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.
In the Hurt Box (Day 86)
Day 86: S84° 4' 9.41", E170° 23' 57.84"
Duration: 9 Hr
Daily distance: 17.9 Mi
Distance to go: 466.6 Mi
Temperature: -4 °C
Wind chill: -14 °C
Altitude: 2303 Ft
It wouldn't surprise me if I have recurring nightmares about today; Tarka called it one of the "Top ten worst days" of his life, and it was certainly character-building from start to finish. We were woken up just before 5am by some of the strongest winds we've had on the entire expedition, with our trusty Hilleberg tent (pitched at a wonky angle on blue ice, with only four ice screws and two spare ski poles pinning it down) flexing and bowing inwards under the strain. We had to shout above the noise of the gale, and we started melting snow for breakfast and for our drinks for the day at 5.30am.
About a minute after taking the tent down, and before I'd put my crampons on (we do that outside the tent to avoid tearing the fabric) I was blown over on the blue ice, landing so hard on my right elbow that I thought I'd broken something. The day got worse from there, really, and the Beardmore assumed a horribly menacing, malevolent air, like it didn't want to relinquish its grip on us as we neared Mount Hope and our exit to the safe ice shelf beyond. It tried to smash or to steal everything we own, it tried to swallow us whole a few times, and our sledges, blowing crazily in the wind and sliding around on slippery ice descents, were possessed by spiteful poltergeists. Mine kept running into the back of my legs so hard that it bruised my calves, doing its best to knock me over or to trip me up with the trace (the rope that connects the sledges to our harnesses). It tried to push me into an open crevasse and when I stood firm, it tried to pull me into another a little later in the day. Another of its favourite tricks was to wait until I was gingerly walking over a snow bridge spanning a closed-up crevasse, then to hurtle forwards and join me on the bridge, like an obese, idiotic dog that didn't understand the snow might not hold our combined weights.
We had to stop several times to repair Tarka's crampon, often stacking the sledges on top of each other to make a windbreak to work behind. Tarka was incredibly stoic all day, but even he roared a few choice swear words into the wind at times, and I came close to full-on rage with the weather, the ice, and my crazy sledge, hurtling and veering around like a schoolboy bully that had just learnt to lock up the back brakes of his bike and pull skids, taunting me before thumping me in the calves again.
The surface was really difficult to read, and there's been a lot of snowfall since we climbed the glacier a few weeks ago, so it all looks rather different. Neither of us actually fell in any holes today, but we both put feet and legs through the crusty snow surface at times, and it was all quite nerve-wracking.
Anyway, we're safe and warm and lying in the tent again now, and of course no one said this would be easy. If it were, there'd be queues of people out here right now traipsing up and down. And speaking of things not being easy, I wanted to reassure those of you concerned about my hungry-sounding post yesterday that it's absolutely par for the course to be feeling like we are. Being hungry on a multi-month, human-powered polar journey is a bit like racing in the Tour de France and feeling out of breath or having hurty legs.
Research I've seen by Dr. Mike Stroud here in Antarctica, and also on Rune Gjeldnes and Torry Larsen's massive Greenland expedition, suggests that it's entirely possible to burn more calories per day (more than 10,000 in Torry's case) in low temperatures, high altitude and dragging heavy loads all day than the human body can digest, even given unlimited food intake. We're eating full rations of 6,000 calories per day at the moment, and if we're quick on the Ross Ice Shelf we may even have double rations towards the end, which is a rather different prospect than Scott and his men faced. Tomorrow should be our last full day on the Beardmore, so we're keeping everything crossed for better conditions. Thanks to Tarka's skill at navigating glaciers we've come further west now than on our ascent, and the view of the ice from our tent looks promising, like the worst might be behind us now. Watch this space...
Comments
# Martin, January 19th 2014
So, Tarka had one of the worst days in his life but still managed to walk 28 kilometers on a frickin’ glacier in a storm at subzero temperatures. Makes me wonder what you are capable of when the weather is good, the ground is flat and your stomachs are full. :-)
You are doing a great job, keep on trucking!
