The weather in Antarctia has been unseasonably bad this past week, and two expeditions that were due to have flown out over the past 8 days are still grounded here in Punta Arenas. Due to high winds and unseasonable big snowfall, there has not been one flight from Punta Arenas to Antarctica during this period!
This doesn’t bode well for either my or Richard’s expeditions as we are both due to fly out on Wedneday, but this is seeming unlikely to happen now. The waiting game is about to begin, and with the similar experience I had in the North Pole, I am at least prepared for the mind games that await.
Those in the know say that the weather down there at the moment is like that of mid August, not November.... Hmmmm, is this a bad omen for what lies ahead...!
Anyway, when the going gets tough, the tough get going....!
More soon on our departure day........
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
So how does one feel four days before flying off to ski solo to the South Pole?
I have to admit that each day is a rollercoaster ride, some mornings I wake up restless arund 4am, and can’t get back to sleep as my mind is racing through what I still have to do, and even more scarily it comes up with new items for the preparation task list, and some very innovative solutions solutions also pop out for problems I have been dealing with for a few days. I ask myself, what if I hadn’t accepted the abrupt wake up call, how I would manage the challenge ahead, without these solutions and having the new tasks on the preparation list. This then begs the question of why I shouldn’t stay awake longer and benefit from even more hours of this active mind. My totally exhausted state every night before I go to bed reminds me quickly that this is a fine balance, and I must listen to my body and allow it ...
Other days, I awake feeling very alone, almost scared of what lies ahead..... I really do think about just walking away from the challenge, and rather settling for maybe a peaceful day in bed, just reading, relaxing and sharing special moments with Ruth, who now having joined me in Punta Arenas happens to be lying next to me as I go through all this. I know she is going through her own journey, but it’s not a competition, nor worthy of comparing, I have realised dwe have to largely deal with what we have to deal with, alone. Yes, I have huge support, but nobody other than myself can address the fears, find the courage, or convert the apprehension into excitement. We each have to manage this strange cocktail of emotions in a way that we find best, and for this expedition, although it is an extension of what I have done before, it’s mostly unexplored emotional ground for me.
It’s quite amazing, because as I dwell in the negativity of fear, my mind explores the specifics of the journey ahead: It sometimes gets stuck on a real risk issue, and this fuels the fear, but everyday as I go through this gut wrenching process, I inevitably come onto a thread of thought that takes me to the wonder of being able to be out in the wild of Antarctica, and what I am going to experience is something very special and worthwhile. This ignites my positive fighting spirit, and all of a sudden the risks, problems, and challenges seem to fade into the background, and this superhuman character step forward and replaces the cowardly doubter, and from then on I then want to just get to the start and take on the challenge.
It’s usually on awaekening in the mornings when the doubt and fear comes in..... During the day as I walk the streets of Punta Arenas, with the wind howling and a distinctive chill in the air, I often get this huge sense of excitement within, and wonder how I could EVER think of walking away from this awesome challenge, and exprience that lies ahead. I wonder why it is that waking brings the doubt..... I wonder whether it is the darkness of the night, or it’s ability to provide an escape from the realities of life, with the awakening bringing us back into the realities of life.... All I do know, is that a good cup of coffee, obviously of the fully caffinated variety, helps this transition from almost negative awakening through the verging on euphoric positiveness.
Busy working again! Here I am packing daily portions of rice for the trip to the Pole. Today, we (Me and Richard's team) made 600 sandwiches for the breakfast meal. These aren't ordinary sandwiches: Dry toast, a thick layer of butter, then a dash of hone, then a dash of Nutella, and lastly a thick layer of penut butter, before the top 'lid' of toast is put on. This is just a 'starter' for breakfast!
Contributing significantly to the apprehension is the daily chores list and knowing that Wednesday the point is going to come when I have to step on the plane bound for Antarctica, and there will be no more shops, or thoughts of critical provisions, and all that I have is all that I will start my expedition with..... There just seems so much to do, and so few hours, sometimes I doubt I’ll be ready, yet deep inside me I do know it will all get done.
I have just returned from a meeting at the ALE (Antarctic Logistics Expedition) office where I was grilled s of their staff on the details of my route and expedition plan, by three members of their staff. ALE are the company flying me into Antarctica, and to whom I am relying on for rescue services should that be necessary. They are a very professional organisation how really try and work with expeditioners to minimise the risk, in the hope that all achieve their goals without incident. So when I say grilled, yes I was questioned on all the aspects of my expedition plan and preparation , but it is done in a helpful caring way, which does provide some sense of warmth,but also this magnifies the sense of responsibility right on to me. This is what going solo is all about: One is responsible for everything out there, and anticipation is key. A pessimistic realist approach pays off, as one doesn’t take on such an optimistic line, that the potential for problems and difficulties is overlooked. I have worked through many unfavourable scenarios, and while many may say this is being negative the process is critical for bringing up strategies that will prevent these scenarios, or enable me to deal with them should they happen.
