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.
My Turn for a Turn (Day 73)
Day 73: S87° 44' 55.44", E159° 21' 32.4"
Duration: 0 Hr
Daily distance: 0 Mi
Distance to go: 742.7 Mi
Temperature: -29 °C
Wind chill: -37 °C
Altitude: 10079 Ft
Apologies for the late update. As you might have spotted, we haven't moved today (5th January) and there's been a bit more drama and suffering than I was expecting. We set off for our mid-plateau depot yesterday morning feeling relatively strong and well-rested, but mid-way through the morning I started to feel quite ill and nauseaous, with stomach cramps that seemed to be accentuated by the tugging of my sled harness as we skied through lumpy fields of sastrugi.
The rations we received in the resupply were brilliant, but contained a lot of sugary gels and chewy energy 'blocks' compared to the food we've eaten for ten weeks, and I think I started to suffer from what a sports scientist or nutritionist would call impaired gastric emptying; I simply wasn't processing the calories I was putting in my mouth. It was a vicious cycle as the day went on and I felt weaker and weaker at the same time as the temperature started to drop and the wind (thankfully coming at our backs) became stronger. With about an hour to go until we reached the depot I realised I wasn't warming up after our break, but reasoned that we'd soon be in the tent and I could warm up then. What followed was my first ever experience of hypothermia, and not something I'm keen to repeat in a hurry.
Tarka was in the lead when we reached the depot, and finding it (marked with a spare ski sticking out of the snow and a long streamer of fabric flapping in the wind) was a piece of cake, as we'd picked up our old tracks halfway through the day so didn't need to refer to our GPS. Tarka stopped to dig up our food and supplies and I skied on for a hundred metres or so to start pitching the tent, but realised when I stopped just how chilled and lethargic I was becoming. I don't remember an awful lot of the evening that followed, but thankfully Tarka was firing on all cylinders and made sure I was in my sleeping bag with a hot drink and a hot meal before I conked out with the most profound feeling of listless exhaustion I've ever experienced. I slept like a log but was still pretty spaced-out this morning, so we decided to stay put and recover properly for a day before carrying on.
After spending the day in my sleeping bag, dozing, drinking and eating, and after a reassuring conversation with our doctor, Rob Conway, I'm now feeling back to my old self this evening and much stronger. The two of us are both very lean, with next-to-no body fat for insulation any more, and if we mess up our calorie intake - as I did yesterday - it's alarming how susceptible we are to the cold, and how quickly the situation can become serious, especially up here above 3,000 metres.
We've also had the chance to catch up a little personal admin and start sending some higer res photos and video back now we've picked up our Pilot. Today's photo is of us at the South Pole last week.
If all goes to plan, we should only have another eight days on the high plateau before we start to descend quite rapidly, and I'm looking forward to seeing the mountains again, and to enjoying a little more oxygen in the air. Last up, tonight marks a bit of a threshold for me: it'll be my 73rd consecutive night living in a tent on an expedition, and my current record (set when I skied solo to the North Pole in 2004) is 72 nights, so it'll be another step into uncharted territory, pushing the outer limits of sleeping bag hygiene...
Comments
# Richard Pierce, January 6th 2014
I tell you, boys, if you don’t get an official award for Team of the Year for 2014, we blog readers will club together and get you a trophy made. The way you help each other out, the way one of you manages to be string when the other’s week is really quite remarkable.
Hope you both now go from strength to strength, and that you getb off the damn plateau as soon as you’re physically able.
God speed.
R
# Andrea Topi, January 6th 2014
Well put, Richard, I totally agree with you. Count me in for that trophy, they deserve it.
# Hilary, January 6th 2014
Well said Richard! These two guys are amazing, they are already Team of the Year!
# Willie Hannah, January 6th 2014
Ben and Tarka, I agree with Richards sentiments entirely. There is no “I ” in Team, and in my experience, the smaller the team the stronger the friendship and bond has to be, as you do not have the luxury of going to any other team members, who you may get on better with. You only have the other half of your team with you and everything you do and what you do for each other, affects the total output of the team. You are obviously are a great match, and make a fantastic team. Enjoy the days rest, get your strength back and the face the remainder of the challenge with the maturity and determination that you have demonstrated to date. Be strong, Be safe. Willie
# Andrea, January 6th 2014
They are, they did this 21 miles in illness. I think they will do the descent circumscribable to the envisaged 110 days .
# Mal Owen, January 6th 2014
Pleased to hear that you are both recovered, energised and feeling ready to tackle the Journey yet again. What a team ! These experiences serve to strengthen the resolve. Onwards and downwards you go with your blog followers always close behind, wishing you safe and sound.
# Sue (and Noodle ), January 6th 2014
Well done chaps. Homeward bound. I am sure thats a song. We are all singing your praises…x
# Kerry Rogers, January 6th 2014
I’m so happy to hear you guys could finally get some much needed rest. I know how gutted you must have been to have to rely on getting assistance but it was 100% the right call. You both are hard as nails and pushing so hard that it blows all of our minds. Plus a little bit of “drama” makes for an exciting read. I so look forward to reading your post first thing every morning. Stefan & I and everyone from Selling are so excited for you both!! Well done & keep up the hard work! Godspeed ;)
# Kiwawa, January 6th 2014
Two very proud sisters. Very proud family in fact, wife,boogiedog, and friends I expect. Miss you, hope to hear from you soon xxx
# Christian C, January 6th 2014
Nice teamwork (again)!
Hope the journey becomes a bit more fun for you as the elevation decreases and you’re back on normal rations.
Cheers,
C
# Intrepid, January 6th 2014
Sorry to hear of your travails with gas and hypothermia. Hope your digestive track has recuperated and you are ready to make haste after a good long warm rest. It is exciting to watch your daily mileage cause a decrease in remaining miles.