# Richard Pierce, January 19th 2014
Brilliantly put. R
# Mal Owen, January 19th 2014
My initial thought too :-)
# Richard Pierce, January 19th 2014
Bloody hell! Looks like they’re really motoring this morning! R
# Mal Owen, January 19th 2014
Brfilliant !
# Hilary, January 19th 2014
Someone wants to get off the glacier quick I think! They were on their way very early this morning, well before half eight as they’d done a whole degree by then. I thought they’d either set off early or been blown away in the night. Luckily I think it’s the former!
# Bill Taylor, January 19th 2014
Thank you for these magnificent words each day. Being written s o close to happening daily events adds to its power.
I am full of admiration for what you are attempting and achieving.
# Intrepid, January 19th 2014
Woah. What a scary day! Interesting how we all thought you were precariously on the edge and how you were ... literally ... being pushed to edges that brought forward the strength of you determination!! Beautiful!!! A great example of the human capacity to push itself to the limit in order to grow.
May your final day be out of the glacier’s grip to keep you with it. I also believe it is important to complete the passage by saying goodbye, closing the door, and bolting it shut.
Hoping your elbow and Tarka’s thumbs can get some healing. And may the crampons as well as everything else,stay together, moving onwards.
Sending a breath of good weather.
# Intrepid, January 20th 2014
What I wrote didn’t quite capture what I wanted to say. Here it is now:
A great example of the human capacity to find the outer edge limit (the liminal space between one thing and another) as a means to establish (manifest/create) what we really want.
# Lewis, January 19th 2014
Very well done on progress to date. I agree with your comment about the hunger being ‘normal’ as it seems a recurring complaint in the various expeditions I have read about. Especially during a sustained period of calorific deficit.
Dr Mike Stroud’s book ‘Survival of the Fittest’ looks at the effect to the human body that expeditions such as these can have. I recommend it to those followers of the blog who have not read it as it helps to highlight just how much strain B&T’s bodies have been undergoing.
After one expedition in Antarctica, Stroud was so hungry that he finished an entire plate of sandwiches after an interview. And whilst walking along Oxford Street to the next one he polished off 6 hamburgers! Just think, in a few weeks you’ll be able to endulge in such feasts!
# Simon, January 19th 2014
Ben & Tarka,
Brfilliant post and astonishing progress considering your condition, the weather yesterday and the Old Man’s malevolence. I had a very vivid picture of you both while singing in my (rather chilly) church this morning, written in 1737:
“Through each perplexing path of life our wandering footsteps guide. (A tad further West and GPS seemed apt)
Give us each day our daily bread and raiment fit provide.” (Double rations & a secure set of crampons for the last stretches of blue ice!).
In all our thoughts ad prayers: stay safe; stay strong for each other; and downwards and onwards.
Simon & Margaret
# Sharyle, January 19th 2014
Very glad to read today’s post after yesterday’s. I know you don’t expect this to be easy, far from it. But we all want you to return safely and in good condition. Amazing that the human body can use more calories than it can replenish in one day. You’re almost done with the beastly Beardmore. Here’s to easier sledging across the ice shelf!
# Judy in North Carolina, January 19th 2014
Incredible! Wonder writing! So…who will (want to) play your parts in the movie version? Thank you for sharing so much of your genuine feelings and difficulties. Prayers for safety and strength.
# Susan from Micigan, January 19th 2014
I am so very sorry to hear you had such a hard day. Hopefully the worst is behind you and soon you will be in better conditions. I am keeping you both in my prayers and sending you strength and warmth from the states. I hope one day you will visit over here. It would be wonderful to actually meet both of you. Keep up the great work and stay safe!
# Janet Stanley , January 19th 2014
What a day…..so glad you are both safe, the wind sounds horrendous. Can quite understand the malevolent atmosphere…..great quote from ‘Hotel California’Richard!
Hope your last day on the fearsome Beardmore is less eventful, please stay safe :)
# Harlan, January 19th 2014
Strength of will, endurance of heart… Remarkable, truly…
# Melissa, January 19th 2014
Wow, this post is so well written in the midst of such a heavy burden. Hang in there, guys. There are people all over the world following your every word!