I was presented with a two page document laying out how I have to approach the South Pole. Hmmm, from about three miles out I have take a specific route that brings one to that magical 90 degree S point. This is all required because of the controls and restrictions around the Pole, and to ensure one stays clear of all the sacred / protected areas. As I read through the instructions, I had this mixed feeling of huge joy thinking how I will feel if I get to this point, but I also had this feeling of sadness, as I thought through the special time I’ll have on the ice on my own, and then how strange it is going to feel re-connecting back to the complexity of society....... even the relatively uncluttered environment of the Pole. Anyway, I’ll deal with all that, if and when it all happens......
On the physical side, my body is feeling like a caged race horse. After the months of hard training and now the relative inactivity of shopping and walking the streets of Punat Arenas, I am almost suffering from withdrawal symptoms .... It’s almost like my body is losing faith in the mind, as it keeps on complaining to the mind that it thought ‘we’ were going to do some big endurance walk, yet we are doing the exact opposite....almost inactive! The mind responds by saying: “Be patient, and rst for now, it wll all change in a few days, and I’ll need you to perform at peak level, for more non stop days than you have ever done, so be prepared.“ I couldn’t help myself yesterday, and went for an early morning long run along the ocean front. As usual the cold wind was blowing hard, the sea was wild, but I felt at one with the elements, and ready to go know....
....... It is time to go now, my mind and body are ready for action!
It's not all hard work: The end of each day brings a lovely culinary exploring experience as we sample Punta Arenas' restaurants and pubs. They are diversly intersting and very authentic. What more would one expect for a beer than a local brew called, Polar!
Other days, I awake feeling very alone, almost scared of what lies ahead..... I really do think about just walking away from the challenge, and rather settling for maybe a peaceful day in bed, just reading, relaxing and sharing special moments with Ruth, who now having joined me in Punta Arenas happens to be lying next to me as I go through all this. I know she is going through her own journey, but it’s not a competition, nor worthy of comparing, I have realised dwe have to largely deal with what we have to deal with, alone. Yes, I have huge support, but nobody other than myself can address the fears, find the courage, or convert the apprehension into excitement. We each have to manage this strange cocktail of emotions in a way that we find best, and for this expedition, although it is an extension of what I have done before, it’s mostly unexplored emotional ground for me.
It’s quite amazing, because as I dwell in the negativity of fear, my mind explores the specifics of the journey ahead: It sometimes gets stuck on a real risk issue, and this fuels the fear, but everyday as I go through this gut wrenching process, I inevitably come onto a thread of thought that takes me to the wonder of being able to be out in the wild of Antarctica, and what I am going to experience is something very special and worthwhile. This ignites my positive fighting spirit, and all of a sudden the risks, problems, and challenges seem to fade into the background, and this superhuman character step forward and replaces the cowardly doubter, and from then on I then want to just get to the start and take on the challenge.
It’s usually on awaekening in the mornings when the doubt and fear comes in..... During the day as I walk the streets of Punta Arenas, with the wind howling and a distinctive chill in the air, I often get this huge sense of excitement within, and wonder how I could EVER think of walking away from this awesome challenge, and exprience that lies ahead. I wonder why it is that waking brings the doubt..... I wonder whether it is the darkness of the night, or it’s ability to provide an escape from the realities of life, with the awakening bringing us back into the realities of life.... All I do know, is that a good cup of coffee, obviously of the fully caffinated variety, helps this transition from almost negative awakening through the verging on euphoric positiveness.
Busy working again! Here I am packing daily portions of rice for the trip to the Pole. Today, we (Me and Richard's team) made 600 sandwiches for the breakfast meal. These aren't ordinary sandwiches: Dry toast, a thick layer of butter, then a dash of hone, then a dash of Nutella, and lastly a thick layer of penut butter, before the top 'lid' of toast is put on. This is just a 'starter' for breakfast!
Contributing significantly to the apprehension is the daily chores list and knowing that Wednesday the point is going to come when I have to step on the plane bound for Antarctica, and there will be no more shops, or thoughts of critical provisions, and all that I have is all that I will start my expedition with..... There just seems so much to do, and so few hours, sometimes I doubt I’ll be ready, yet deep inside me I do know it will all get done.
