Antarctica 2013: The End Is Nigh For Scott Expedition

Today is the day that the 2013-2014 Antarctic season comes to an end at last. With most of the team already long gone, the Scott Expedition continues to labor towards their finish line. But the boys are now just 15 km (9.3 miles) from their end point and they are more than ready to wrap up what has been an excruciatingly long and difficult journey.

Over the past week or so, Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere have been averaging about 24 miles (38 km) per day. That means they have a relatively short leg to complete today, before reaching a research station located on the Ross Ice Shelf. With that in mind, they have elected to sleep in a little late today and take their time on these final miles. They'll savor as much of the last day as possible, considering they have found little joy in their exhausting trip to the South Pole and back.

Spirits are high for both men as the near the end, but they are definitely weary and ready to go home. The tale of the tape says that when they are finished they'll have covered 2875 km (1786 miles) over 105 days. That is an incredible amount of time to spend out on the ice and it has clearly taken its toll. Still, the team would have made their namesake proud, as they complete Robert Falcon Scott's route to the Pole and back. That alone is an accomplishment worth celebrating.

I'll post an update when Ben and Tarka are done. They were the first out on the ice, and they'll be the last to go home. A much deserved rest is waiting for them.

Antarctica 2013: And Then There Was One...

The Antarctic expedition season is nearing an end, and soon travel across the frozen continent will become even more difficult than it currently is. While most of the teams have wrapped up their projects and have headed home, we still have one expedition that continues to push on to the end. But the finish line is nearly in sight now, and it looks like the most ambitious undertaking of the season will be a major success.

Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere, the two blokes who collectively make up the Scott Expedition, continue to set small goals for themselves as they keep pushing forward on their return trip to their starting point at the Scott Hut out on the Ross Ice Shelf. They currently estimate that they have about ten days left on their journey, although judging from the distance they have yet to cover, I'd say it is closer to 11-12 days. That means they should be wrapping up sometime near the end of next week. Currently they have been out on the ice for 95 days, and they have endured just about everything that Antarctica can throw at them. Now, they are eager to be done, but still have quite a few miles yet to cover.

As of yesterday, there were 271.2 miles (436.4 km) to go until they are done. Currently they are averaging about 24 miles (38 km) per day, hence the reason it will possibly take them longer than ten days to wrap things up. They continue to pick-up supplies from their various caches on the way back, so they seem to have plenty of food and fuel to see them through to the end. The real difficulty comes from their exhausted bodies and minds. Three months out on the ice has certainly taken its toll.


Ben and Tarka have been following in the footsteps of the tragic Robert Falcon Scott. Back in 1911-1912, Scott was locked in a race with Norwegian rival Roald Amundsen to see who would be the first to reach the South Pole. Amundsen eventually won that race, although Scott arrived at 90ºS a few weeks behind. On the return trip, things took a turn for the worse, and Captain Scott, along with his four companions, all died along the way. The purpose of the Scott Expedition was to trace the same route as the famous polar explorer and complete the journey that he was never able to do.

For the most part, they will be successful in that endeavor. Ben and Tarka have skied every mile of that expedition and will finish a journey that is more than a century overdue. Starting at the Ross Ice Shelf, they were able to reach the South Pole, which was the halfway point of their journey. With little time to rest, they then turned around and started skiing back to the start. Along the way, they did receive a single resupply along their way, which Scott wouldn't have had the luxury of in his day. Other than that, they have been able to do something that many thought wasn't possible.

The Scott Expedition isn't quite done yet however and there are still nearly two weeks to go before they return to their starting point. I'll continue to follow their progress and post updates right up until they reach the finish line at last.

Antarctica 2013: In the Shadow of Robert Falcon Scott

The end of the Antarctic expedition season draws near, and soon we will close the book on what has been a very active few months on the frozen continent. All of the teams have departed now, save the Scott Expedition, who continue to press on towards their finish line. They should wrap things up in about another week, but before then they must pass through the shadow of the namesake, as they approach the final resting spot of Robert Falcon Scott and the infamous One Ton Depot.

Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere have now been out on the ice for an astounding 99 days. Their journey from the Ross Ice Shelf to the South Pole, and back again, will go down in history as one of the longest Antarctic expeditions ever. Traveling on foot, these two men have already covered hundreds of miles across a frozen expanse that tests them mentally and physically at ever turn. As of now, they have just 174 miles (280 km) to go before they are through. At their current pace, that should allow them to finish up by the end of next week.

Yesterday, the two explorers reached their final cache, which means they now have plenty of food and fuel to see them through to the end. In fact, for the first time in a long while, they have enough food with them to actually have double rations. Their bodies will probably appreciate getting more calories after weeks of subsisting on very few.


Today, the boys will pass by the final resting spot of Captain Scott and his men. As you probably already know, back in 1911-1912 Scott and his crew were in a race with Norwegian Roald Amundsen to see which team would be the first to the South Pole. Amundsen won the competition, besting Scott by a few weeks. On the return trip, the British explorer and his men suffered mightily, before ultimately perishing in their tent while stranded by a blizzard that lasted for nine days. They were just 11 miles away from what would have been a life saving supply cache, the aforementioned One Ton Depot.

That is the kind of history that looms over the trail for Ben and Tarka today. They should ski past the place where Scott and his men died, as well as the location of their supply cache today. This expedition has given them even more respect for what the Scott team endured on their polar march, and I'm sure they'll be a bit quiet and solemn today as they follow the footsteps of history.

While they are exhausted and ready to be done with their journey, their spirits have been lifted by the addition of their new food supplies and the promise of reaching the end of their expedition. With a week to go, it appears that they will have succeeded wildly.

Video: There And Back Again With The Scott Expedition

Last week, Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere completed their epic journey across Antarctica following the route that Robert Falcon Scott took a century earlier. The boys are still stranded at Union Glacier while they wait for the skies to clear long enough for them to make a flight back to Punta Arenas, and then eventually home. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy the video below, which is a short overview of the expedition and some of the challenges they faced along the way.

Antarctica 2013: The Scott Expedition Is Complete

After more than 105 days out on the ice, during which they covered a grueling 1795 miles (2888 km), Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere have completed the Scott Expedition. The journey, which began back in November, was an attempt to follow in the footsteps of Robert Falcon Scott, and finish his Terra Nova expedition, the route that he perished on in the Antarctic more than a century ago.

Ben and Tarka reached their ending point earlier today, but even in their final push back to the coast along the Ross Ice Shelf, things were more challenging than they had expected. After enduring harsh weather, sub-zero temperatures and whiteout conditions for more than three months, the Antarctic decided to test them once more. A final storm delayed their start and tested their resolve to the end. But, the lads are now safe and sound, and more than ready to come home.

An official announcement of their achievement can be read here. We're told that Ben will post his debrief shortly, although he and Tarka are probably enjoying some much deserved rest in the relative comfort of a polar research station at the moment. Soon they'll be on their way back home, but for now they are like to be content just knowing they can relax for a time.

The completion of this expedition brings the curtain down on the 2013-2014 Antarctic season. It has certainly been an eventful one filled with all kinds of inspiring adventures. It seems that each year, more and more people are skiing to the South Pole, and while those expeditions have become more common, the challenge is still an incredible one. Congratulations to all of the explorers who traveled in the Antarctic this season. Thanks for inspiring us to chase our own dreams and goals.

Antarctica 2013: South Pole Prepares To Welcome Visitors!

The Antarctic season is drawing to a close as numerous teams now close in on the South Pole. This weekend should be a very busy one at the bottom of the world, where the inhabitants at the research station there are known for giving warm welcomes to those who ski in for a visit. They'll have to put the welcome mat for sure over the next few days, as several teams are now on final approach.

The first arrival to the Pole is Antony Jinman, who reached that point earlier today after 47 days out on the ice. He skied the final 14 nautical miles (26 km) today, and reportedly is in good spirits now that his expedition is done. Antony's 700+ mile (1126 km) journey has had its challenges, just like everyone else, but the Polar vet showed his strength by quietly going about his work, pushing ahead at a steady pace, and completing the journey on the same day that Captain Scott reached the Pole more than 100 years ago. Along the way, Jinman carried two drones with him, which were used to capture arial video footage. It should be interesting to see what he has to share with us once get home and has a chance to review. 

