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.
Old Tracks (Day 96)
Day 96: S80° 33' 18", E168° 47' 36"
Duration: 9 Hr 30 Min
Daily distance: 24.8 Mi
Distance to go: 222.7 Mi
Temperature: -14 °C
Wind chill: -17 °C
Altitude: 200 Ft
The weather this morning, to our surprise, was corking, with blue skies, hardly any wind and only a few streaks of cloud loitering around. It was colder too, and the the combination of sun and chill seemed to make the surface quite sandy and gritty, which slowed us down a bit. Captain Scott seemed obsessed by surface and glide, and with their wooden and metal sledge runners that apparently needed constant attention and de-icing, I can understand why. Even our carbon and kevlar composite sledges (with runners made of some sort of low-friction plastic) seemed a great deal heavier today, like some gremlin had been filling them with rocks while we slept.
The weather started clouding over towards the end of our today, though we never lost the surface contrast completely and we were amazed to stumble across our two-month-old outbound tracks in the early evening, following them for the last two sessions and camping next to them tonight. They're raised clear of the surface, like railway lines, and while they've been blasted away by the wind or hidden by drift or low patches of sastrugi in places, they're easy to follow and make navigating a piece of cake.
Mentally, today wasn't quite so grim, and I had a few sparks of excitement as I followed Tarka this afternoon, finally allowing myself to start to appreciate that we're actually getting close to completing the journey that Captain Scott perished trying to achieve. While I'm not normally superstitious in any sense, I almost daren't think about finishing this vast trip for fear of jinxing things at the eleventh hour, but something about seeing our old tracks again snapped me out of our goldfish-style routine of only thinking as far ahead as what we're going to eat at the next break.
Speaking of which, I mentioned double rations a while ago. We're still limited to our normal day's rations at the moment, but there's a depot that we're on track pick up on Saturday 1st that's loaded with food so we can push the boat out then for the last few days, which in our current states is a very exciting prospect indeed...
Comments
# Jo, January 29th 2014
Speaking of superstition, you´ve almost reached the position where Scott, Wilson and Bowers died (79°50´S, says Wikipedia). I guess this would be a spooky moment for me, to reach and go beyond this position. Good luck for the remaining miles!
# Tamara and Alex, January 29th 2014
Nearly there guys! keep going. t and x
# Ione & Rich, January 29th 2014
Reading of Boogie having a wild time in the snow made us recall our conversation with Tarka’s dog last summer (he was training his ‘master’ to run up hills). Boogie reminded us that DOGS got to the South Pole first but he wasn’t damn well volunteering as only 11 out of 52 made it back from Amundsen’s trip to the S.Pole & frostbitten paws, hard slog and the possibility of being lunch were uninviting! He told Tarka it was more fun in the Alps and when he didn’t listen, quoted Admunsen, ‘Can it be that the dog has not understood its master, or is it the master that has not understood the dog?“The only person who raised a cheer for the dogs was Curzon (who was being snide). We haven’t spoken to Boogie since but have no doubt he still loves Tarka and makes allowances for human failings given that four legs and a superior brain and nose give a distinct advantage over the human species.
# Jarda, January 29th 2014
Ione & Rich:
And what about the ponies which Scott took to Antarctic and which were all killed still on the Barrier, were they volunteering for a half-way journey to the South Pole? Their only certainty was being lunch or dinner (after great labour under conditions for that they were not accustomed).
On the other side Scott stated his safe return it not dependent on dogs but on March 1912 he wrote “the dogs had evidently failed”.
# torsten richter, January 29th 2014
Hold on Tomorrow’s day held when you get past the point where the largest polar heroes, alongside Evans, Oates, Crean and Lashly, their final resting place. R.I.P.
# Fiona Boyd, January 29th 2014
Hey Tarkie and Ben,
I’ve been following your progress and it’s so nice to hear there’s light at the end of the tunnel, you’ve both done so well. It’s not something I’d ever want to do but it must be amazing to be somewhere so few people have been.