I have just returned from a meeting at the ALE (Antarctic Logistics Expedition) office where I was grilled s of their staff on the details of my route and expedition plan, by three members of their staff. ALE are the company flying me into Antarctica, and to whom I am relying on for rescue services should that be necessary. They are a very professional organisation how really try and work with expeditioners to minimise the risk, in the hope that all achieve their goals without incident. So when I say grilled, yes I was questioned on all the aspects of my expedition plan and preparation , but it is done in a helpful caring way, which does provide some sense of warmth,but also this magnifies the sense of responsibility right on to me. This is what going solo is all about: One is responsible for everything out there, and anticipation is key. A pessimistic realist approach pays off, as one doesn’t take on such an optimistic line, that the potential for problems and difficulties is overlooked. I have worked through many unfavourable scenarios, and while many may say this is being negative the process is critical for bringing up strategies that will prevent these scenarios, or enable me to deal with them should they happen.
I was presented with a two page document laying out how I have to approach the South Pole. Hmmm, from about three miles out I have take a specific route that brings one to that magical 90 degree S point. This is all required because of the controls and restrictions around the Pole, and to ensure one stays clear of all the sacred / protected areas. As I read through the instructions, I had this mixed feeling of huge joy thinking how I will feel if I get to this point, but I also had this feeling of sadness, as I thought through the special time I’ll have on the ice on my own, and then how strange it is going to feel re-connecting back to the complexity of society....... even the relatively uncluttered environment of the Pole. Anyway, I’ll deal with all that, if and when it all happens......
On the physical side, my body is feeling like a caged race horse. After the months of hard training and now the relative inactivity of shopping and walking the streets of Punat Arenas, I am almost suffering from withdrawal symptoms .... It’s almost like my body is losing faith in the mind, as it keeps on complaining to the mind that it thought ‘we’ were going to do some big endurance walk, yet we are doing the exact opposite....almost inactive! The mind responds by saying: “Be patient, and rst for now, it wll all change in a few days, and I’ll need you to perform at peak level, for more non stop days than you have ever done, so be prepared.“ I couldn’t help myself yesterday, and went for an early morning long run along the ocean front. As usual the cold wind was blowing hard, the sea was wild, but I felt at one with the elements, and ready to go know....
....... It is time to go now, my mind and body are ready for action!
It's not all hard work: The end of each day brings a lovely culinary exploring experience as we sample Punta Arenas' restaurants and pubs. They are diversly intersting and very authentic. What more would one expect for a beer than a local brew called, Polar!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The long haul to Punta Arenas is done..... Patagonia gets my pulse racing again!
All the photos were taken from the window of the plane flying down to Punta Arenas
A nice break from the full on focus of 'The Expedition':
It took more than 30 hours to get from Cape Town to Punta Arenas, but the final strait from Santiago to ‘Sandy Point’ (the English translation for Punta Arenas) provided breathtaking vistas of one of the worlds special wilderness areas, Patagonia. All my fatigue and boredom from so many airports and hours in the air was suddenly forgotten and the passion of adventure became alive within me as I looked down and saw the places I had cycled through in 2006.
This struck a chord with what lies ahead in Antarctica, and I felt this huge flow of adrenalin startup within, a mixture of fear and excitement that is hard to fully understand, but one that I know tells me: “I’m really living, man!” I just love this, but there is a huge challenge ahead, and I’m not under estimating that!
Punta Arenas is this strange mix of real character and soul-less suburbia. For me it's very special walking around the centre of the city and coming across names of places that have so much rich adventure meaning and history to me....
There is the Cabo de Hornos Hotel... Cape Horn Hotel, the notorius cape, a place I still one day want to sail around on my own! Then there is Patagonia Calle (street), Hernanado Magellan avenenue, Shackleton Bar, Hotel Terra del Fuego, Chiloe Calle, and many more..... Interestingly the Chileans (as do most spanish speakers), pronounce the two 'll's' of Magellan as 'j''s so the strangely for us english spaeakers, we hear the Chileans talking about 'Magejaanie' for Magellan..... I wonder what the Portugese (from whenst Maggelan came) would say?
This place is full of maritime history and somehow lying at the tip of South America, right on the Straits of Magellan, has this huge fascination for me. The sea water is 3-4 degrees centigrade, and although its approaching mid summer the ambient temperature is surprisingly cool, and there are still traces of snow on the surrounding mountains. Terra del Fuego is directly visible across the Straits, and its higher mountains have lots more snow.
