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.
Deja Vu (Day 104)
Day 104: S77° 52' 32.34", E167° 24' 47.88"
Duration: 10 Hr
Daily distance: 25.1 Mi
Distance to go: 11.1 Mi
Temperature: -9 °C
Wind chill: -22 °C
Altitude: 197 Ft
As I type this, we're camped about 15km from our Ross Island finish line, which is less than four hours' skiing away. We'll have a massive lie-in tomorrow before setting off in the afternoon, principally as the bases here run on New Zealand time, which is 11 hours ahead of us, so if anyone's going to be there to wave us over the line and take a photo for our holiday snaps, we need to fit in with their time zone.
Antarctica, true to form, didn't make life easy or comfortable for us today, and the weather seemed to be messing* with us in a spookily adversarial fashion; luring us - wearing far too little - out of the tent with bright sunshine and a still warmth first thing, before pelting us with a blizzard barely ninety minutes later. The wind intensified just as we stopped to eat and drink at our first break, and as we sat on our sledges with our down jackets on and our backs to the gale, whirling eddies and vortices of sandy spindrift were spun up into our faces, filling our pockets and sledges and anything else left unzipped for more than a few seconds with fine, gritty snow. It calmed down before we started skiing, then revved up again at the next break, in a pattern that dogged us for most of the day.
As I mentioned yesterday, our sheer exhaustion seems to be overriding any chance of outright back-slapping glee at being so close to pulling this vast journey off (our GPS says we've clocked a cumulative 2,859km now, which is 68 back-to-back marathons dragging sledges) but team morale is definitely much improved, and the prospect of skiing a mere 15km after a big lie-in seems infinitely more manageable than another mammoth day. Interestingly, despite never having seen the view we faced today, skiing past White Island towards the giant flanks of Mount Erebus until we picked up our final (hundred-day-old!) depot, before hanging a left and heading past Castle Rock towards McMurdo Sound, the scenery felt strangely familiar after so many years of dreaming of reaching this point.
We'll start skiing tomorrow in the late afternoon UK time so don't be alarmed if the tracker doesn't budge for a while after our usual kick-off. We should finish in the evening, but it may take us a while to get online again and send a blog post back, so watch this space. I'm sure Andy, Chessie and the team in London will update the site as soon as we phone in from Ross Island, so you'll be the first to know when we're home and dry.
At the moment, the magnitude of it all hasn't really sunk in yet, though I'm excited about getting more than five hours sleep for the first time in weeks, and I suspect lying here tomorrow morning the excitement - and if I'm honest, the sheer relief - may start to finally kick in...
*This may not be the precise word Tarka used as we were shouting at each other in the blizzard, but it was hard to hear him over the wind.
Comments
# Zoey and Kyle, February 6th 2014
What a accomplishment! Excellent work!
Going to miss these blog post that I read before heading to my office job…
Congrats guys, truly amazing.
# Dave, February 6th 2014
Ben and Tarka,
I’ll just add my voice to the crowd of well wishers. I’ve been following your journey diligently since I first heard about it a bit before the half-way mark, and sharing it with anyone and everyone who’d listen (and, if I’m honest, shared it regardless with a few who wouldn’t or didn’t). It’s amazing what you’ve done, and amazing to pause for a moment and remember that the door is now open for you to decide what you’d like to do next.
Best,
Dave
# Brendan Smith, February 6th 2014
All the best on the last few miles! You’ll finish in great style I’m sure.
# Enrico, February 6th 2014
Ben and Tarka, you remind me of the Apollo astronauts before landing, after a trip to the Moon: in fact Antarctica is often compared to another planet and your experience is very similar to a long-term space mission ... A good landing, then! (or splashdown if you prefer)
# Rachel, February 6th 2014
Congratulations, Ben and Tarka. I’ve been following you guys from the U.S. and willing you on. What an incredible journey; you are both such an inspiration.
# Ione & Rich, February 6th 2014
If people are considering the odd national anthem to play at the finish,perhaps should add the Marseillais, God bless Australia ,Amhran na bhFiann,and Scotland the Brave to suggest just a few of Tarka’s antecedents to be honoured - No doubt Ben has a bit of mixed blood too! So its the Internationale then?!
# Richard Pierce, February 6th 2014
Yay! The Internationale. A one, a two, a three ... R
# Ann L., February 6th 2014
One word. Brfilliant!
# Richard Pierce, February 6th 2014
Had forgotten about my entry for next year’s OED. Thanks.
Yes, simply brfilliant indeed.
R
# Andy, February 6th 2014
Ben and Tarka are currently stuck in a storm and are waiting it out at present before getting moving towards the finish line when they are able to. We’ll update as soon as we have more news.
Andy
# Mal Owen, February 6th 2014
That’s the last kick from Antarctica !
# Richard Pierce, February 6th 2014
Thanks for keeping us updated, Andy. I did think the water on the Scott Base webcam was looking a tad choppy. Fingers crossed the boys don’t have to wait till tomorrow.
R
# CaninesCashews, February 6th 2014
Thanks Andy - Agreed Richard - it looks decidedly choppy on the cams.
G.
# Intrepid, February 6th 2014
@ Andy
Thanks for the the post.
It’s a bit eerily like the other expedition, having a storm at the end.Comforting to know Ben and Tarka have food, warm clothing, high tech communication gear, etc. Will be sure to keep checking for updates. BTW, all I could find ‘in the news’ was that the Ultrabook has a post on their site to join in on the final countdown…
# Paul, February 6th 2014
I’m watching the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon from my home in Edinburgh and thinking of you two. How strange civilization will seem to you. Other people, noise, smells, soft beds, flushing toilets and coffee. And then there’s the relief when you see your loved ones. I suspect it’ll all be a little overwhelming for awhile. I hope the storm clears and you can set off soon.
# McDowell Crook, February 6th 2014
Absolutely amazing feat, fellas. Everyone in my law office here in Montgomery, Alabama, USA is cheering you on and relieved you’ve now got the finish line in sight.
# Colin Buckley, February 6th 2014
I know it’s too early, I know it’s saying alot right now.
But guys, if and when you will write a book on this adventure, I’m gonna have my head in those pages everyday til I finish it, to comprehend what it means to conquer the ice like you have done, and learn from your experience!
This is and has been a GREAT adventure, and I’d really love to see your faces when you finally
arrive at the last few metres crossing that line that says “You’ve done it”.
Enjoy that lye in tomorrow and take extra care on those final few miles.
You are both truly two great explorers.
Stay safe.
Colin
# Lucy Scott, February 6th 2014
Dear Ben and Tarka,
Incredibly, unbelievably exciting, less than 11 miles to go…Congratulations, I’m absolutely thrilled for you. Absolutely phenomenal achievement! So looking forward to seeing you both when you arrive back! I have an event at work tonight, so I’m sad I can’t keep checking back to see when you arrive at Ross Island, but longer message to follow..and I will be eagerly coming back online as soon as I get home! It probably sounds silly but I have had butterflies in my stomach (of excitement) all day..
Take care on these last miles,
Lucy