where you left the Pilot, and it’s just over two weeks to the Beardmore!  [Perhaps even under two weeks if you would take a scheduled rest break. Thousands-of-years of human history and 25’s-of-years of scientific productivity studies aren’t specially dispensated because Ben and Tarka are on the Antarctic continent you know!

It doesn’t seem to me that letting us see a “snow angel” or two along the way would destroy your mission or even its mood. How about it?  A blog or two on the way back of what you did for some R & R (rest and RECOVERY)? [Yes, even considering your ‘tight’ constraints and timeline.]

# CaninesCashews, December 29th 2013

Hi guys,
To be honest my view is you are the guys on the ground, it is your blog and you can say what you like, if thoses were your feelings at the time (and after) it wouldn’t be appropriate to say anything different. Writing in the moment is sometimes the best writing.
Wasn’t it Hemingway who wrote about living life before you can write about it. You are the guys living it - so what you write about is up to you.
Keep cracking out those miles.
Stay safe,
Gav

# offroading home, December 29th 2013

Now at the end of the days travel the team has updated a final jump along the track of over 16 miles, making this another, probably hard won, 21 mile plus day of slogging!

# Intrepid, December 30th 2013

I’m not sure what day I tuned into your blog, or how your expedition came to my attention. Sure, I’ve had thoughts, but now I find my day full of thinking about the incredible journey you two are on, wondering how you are, hoping all goes well, that you get home safely.  I imagine you are having this effect on many people. No complaints at all ... simply fascinated! This past year was the first time I followed a TV series (actually, via computer). It’s the closest experience I’ve had being entrenched in the affairs of people I don’t know (though I admit I did go hang out where a bunch of writers from the 20s gathered as though 70 years later I’d be able to hear their spunk or be in the aura of their great writing). There’s a slight awkwardness to be remotely participating in such a historic event as your expedition, yet, it’s heartwarming to consider that bloggers may inspire you as much as you inspire us.

Hoping the kinks in your technical gear get straightened out, and that it hasn’t caused you any actual trouble on the ground. Also hoping you’ve gotten some good sleep.

In awe of your ongoing pursuit…

Cheers.

# torsten richter, December 30th 2013

Hello Kristoffer!

Thanks for your answer. The book of Sienicki I do not know yet. Had but I know the woman Salomon records of Doctor Simpson taken consult and since that came out in 1912 and 1992 or 92 2 winters are knocked out and about 6-12 degrees colder temperatures prevailed. And only on Scotts route and Amundsen did not have to contend with average temperatures around 40 degrees. We now know much but you have to see the performance of the men with a time of time and thus Fiennes was right, who also has the necessary experience and he has the vision of an expedition leader, he was there and not as Huntford only in a warm room. And he lied in many things or many things could only speculate and not prove. Hunt Ford hated and loved Scott Amundsen. I have the greatest Respect ahead of Scott and his men and see their journey, as the largest ever conducted in Antarctica.

# Kristoffer, December 30th 2013

I hope you do not mind if I send you an email continuing our conversation, as otherwise we could be going off topic here.

# Rhea, January 15th 2014

Hi,

I am 9 yrs old and I have a question. “Have you seen any penguins or other animals during your trip”.

Good Luck on your journey back!
Rhea

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