Sitting now at 53 degree south, I feel like I have flown very far south, in fact this is the furtherest south I have ever been, but still I am almost 40 degrees away from the South Pole, and about 30 degrees from my ski-ing start point. When I think through that, I realise just how far I still have to go, and and how remote I really will be. The sun now sets at around 9pm here, and rises at around 5am, but right down south it's already 24 hour daylight. My mind then moves to what this, 'distance still to travel south' will mean for temperatures....Hmmm, this distance south translates into a lot of heat loss, and it really becomes clear how cold and isolated this Antarctica and the South Pole is going to be! I even start shivering at the thought.... But my sense of adventure into this new unknown, kindles a fire within that warms me up to deal with what lies ahead.
The 'Sandy Point' has some real colour too....:
After having a warm welcome from Richard Weber, who had arrived the day earlier, I was soon settled in my appartment and deaing with the realities of tracking down my expedition gear which was delayed arriving by freight from Cape Town. From here the task list was attacked with full focus and vigor, and I'm expecting Ruth to arrive from London tomorrow night.
Back to the preparation.....
A nice break from the full on focus of 'The Expedition':
It took more than 30 hours to get from Cape Town to Punta Arenas, but the final strait from Santiago to ‘Sandy Point’ (the English translation for Punta Arenas) provided breathtaking vistas of one of the worlds special wilderness areas, Patagonia. All my fatigue and boredom from so many airports and hours in the air was suddenly forgotten and the passion of adventure became alive within me as I looked down and saw the places I had cycled through in 2006.
This struck a chord with what lies ahead in Antarctica, and I felt this huge flow of adrenalin startup within, a mixture of fear and excitement that is hard to fully understand, but one that I know tells me: “I’m really living, man!” I just love this, but there is a huge challenge ahead, and I’m not under estimating that!
Punta Arenas is this strange mix of real character and soul-less suburbia. For me it's very special walking around the centre of the city and coming across names of places that have so much rich adventure meaning and history to me....
There is the Cabo de Hornos Hotel... Cape Horn Hotel, the notorius cape, a place I still one day want to sail around on my own! Then there is Patagonia Calle (street), Hernanado Magellan avenenue, Shackleton Bar, Hotel Terra del Fuego, Chiloe Calle, and many more..... Interestingly the Chileans (as do most spanish speakers), pronounce the two 'll's' of Magellan as 'j''s so the strangely for us english spaeakers, we hear the Chileans talking about 'Magejaanie' for Magellan..... I wonder what the Portugese (from whenst Maggelan came) would say?
This place is full of maritime history and somehow lying at the tip of South America, right on the Straits of Magellan, has this huge fascination for me. The sea water is 3-4 degrees centigrade, and although its approaching mid summer the ambient temperature is surprisingly cool, and there are still traces of snow on the surrounding mountains. Terra del Fuego is directly visible across the Straits, and its higher mountains have lots more snow.
Sitting now at 53 degree south, I feel like I have flown very far south, in fact this is the furtherest south I have ever been, but still I am almost 40 degrees away from the South Pole, and about 30 degrees from my ski-ing start point. When I think through that, I realise just how far I still have to go, and and how remote I really will be. The sun now sets at around 9pm here, and rises at around 5am, but right down south it's already 24 hour daylight. My mind then moves to what this, 'distance still to travel south' will mean for temperatures....Hmmm, this distance south translates into a lot of heat loss, and it really becomes clear how cold and isolated this Antarctica and the South Pole is going to be! I even start shivering at the thought.... But my sense of adventure into this new unknown, kindles a fire within that warms me up to deal with what lies ahead.
The 'Sandy Point' has some real colour too....:
After having a warm welcome from Richard Weber, who had arrived the day earlier, I was soon settled in my appartment and deaing with the realities of tracking down my expedition gear which was delayed arriving by freight from Cape Town. From here the task list was attacked with full focus and vigor, and I'm expecting Ruth to arrive from London tomorrow night.
Back to the preparation.....
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The final day before leaving Cape Town.......
The hours of training are behind me, the job lists to this point are done, and tomorrow morning at 05h30 I get on a plane for the long journey to Punta Arenas, Chile.
I am sitting on the balcony of my little cottage, and it’s a lovely moonlight evening. Tonight the Southern Cross is seemingly brighter than usual, showing ME the way to the South Pole, and all the separates me from Antarctica is the Southern Ocean that disappears into the moonlit horizon. This is a very emotional time, as I seem finally to be on track to meet my destiny with Antarctica. In 2006, 2008, and 2009 I came close to meetings with this special wilderness but the experiences weren’t to be, no doubt waiting for this very special meeting and experience that lies ahead. I never wanted the meeting to be on passive, commercial operator terms, I wanted as naked an experience as I could personally manage, and now this is exactly what awaits me. As I think through what lies ahead, I have this huge emotion cocktail within, feelings of apprehension, fear, excitement, and a sense of handing myself over to fate.