Looking forward to seeing you, Tarka, in France in March xx
# H, January 29th 2014
Keep on trucking guys, you are making fantastic progress day in,day out its truly amazing.
Those extra rations on Saturday will be more than well deserved. As your thoughts start to turn to that finish line, the reunion with loved ones, normal food, oh and the joy of a shower or bath, keep remembering what you have conquered and achieved over the past two months. Awe inspiring !!!!
# Martin Hartley, January 29th 2014
Hi guys,
For the first time in history Polar Exploration can now sit comfortably in the ‘spectator sport’ category…no bad thing. Ignore any critics as they are all without exception sat in a comfy chair or sitting on a loo with a warm seat or at home tossing sorry toasting muffins and probably wearing pink fluffly slippers and not in the arena you have been immersed in. One suggestion ..two in fact..(1) Please please take some time to take some decent portraits of each other before you come off the ice…it is the last chance for a while I imagine that you will work yourselves up into such a splendid state of disrepair ( not in the tent ) Keep the sun on the back of the person being photographed and slightly over the shoulder. Make sure the sun does not go into the lens, cast a shadow over the lens if you need to with your spare hand. Crop the top of the head slightly, have the shoulders pointing away from the camera on a few shots and some square on. Smile a little on a few and keep a straight face on others. Take lots but stay close with the camera. If your camera has a zoom lens set it at about 50 or 75. Dont get too close if its just got a wide angle lens attached. Take lots before the last day..as your faces will have some tension lost on that day..
Been amazing to watch you ‘struggle’ whilst remaining super competent at what you are good at.
I am not going to have a beer on your behalf as I have stopped drinking.
Martin x
# CaninesCashews, January 29th 2014
What brilliant advice Martin, I love the last bit about loss of tension in the faces on the last day. So true.
Hopefully they will have time to get some corking portraits that will take a nice black and white conversion.
Gav.
# Rebecca, January 29th 2014
Excellent advice, Martin. There will never be another opportunity for them to take those sorts of portraits. They’ll be capturing history. Thank you for suggesting it.
# Christy, Indiana, U.S., January 29th 2014
Gav, I just want to say how incredibly moving I find the picture you mentioned a week ago at http://goo.gl/oF2Z4a . As I continue to read these blogs, I have continued to see that picture in my mind’s eye ever since I first laid eyes on it. If Ben & Tarka do write a book at some point, I surely hope they use that picture for the cover, it so succinctly sums up their journey on so many levels!
# CaninesCashews, January 29th 2014
Thanks Christy - Very kind of you to say so.
G.
# Simon, January 29th 2014
I’ve come across Martin the Snapper:
His pics of Ben’s Arctic trips flatter.
So heed his advice,
look mean not just nice
and before your next depot - when fatter.
# Heidi, January 29th 2014
I can’t wait to see those photos!
# Pete Vassilakos , January 29th 2014
How exciting! The finish mark is so close! Keep your eyes on the prize! Really proud of you guys! I’m still feeling gitty over receiving a tweet from Ben! Not every day you get a tweet from someone in a tent in Antarctica on his way back from the pole! Haha! Love it! Only a few days away from becoming part of the history books! Wow!
Vassdesign.com
# Gill Blackmore, January 29th 2014
You are truly amazing intrepid explorers guys I salute you.
Have enjoyed reading your blogs your trials and tribulations on the way,
will really miss them, but it will be nice to know you are safely home and tucking in to some home cooked food. Well done
# Rebecca, January 29th 2014
More so than usual (if this is possible), am glued to this site and the Google Earth map, watching you approach Scott’s party’s final location, and the elusive One Ton depot. My heart is in my mouth… Safe travels, my dears.
# Sooner State USA, January 29th 2014
Finish Strong! Thoughts and prayers to you both! Woo Hoo!!
# Gary Fogel, January 29th 2014
Keep up the great daily progress!