Chris and Marty Fagan are on track to arrive at the Pole tomorrow, which is a good thing. They're down to just emergency rations at this point, with Marty drinking his final cup of coffee this morning. If that isn't incentive enough to get to the finish line, I don't know what will be. With 20.4 miles (37.7km) yet to ski, they're not quite done yet. But they can now start turning their attentions to home, where there son has been patiently waiting for their return for the past two months.

Lewis Clarke and Carl Alvey are slowly but surely closing in on 90ºS. As of yesterday, they still had 37 miles (68 km) to go before they finished, and while that is still a daunting distance to cover, they hope to arrive tomorrow too. If high winds persist, as the weather forecast indicates, their arrival could get pushed off until Saturday. It has been 45 days since they left the coast in Lewis' attempt to become the youngest person to ski to the South Pole, and that goal looks like it will soon be a reality.


Daniel Burton is pushing forward with is attempt to be the first person to cycle the full distance to the South Pole. He passed another milestone yesterday by entering his final degree. He reports soft snow on the ground, which makes it harder for him to pedal and slows him down some. Still, he keeps pushing ahead as best he can, and now seems likely to reach the finish line early next week. From the tone of his dispatches, I think it is safe to say that he'll be very happy to have this journey behind him.

Another cyclists, Juan Menendez Granados, is reportedly suffering mightily on his final push to the Pole. We knew that he was nearly out of food a few days back and ExWeb is reporting that he is also going without much sleep. He is trying to get to 90ºS, but he is tired, weak and low on energy. Not a good combination in the Antarctic. His last update said that he is 48.5 km (30 miles) from the finish, so it will likely take him another couple of days to get there.

Finally, on this important day in Antarctic exploration history, the Scott Expedition continues its push back to their starting point. They've been out on the ice longer than anyone else – 84 days at this point – and yet they still have more than 500 miles (804 km) to go before they are done. By early next week they hope to have descended from the Beardmore Glacier, which should make it much easier for them to progress. But at this point, they are exhausted both mentally and physically. Each day is a challenge, but yet both Ben and Tarka seem resolved to see their expedition through. If they manage to make it back to the coast, it will be one of the most impressive expeditions in recent memory. More than 3 months in the Antarctic is enough to test anyone. I sure hope they're making plans to sit on a warm beach when all of this is through.

That's all for today. My next update next week should have news on the successful arrivals of numerous teams.

Antarctica 2013: 100 Days On The Ice

There has been a definitive shift in conditions in the Antarctic, and it is clear that the expedition season is nearly at an end. The daylight hours are getting shorter and temperatures have started to drop, as the austral summer begins to wane at long last. Most of the teams have come and gone of course, but the Scott Expedition remains and presses on towards its inevitable conclusion. The end is now clearly in sight for Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere, who are overdue for a much deserved rest.

Over the weekend, the duo reached yet another milestone on their epic journey through the Antarctic in the footsteps of Robert Falcon Scott. They have now been on the ice for more than 100 days, first setting out from the Scott Hut on the Ross Ice Shelf back in November and skiing for hundreds of miles to and from the South Pole. With just a few days left before they reach the finish line, they have now dropped the distance remaining to just 87.5 miles (140.8 km). At their current pace, that should put them back at the coast on Thursday of this week.

In their most recent update, they indicate that they have noticed the shift in weather, with the average daily temperatures clearly getting colder. On top of that, they've been dealing with a constant freezing mist at ground level, which has made it feel like they are traveling through a cloud. That has prevented them from seeing some of the milestone that they've been working towards, which would give them an indication of how close they are to the end. Those milestones include Mount Erebus and Mount Terror. It has been disheartening for Ben and Tarka to not be able to gauge the progress against those landmarks.



Last week, the boys picked up their final supply depot on the return trip, and while it has added weight to their sleds, it has also allowed them to eat more rations each day as well. Those extra calories are helping them to feel much better and have improved their mood dramatically. Being so close to the end can't hurt their demeanor either.

I'll be keeping a close eye on the expedition over the next few days as the inch closer to the end. It has been a fantastic adventure to follow and I'm in awe of what Ben and Tarka have already accomplished are about to complete. It has been a demanding journey for sure and they deserve much respect and accolades. Back home in the U.K., where they still respect their nation's legacy of exploration, I'm sure they'll be welcomed like heroes.