The rational human being would seriously question why someone would want to leave the warm home, peace, security and serenity of this cottage environment to take on the hostility of the Antarctic environment, and solo! There is something bizarre about all this, but having done many of these ‘irrational’ expeditions, I know that there is an amazing way of life awaiting on the ice. A way of life that is so simple, and so focused on the minuteness of the micro now, that one experiences this enormous peace and serenity that is beyond what I can experience in the city / home environment. It is a life free of mindless clutter, yet full of challenge, and in an environment that is the purest of the pure: The world’s largest desert, and an ice one at that.... Once i understand that the life on the ice that I am going to will be of this ‘higher quality’, the whole game becomes so much easier. The trick comes in settling into the new life as quick as possible, and embracing it as my ‘new way of life’, rather than a temporary suffering situation, that needs to be wished away, by the thoughts of reconnecting back to the preferred life that I have left behind. I call this point the capitulation point, the point where my gear, systems and routine are now all bedded down, and one starts really enjoying the way of life, knowing that this is my way of life, rather than a temporary, and unwanted, removal from normal way of life. The sooner I can get to that point, the better my adventure will go, and the more real fun I will have. After this point one almost becomes one with the environment, and with that will come a specialness that draws me back to these seemingly crazy, mindless adventures.
I am so excited and truly can’t wait to get to that point of oneness with Antarctica, but the fear and apprehension is about getting to that capitulation point. The change in lifestyle is so severe, and so anti society, that few can support or understand, and it is only something I have to deal with myself within. The equipment and the routines are key to shortening the time to this ‘oneness with Antarctica’ point, and this is why these past few weeks are attending to the final equipment specifics is so very important, and in some ways stressful. The decisions being made will determine how quickly, or even more serious, whether one can even get to that ‘oneness’ point, and the final adventure objective.
For many it would seem that the only goal is reaching the South Pole, but I know that these extreme adventures are about two things: The Journey and the Goal. One needs to balance these two objectives, and I remember clearly in the final days of my North Pole expedition, I felt this inner peace, that made reaching the Pole almost a non event for me, because within I knew I had experienced 42 days of an amazing journey, and it’s value had far overtaken the prize of the end goal. I am hoping that the same happenings here, and wonder how the solo nature of my journey, and the stark ice desert environment will effect this journey / goal balance.
I have to go know...Bye, bye Cape Town, my destiny with Antarctica awaits, and I’m in a hurry to get there!!
I am sitting on the balcony of my little cottage, and it’s a lovely moonlight evening. Tonight the Southern Cross is seemingly brighter than usual, showing ME the way to the South Pole, and all the separates me from Antarctica is the Southern Ocean that disappears into the moonlit horizon. This is a very emotional time, as I seem finally to be on track to meet my destiny with Antarctica. In 2006, 2008, and 2009 I came close to meetings with this special wilderness but the experiences weren’t to be, no doubt waiting for this very special meeting and experience that lies ahead. I never wanted the meeting to be on passive, commercial operator terms, I wanted as naked an experience as I could personally manage, and now this is exactly what awaits me. As I think through what lies ahead, I have this huge emotion cocktail within, feelings of apprehension, fear, excitement, and a sense of handing myself over to fate.
The rational human being would seriously question why someone would want to leave the warm home, peace, security and serenity of this cottage environment to take on the hostility of the Antarctic environment, and solo! There is something bizarre about all this, but having done many of these ‘irrational’ expeditions, I know that there is an amazing way of life awaiting on the ice. A way of life that is so simple, and so focused on the minuteness of the micro now, that one experiences this enormous peace and serenity that is beyond what I can experience in the city / home environment. It is a life free of mindless clutter, yet full of challenge, and in an environment that is the purest of the pure: The world’s largest desert, and an ice one at that.... Once i understand that the life on the ice that I am going to will be of this ‘higher quality’, the whole game becomes so much easier. The trick comes in settling into the new life as quick as possible, and embracing it as my ‘new way of life’, rather than a temporary suffering situation, that needs to be wished away, by the thoughts of reconnecting back to the preferred life that I have left behind. I call this point the capitulation point, the point where my gear, systems and routine are now all bedded down, and one starts really enjoying the way of life, knowing that this is my way of life, rather than a temporary, and unwanted, removal from normal way of life. The sooner I can get to that point, the better my adventure will go, and the more real fun I will have. After this point one almost becomes one with the environment, and with that will come a specialness that draws me back to these seemingly crazy, mindless adventures.
