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.
El Pinguino and Barnaby Bear (Day 33)
Day 33: S82° 00' 14.04", E169° 05' 31.5"
Duration: 8 Hr 30 Min
Daily distance: 18.4 Mi
Distance to go: 1480.8 Mi
Temperature: -8 °C
Wind chill: -17 °C
Altitude: 177 Ft
As we hauled our way along today I was pondering over the two tiny mascots I'm dragging along with me, Barnaby Bear and El Pinguino, or Mr. Penguin; I've not named him yet.
Barnaby was given to me many moons ago by (I think!) a class at Penair School in Cornwall. He's been on three North Pole attempts from Canada, four Greenland expeditions and a long way up K2 with the brilliant Jake Meyer, so he's a hardened veteran. You'll note he also has a guardian angel pinned to his scarf*.
Mr. Penguin was a gift from my mum before this expedition. His wings are spring loaded, so he clings to the washing line that hangs in the roof of our tent every night.
Neither of them are really pulling their weight. They offer no calorific value. They can't do anything about wildly proliferating bacteria in my gut. They can't navigate, they can't melt snow, they can't recharge the Ultrabook or the satellite phone. As far as I can tell, they're both deaf, blind and mute. The reason they're here of course, is to lift my spirits. I think of my mum every time I lie back in my sleeping bag and see the penguin latched on to the roof (often swaying and wobbling wildly in high winds).
The human spirit; the will to continue striving and believing often against the odds (or perhaps always against the odds: as Pema Chodron cheerily put it, "Life is like getting into a boat that's just about to sail out to sea and sink") is a difficult thing to calibrate and measure, unlike watts or joules or nautical miles, but more than anything it's what fuels us out here.
Today was an absolute belter. The headwind we've had for days now finally fizzled out to the faintest breeze in our second hour, leaving us with near-perfect conditions. As a result, we cranked out a 18.4 mile (29.7km) day today, a new record by quite a stretch and something we're both pleased with, particularly as we're still pulling 140kg or so each, which I'd say is approximately 1.2 sumo wrestlers per sled.
*Speaking of angels, Tarka and I are both into logic and reason, and I'm afraid to report there's not been much banter of a spiritual nature in the tent. I said a couple of weeks ago that I thought our 62GB SD cards worked like magic as I simply couldn't get my head around how I could fit almost all of my music collection on one of them, and then wipe it clean and use to to store photographs or HD video from our camera. Tarka gave me his Spock look and explained that there's no magic involved at all, just electrical currents and crystalline structures.
P.S. feel free to suggest a name for Mr/Mrs/Miss Penguin and we'll pick a favourite this time next week.
Comments
# varry mccullough, November 27th 2013
Scott, the penguin has to be Scott or Scotty !
# Betty Ann, November 28th 2013
Obviously the penguin is Mr. Mumster.
# Mark & Allison, November 28th 2013
Mark says GWIN. I say M.C.P.O. As in Marsh chapel PO
# Susan, November 28th 2013
Phileas - after another globe trotter and explorer =)
# jkottke, December 1st 2013
Tux.
# Heather, December 3rd 2013
Giles, named after the great Giles Kershaw who helped rescue Robert Swan after the sinking of the ‘Southern Quest.’
# Edie, December 3rd 2013
It has to be Kowalski - the Penguin from the epic (animated) film Madagascar who can build everything from an airplane to a flame thrower to a self-replicating nanobot. You guys never know what you’re going to need in the South Pole. Here are a few quote from various Madagascar films to convince you. The Skipper is the chief Penguin by the way. Private is the junior Penguin.
Merry Madagascar (2009) (TV)
Skipper: It’s a Cold War that dates back centuries. You see, Santa used to be based in the South Pole.
Lead Reindeer: Oh, this again? Santa chose North Pole fair and square.
Kowalski: Oh, please. They bribed him with candy canes and cheap Elf labor.
Lead Reindeer: That’s it! Let’s go!
“The Penguins of Madagascar: Gator Watch/In the Line of Doody (#2.2)” (2010)
Skipper: Kowalski, can you open this door?
Kowalski: A simple pin tumbler lock. Now you’re just lobbing slowballs. Why don’t you just ask me if I can build a self-replicating nanobot? Because I can. Obviously.
Kowalski: [Looking at a zoo directory] According to this symbol, which appears to be Aztec in origin, you are here.
Skipper: Tell me something I don’t know.
Kowalski: Without muccus, your stomach would digest itself.
Skipper: Tell me something else I don’t know. Something less… disturbing.
“The Penguins of Madagascar: Gone in a Flash (#1.0)” (2008)
The Skipper: Private, these sardine smoothies are top-notch. What’s your secret?
Private: Love, sir. I made them with love.
The Skipper: Love?
Kowalski: It’s a chemical reaction in the brain inducing bliss. Highly addictive.
The Skipper: [knocks the smoothie from Rico’s wing] No more love in the smooties! We gotta stay sharp. The concrete jungle is an elusive mistress who may call us into action at any given moment.
Private: Skipper, how cold is it?
Skipper: Kowalski?
Kowalski: I’m not certain, but I’d put the over-under at 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
[Taps beak]
Kowalski: The freezing point of snot.
# Simon Phillips, December 3rd 2013
Given your achievements in navigating the Beardmore Glacier how does “Gateway” the penguin sound ?
# tania & lily mellis, December 3rd 2013
Has anyone suggested Aunt Arctic yet?
Well done guys we are very proud of you both.
Tania & Lily
# JOSEPH WOJCIAK, December 3rd 2013
CALL THEM RUDOLPH AND BOO BOO!
# Emilie, December 3rd 2013
Suggestion One:
Seeing as there are no angels in logic and reason, but the human spirit continues to believe in the magic of stuffed penguins, I suggest “Gabrielle”. This name is inspired by the Greek entomology of “angel” = “ángelos”/“messenger”, embodied in more recent times as the messenger angel known as “Gabriel”(Christianity), but herein made female in homage to Ben’s MOM. Thus, “Gabriel” becomes “Gabrielle”. A somewhat logical name for an angel-like mascot.
Suggestion Two: Fairy Dust & Hugs.
# Heidi, December 3rd 2013
My son thinks “Mr. Cool Guy” would be a nice name.