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.
The Cloudmaker, Kyffin and the Crampons (Day 85)
Day 85: S84° 19' 9.84", E169° 43' 40.08"
Duration: 7 Hr 45 Min
Daily distance: 18.8 Mi
Distance to go: 484.5 Mi
Temperature: -4 °C
Wind chill: -12 °C
Altitude: 3061 Ft
We're back among old friends today (well, familiar landmarks at least) and we're camped this evening under the giant flanks of the mountain Sir Ernest Shackleton named The Cloudmaker* with a clear view north down the Beardmore glacier towards the unmistakable - and I think quite beautiful - Mount Kyffin, a jagged, ridged peak that lies almost opposite our exit on to the Ross Ice Shelf. Conditions, as ever, have been tough today, and we started moving this morning in low cloud, wet snow and near-zero visibility, which made things quite stressful.
The weather improved as the day went on, which was handy as we had to navigate a tricky blue ice descent before we started to draw level with The Cloudmaker. Tarka's crampon repair held up admirably until the last session of the day, when the Dyneema tape he'd used to bind it together finally wore through, so we stopped ninety minutes early this evening to repeat the same repair but using steel wire this time. Worryingly his other crampon has cracked, though mine are still intact and looking good, which is remarkable given my tendency to wreck equipment.
Physically we're both feeling very battered; the repeated jarring and impact on our joints as we descend this 110-mile glacier, much of it on a steel-hard blue ice surface, means we both have sore feet, sore knees, sore hips and sore elbows. And as our joints have now covered 2,125km or 1,320 miles out here, they were probably pretty creaky before we started going downhill. Sodium diclofenac (Voltarol) has become our drug of choice during the day, and we've started raiding our supply of Tramadol at night, partly as Tarka's thumbs are so painful now it's warmer that I think he struggles to get to sleep.
We're both hungry most of the time we're awake, we've once again taken to licking empty energy bar wrappers and sucking the white fat out of the plastic our slices of salami are vacuum-packed in. Keeping a clear train of thought for more than a few moments during the day is becoming harder, and the vivid food fantasies we had before we were resupplied are kicking in once more with a vengeance. We often discuss our imaginary feasts at break times. One of Tarka's today was sushi ("Cheap sushi, on a conveyor belt") and mine was roast pork with crackling, apple sauce and really good roast potatoes.
Now the finish line is theoretically well under three weeks away, we're both also getting wildly excited about sitting down in a chair at a table, eating with a knife and fork, drinking out of a glass or a china mug, having a shower and, of course, enjoying the luxury of a sit-down loo. We haven't done any of these things for nearly three months.
*At least I think it was Shackleton that named it. I could well be utterly confused, especially as my mind seems unable to do much except hold a Homer Simpson-style focus on thick, crispy pork crackling...
Comments
# Mal Owen, January 18th 2014
Your words seconded :-)
# mark, January 18th 2014
Very interesting reading about your day dreams and thoughts of food - of course that is exactly what the Scott party experienced.
It is also fascinating seeing your talk of the muscle wasteage and the bangs and knocks you are taking too.
One only has to look at what the diet was 102 years ago and the equipment to realise a fraction of what those early explorers really went through.
You are following special footsteps; all best wishes for the final push to Ross Island.
# aehenton@btinternet.com, January 18th 2014
Well said # Richard Pearce. It is your safety and survival that count. The ability for you to tell the world of your journeys into yourselves and across that cruel unremitting expanse is worth more than any status. As always wishing you onwards and home.
# CaninesCashews, January 18th 2014
Hi guys,
Even with the shorter session you still managed nearly 19 miles and dropped over 1200ft – incredible really and you’ve busted through the magic 500 miles left to go.
As with Richard and DJ I am concerned about the lack of ‘fuel’ and Tarka’s thumbs, lack of sleep is probably the last thing you guys need at this stage. Equipment wise, I am hopeful the steel wire will hold out and a similar repair can be fashioned for Tarka’s other crampon if it goes the same way. Not sure how long it is to your next depot, was it at the Gateway (just a guess), three good walking days away?
It seems old man Beardmore likes to keep you on your toes. I think that Raymond Priestley, the geologist from Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition was right when he said,
“Half the fascination an Antarctic expedition possesses, is to be found in the sharpness of the contrasts experienced during its course, for it appears to be true that a hell one day is liable to make a heaven the next.”
My sincere hope is for more of the latter for you guys out there.
Please know we are all willing you on, but your safety and well-being comes first. God speed.
Gav
# Christian, January 18th 2014
Ben, Tarka,
Please never forget to take care of each other. You made an excellent decision with the call for the resupply. Stay focused to get back home well. Whatever is needed to achieve this target all followers will be behind that decision.Luck, happiness and strength is what you need and is what we are sending to you from Berlin.
# Susan from Michigan, January 18th 2014
I agree , a resupply is in order. Your well being is most important. You need all the calories you can get. You have traveled far under very rough conditions. We are all worried about you! Stay safe and consider a resupply.
# Richard Pierce, January 18th 2014
Re: a resupply. I don’t think they’ll be able to get one until they’re off the Beardmore, unless it’s an imprecise drop rather than a brief landing. Ben did say in one of his earlier posts that it would be almost impossible to get any help while they were on the glacier.
Not knowing what the state of their rations are at the minute, I can’t even say if they’ve got enough slack to go onto 1.5 rations until they get past the Gateway, but I daresay they have no slack at all.
R
# David, January 18th 2014
As your ‘blog support team’ we are following your every step and watching the miles left to walk drop away - be careful and take great care of yourselves as you head for home. I hope your expedition support team are listening.
God speed
# Mal Owen, January 18th 2014
Hope the expedition support team keep close family informed as the blog must be a source of real concern for them…. it’s bad enough for us and unfortunately it’s hard for us concerned bloggers not to fuel the fire.
# Richard McGehee, January 18th 2014
Ben and Tarka
I would expect a tent and pre-packaged camp food in Antarctica would be a difficult situation to restore fat reserves. My recollection of pre-packaged backpacking meals did not have much fat. The salami sounds good. How about old fashioned pemmican that is loaded with fat? It was used by the American Indians and early explorers.
Happy trails to you from Kentucky.
# Deacon Patrick, January 18th 2014
Reading between the lines of a post some point back, I got the impression daily caloric intake was 6,000 calories (double dinner brought them to 8,000). I thought the daily polar need was 8,000 calories? Have they been mostly in a 2,000 calorie/day deficit? Or are my numbers off ?
The fact they are facing severe malnutrition/starvation symptoms with only their “standard” food supply waiting at depots (unless they resupply) is deeply concerning. Permanent damage can be done to organs and brain in the state they describe, and that’s without Antarctic extremes at play.
Do what you need to Ben and Tarka. Don’t let the mirage of being “close” fool you into a risky decision to try and carry on without whatever aid you deem necessary. Prayers continue for you both.
With abandon,
Patrick
# wonderwoman, January 18th 2014
Dear Ben and Tarka, please try not to damage yourselves too badly. Your lives, health and brains are the things your loved ones - and we all - want to return from this trip. Nothing else matters.
We send you love from Finland and pray for your safe return.