I am so excited and truly can’t wait to get to that point of oneness with Antarctica, but the fear and apprehension is about getting to that capitulation point. The change in lifestyle is so severe, and so anti society, that few can support or understand, and it is only something I have to deal with myself within. The equipment and the routines are key to shortening the time to this ‘oneness with Antarctica’ point, and this is why these past few weeks are attending to the final equipment specifics is so very important, and in some ways stressful. The decisions being made will determine how quickly, or even more serious, whether one can even get to that ‘oneness’ point, and the final adventure objective.
For many it would seem that the only goal is reaching the South Pole, but I know that these extreme adventures are about two things: The Journey and the Goal. One needs to balance these two objectives, and I remember clearly in the final days of my North Pole expedition, I felt this inner peace, that made reaching the Pole almost a non event for me, because within I knew I had experienced 42 days of an amazing journey, and it’s value had far overtaken the prize of the end goal. I am hoping that the same happenings here, and wonder how the solo nature of my journey, and the stark ice desert environment will effect this journey / goal balance.
I have to go know...Bye, bye Cape Town, my destiny with Antarctica awaits, and I’m in a hurry to get there!!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
My Route to the South Pole
On the 20th November, I’m scheduled to be flown in a Twin Otter from the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) base at Union Glacier to the start point, which should be about 82’ 27S, 65’0W, a point on the coast line, off the Weddell Sea, where the Filchner / Ronne Ice shelf attaches to the Antarctic continent. The elevation here is about 140 metres above mean sea level, and it is about 6-700 kilometres from the edge of the sea ice shelf in the Weddell Sea. Just to the east of the starting point the huge Foundation Ice Stream flows from the Pensacola Mountains, some 150 miles into the Ronne Ice Shelf.
Ice streams are channelized glaciers that flow more rapidly than the surrounding body of ice. The interface areas between the more rapidly flowing ice stream and the slower moving lateral ice, are potentially dangerous crevasse filled terrain. Although they account for only 10% of the volume of the ice sheet, ice streams are sizable features, up to 50km wide, 2000m thick and hundreds of km long. Some flow at speeds of over 1000m per year and most of the ice leaving the ice sheet passes though them. The Foundation Ice Stream is one of about 6-10 ice outflow points that facilitate the removal of ice from the Antarctic Plateau ice sheet. NASA have recently provided this fascinating video ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/21/antarctica-ice-flow-map_n_932467.html ) that shows how the ice flows off the continent of Antarctica.
From the start my route will take a slightly westerly direction off the direct route to the Pole, away from the Pensacola mountains, on a compass course of around 185 degrees. This to enable me to avoid the crevasse described above, associated with the Foundation Ice Stream interfaces. I’ll be climbing in elevation on average of about 200 metres a day.
Around 84’30S I plan to head a bit more south, but still west of the rhumb line course to The Pole, with a view to avoiding a large crevasse field around 87’0S. The Thiel mountains will be on my right, although covered in ice but hopefully I’ll get a view of a number of nunataks.
Once around the crevasse field, I’ll more or less be up on the Polar Plateau, and most of the elevation climbing would have been done, and hopefully without any mishaps. From there it will then be a final ‘drag’ to the South Pole, and the Scott Amundsen Base of the USA.
I will definitely not arrive in time for the huge Amundsen centenary celebrations on the 14th of December, but somehow I know I will have my own 'huge' party should I make it!
Ice streams are channelized glaciers that flow more rapidly than the surrounding body of ice. The interface areas between the more rapidly flowing ice stream and the slower moving lateral ice, are potentially dangerous crevasse filled terrain. Although they account for only 10% of the volume of the ice sheet, ice streams are sizable features, up to 50km wide, 2000m thick and hundreds of km long. Some flow at speeds of over 1000m per year and most of the ice leaving the ice sheet passes though them. The Foundation Ice Stream is one of about 6-10 ice outflow points that facilitate the removal of ice from the Antarctic Plateau ice sheet. NASA have recently provided this fascinating video ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/21/antarctica-ice-flow-map_n_932467.html ) that shows how the ice flows off the continent of Antarctica.
From the start my route will take a slightly westerly direction off the direct route to the Pole, away from the Pensacola mountains, on a compass course of around 185 degrees. This to enable me to avoid the crevasse described above, associated with the Foundation Ice Stream interfaces. I’ll be climbing in elevation on average of about 200 metres a day.