I was on an airplane again yesterday. 10,000 feet is the marker for when the pilot turns on the intercom to say it’s okay for passengers to turn on electronics. As I thought of you guys on the plateau at 10,000 feet, I became curious whether it really is 10,000 feet of solid ice. After doing a little research, I learned a few things about the continent.
Have you seen any diamond dust or a sun dog?
Hoping the wind continues to aide you as well as you two have aided each other.
# Mal Owen, January 7th 2014
# Intrepid
re - sun dog
look at….or use ‘search’on left hand side of blog entries for more references
The Land of the Midnight Sun Dog (Day 17)
Beardmore Battles (Day 40)
PS I hope I’m not trying to teach grannies (or grandads) to suck eggs :-)
# Intrepid, January 7th 2014
Mal - Thanks for pointing to past blogs that mention/picture sun dogs. Although Ben calls halos sun dogs, I was wondering whether they’d seen that particular small ball of bright light on the side of the rings that’s like mini suns.
# Sheila England, January 6th 2014
Good to hear you faired well through that scary bit. Hypothermia can happen so easily. I make fun of my husband, when even on a day hike, he makes sure we have hats and warm clothes ‘just in case’. He worked in ’ search & rescue’ many years ago in NZ, and told me some stories.
Stay warm and safe.
-Sheila
# daniela barbieri, January 6th 2014
I’m very glad to find your siary of this expedition. I found the new on FOCUS. My thoughts are with you. Wishes from Maranello, Italy
# Lydia, January 6th 2014
So good to hear that you are fairing better now chaps. Sorry to hear about the gastric problems - no one likes to hear that. I also agree with many of your Blog Fans that you both deserve a team medal and we should make sure that Sports Personality of the Year Team goes to you two - I am sure you must come into one of the many categories they have on there these days. Or we could apply to the Brit Awards or Oscars for best Male Lead for you Ben and Support would defo go to Tarka - imagine the speeches, if there is anyone on here who knows how we can make progress on these then shout - let’s get these awards rolling in.
Sending you both lots of love Lydia x
# dj, January 6th 2014
As most of your other commenters can say much more eloquent and salubrious than I: we’re extremely glad you’re safe, and we’re with you all the way! However (and I’ll probably catch heck for saying this) I must confess, from this end of the saga, it’s becoming a tad bit distressing to become enlightened about just what your “team” considers: “tired but absolutly fine and are just spending a day catching up on admin.” (big breath)
Obviously, I was building into a right indignant tantrum there, and there’s more that could be said and probably should be said; but, just speaking for me, I’d MUCH, MUCH rather hear nothing (and make up my own plausibilities) than be given… let’s call it… “mis-information,” - and I think so would most of your mothers.
Let’s just leave it at that, I’ve already been more direct than is my custom on a public forum and I’m probably going to catch it from the gallery. [And I do hope you understand that I’m assuming this merely reflects “mis-information” and not the much more serious break-down in command and control structure - you do still talk to each other, right?]
Here’s to a successful and safe and more “transparent” return journey to McMurdo and home!
[And just so there’s no mis-understanding, the term “transparent” I’ve used is the latest buzz and euphemism the press in the states are using under Obama for “honesty.” I’m not aware how it is in Europe and the Commonwealth.]
# dj, January 6th 2014
And I’ll be the first to comment on my own comment. GUYS… really… we truly are behind you, sometimes more than you seem to give us credit.
This is a great story, even with any miscalculations, over-reaches or accidents. We realize that you’ve got concerns over what you say with sponsors and supporters and relatives listening. But, we’re not imbeciles. We all want you to succeed. We’re on your side. Remember, spin and PR, while having its place, more often than not turns a perfectly human and understandable accident or mistake into a much less forgivable catastrophe.
To at least my way of thinking, this real-life drama needs no “spin” or “PR” to make it better. As one of my childhood heroes used to say: “We like you just the way you are.”
# Andrea Topi, January 6th 2014
Dj, you raise some good points, pity I don’t have the skills to elaborate in depth, in a language that’s not mine, I would risk misunderstanding and it’s a delicate matter. All I can say is that I fully agree with your conclusion, “we like this guys just the way they are”.
Andrea.
# Andrea, January 6th 2014
If may I, disregarding the case of the public institutions and representatives,
honesty does not mean being extrovert, with regard to the effort and intermediary intentions and thoughts. Were not euphemisms when they wrote wards like: we pushed in all, hard tiredness, we pulled hard ourselves; or that the air was cold (it felt cold with all the special cloths). The expedition moves and actions are in an environment that permanently stresses the human organism at the level of survival.
And besides, there is no time and concentration to make explicit descriptions, with details, for these kinds of road thoughts.
# Rosie Vidovix Unsworth, January 7th 2014
Hey DJ
I m organising a tour of motivational speakers to inspire people with their positivity.
Just wondering if you are available.
# DJ, January 7th 2014
@Andrea… sorry, I’ve been trying for many days to understand the translation into English that you use - but I can’t. Somehow I get the gist that you disagree with me - which is too bad because it also seems that you have a hard time understanding my brand of English. Sorry.
# Scott Expedition Team, January 7th 2014
DJ - there is no ‘PR’ or ‘spin’. The simple fact was that Ben and Tarka were fine by the time the post went up. We’d had a number of concerned emails from people and it was appropriate to reassure our community until Ben’s delayed post went live with full details from the earlier 24 hours. Thank you for your support - but please, enough hints at lack of transparency. It simply isn’t true. Ben and Tarka’s experience is being told openly and honestly. If you want to discuss further please email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). This stream is closed.
# Janet Stanley, January 6th 2014
You guys are a great team, hope all is well now. Please stay safe :)