Around 84’30S I plan to head a bit more south, but still west of the rhumb line course to The Pole, with a view to avoiding a large crevasse field around 87’0S. The Thiel mountains will be on my right, although covered in ice but hopefully I’ll get a view of a number of nunataks.
Once around the crevasse field, I’ll more or less be up on the Polar Plateau, and most of the elevation climbing would have been done, and hopefully without any mishaps. From there it will then be a final ‘drag’ to the South Pole, and the Scott Amundsen Base of the USA.
I will definitely not arrive in time for the huge Amundsen centenary celebrations on the 14th of December, but somehow I know I will have my own 'huge' party should I make it!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Romance in Antarctica, taking our North Pole meeting a step further???
Many of you will remember the emotional meeting Ruth and I had at the finish of my 2010 North Pole expedition, literally at the North Pole in 2010...... Hmmm, that always brings a littel tear to my eye for its specialness!
Well with her last degree North Pole skiing experience, cold weather skills, and her enormous endurance capacity she has also signed up for a South Pole experience that will no doubt push her limits. She is part of a team of five, guided by Richard Weber (Who guided my 2010 expedition) who will be following the same route I am taking and we will fly out to the start together on the 20th November.
If all goes well and we both make it to the South Pole, we will meet each other around Christmas day for what promises to be a very emotional and dramatic twist to this solo South Pole expedition.
In Ruth being out on the ice while I am out their solo, I will have this confusing togetherness yet aloneness. She will no doubt be dealing with her challenge and have little capacity or means to support me in the way she has previously, and I will feel some strong desire to support her through her challenge, but this mutual support will largely be just in the comfort of knowing we are both out there on the ice together, dealing individually with the challenges that Mother Nature will throw at us. The potential prize of an emotional meeting akin to one at the North Pole in 2010, but this time both of us victors in our own significant pursuits. This will be a real strong motivator for digging deep when the going gets tough and the spirit starts wavering.
Ruth is scheduled to fly back from the South Pole and I am then scheduled to take her place in Richard’s team for the exciting kite ski back to the coast.
Not often is it that there is an epic South Pole expedition story, with a romantic touch to soften the brutality of the real struggle over the Antarctic ice desert. This ‘movie’ is about to start, but I unlike the Hollywood romantics, this one is live, and the impromptu script will be directed largely by Mother Nature and the decisions on what movie ‘sets’ she decides to use! Watch this blog to see it all unfold....
Well with her last degree North Pole skiing experience, cold weather skills, and her enormous endurance capacity she has also signed up for a South Pole experience that will no doubt push her limits. She is part of a team of five, guided by Richard Weber (Who guided my 2010 expedition) who will be following the same route I am taking and we will fly out to the start together on the 20th November.
If all goes well and we both make it to the South Pole, we will meet each other around Christmas day for what promises to be a very emotional and dramatic twist to this solo South Pole expedition.
In Ruth being out on the ice while I am out their solo, I will have this confusing togetherness yet aloneness. She will no doubt be dealing with her challenge and have little capacity or means to support me in the way she has previously, and I will feel some strong desire to support her through her challenge, but this mutual support will largely be just in the comfort of knowing we are both out there on the ice together, dealing individually with the challenges that Mother Nature will throw at us. The potential prize of an emotional meeting akin to one at the North Pole in 2010, but this time both of us victors in our own significant pursuits. This will be a real strong motivator for digging deep when the going gets tough and the spirit starts wavering.
Ruth is scheduled to fly back from the South Pole and I am then scheduled to take her place in Richard’s team for the exciting kite ski back to the coast.
Not often is it that there is an epic South Pole expedition story, with a romantic touch to soften the brutality of the real struggle over the Antarctic ice desert. This ‘movie’ is about to start, but I unlike the Hollywood romantics, this one is live, and the impromptu script will be directed largely by Mother Nature and the decisions on what movie ‘sets’ she decides to use! Watch this blog to see it all unfold....
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Solo but not Alone…..How does that work???
As I look back over my solo expeditions, the cycle rides, the solo sailing, and sea kayaking, I do know that I never felt totally alone, there was always this feeling that I had others with me, and the blogs like this one, contributed a huge amount, bringing with it a sense of team, and camaraderie that I find quite exceptional. Almost without exception, before each of these expeditions I always wonder who the blog is for and whether they provide the benefits to you the followers? From the recent Yukon Canoe trip with Imitiaz Moosa (http://theyukonblind.blogspot.com/), my amazing 2010 Canada to North Pole trip (http://canadatothenorthpole.blogspot.com/), the cycling from Cairo to Cape Town (http://blog.mailasail.com/howfair), to sailing Solo across the Atlantic (http://blog.mailasail.com/howardsolone), each expedition has been quite different, and will appeal to different people in different ways, but for each one I try to bring you right into my “now world’ of the adventure, in the hope that this will be both entertaining, inspiring and in some way connect to your sense of adventure and human endeavour.
Are the blogs for me or for the readers? This is a question I often debate with myself. There is no doubt that capturing the daily trials and tribulations of these the adventures in a way that adds value to your reader experience, provides me with a very valuable increased appreciation of my adventure experience. It is all too easy to just live the now experiences, and move from one to the next as the adventure days roll on, but never really reflecting on them nor drawing meaning from their collective value. I know this solo trip to the South Pole is going to be very demanding on me, probably the most demanding expedition I have ever done and I wonder if I will have the capacity at the end of the day to write a blog? But as I think through the benefits of the blog, and almost every day I get almost instructed by others "You must have a blog for this one", I know I must be committed to the blog and try and deliver my very best, not just for YOU but for ME. It’s in this strangely indirect way, that you help me experience my adventure in a deeper way than I would have without you with me. Then there is the support from your participation in comments that are written on the blog, you have no idea how motivating it is to receive these while in my world. It gives a perspective, and truly takes Solo but not Alone to an new level.
This blog will be largely about a struggle, my struggle, I am really not sure I will make it to the Pole, only 10 have every done a solo, unsupported, unassisted expedition from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole, so it’s far from easy and success is definitely not guaranteed. There maybe times of blog silence, where my capacity is over extended so, but I will commit to post at least a daily short, purely factual SMS type update that will plot my position on Google Earth, and you can follow it at: http://blog.mailasail.com/southpolesolo.
So please feel free to join me on this amazing challenge, in the specialness of Antarctica, and in the process hopefully we create a special experience amazing that we can both savour.
There is another very important dimension to my being Solo but not Alone, and that is the support I get from my partner Ruth. Since 2006, she has always been in the background of my extreme adventures, supporting me and providing a contact point that gave me true confirmation that I was not alone, and I had this additional tower of strength underneath me. Her support in this expedition will be different to any before, and it is so special that I cover this in a separate blog posting entitled 'Romance in Antarctica', taking our North Pole meeting a step further!”
Ruth's message in the sand for me while we were training on Muizenberg Beach!
Are the blogs for me or for the readers? This is a question I often debate with myself. There is no doubt that capturing the daily trials and tribulations of these the adventures in a way that adds value to your reader experience, provides me with a very valuable increased appreciation of my adventure experience. It is all too easy to just live the now experiences, and move from one to the next as the adventure days roll on, but never really reflecting on them nor drawing meaning from their collective value. I know this solo trip to the South Pole is going to be very demanding on me, probably the most demanding expedition I have ever done and I wonder if I will have the capacity at the end of the day to write a blog? But as I think through the benefits of the blog, and almost every day I get almost instructed by others "You must have a blog for this one", I know I must be committed to the blog and try and deliver my very best, not just for YOU but for ME. It’s in this strangely indirect way, that you help me experience my adventure in a deeper way than I would have without you with me. Then there is the support from your participation in comments that are written on the blog, you have no idea how motivating it is to receive these while in my world. It gives a perspective, and truly takes Solo but not Alone to an new level.
This blog will be largely about a struggle, my struggle, I am really not sure I will make it to the Pole, only 10 have every done a solo, unsupported, unassisted expedition from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole, so it’s far from easy and success is definitely not guaranteed. There maybe times of blog silence, where my capacity is over extended so, but I will commit to post at least a daily short, purely factual SMS type update that will plot my position on Google Earth, and you can follow it at: http://blog.mailasail.com/southpolesolo.
So please feel free to join me on this amazing challenge, in the specialness of Antarctica, and in the process hopefully we create a special experience amazing that we can both savour.
There is another very important dimension to my being Solo but not Alone, and that is the support I get from my partner Ruth. Since 2006, she has always been in the background of my extreme adventures, supporting me and providing a contact point that gave me true confirmation that I was not alone, and I had this additional tower of strength underneath me. Her support in this expedition will be different to any before, and it is so special that I cover this in a separate blog posting entitled 'Romance in Antarctica', taking our North Pole meeting a step further!”
Ruth's message in the sand for me while we were training on Muizenberg Beach!
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