Undiscovered Country

A tale of three teams. Two pioneering expeditions, one modern day trek.

“The country here is just one single glacier, to go alone in it is pure madness, two roped together absolutely necessary.” – Roald Amundsen

An expedition led by Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen from the ship Fram became the first to reach the geographic South Pole on 14 December 1911, using a route from the Bay of Whales and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier.[16] One month later, the ill-fated Scott Expedition reached the pole.

The Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1913), officially the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the stated objective “to reach the South Pole and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement”.[1] Scott and four companions attained the South Pole on 17 January 1912, only to find that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by thirty-four days. On their return journey to base camp, Scott and his party all perished. Their records, retrieved by a search party eight months later, ensured that their story would be known.

The third, a trek lead by famed mountaineer Conrad Anker (http://www.conradanker.com/)
and well known author and climber Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air). The insightful narration by Krakauer takes you to the driest and coldest continent of earth (Mountain of Ice – PBS Special), where teams embark on an extreme mission to not only summit Vinson Massif (highest peak in Antarctica) by traversing an unclimbed east face, but also to determine its exact height and to take snow measurement that will help scientists study weather patterns and early warnings for climate change.

When reading accounts of all three expeditions, even though two happened almost 90 years before the latter, the similarities, the lessons are intertwined.

For Amundsen of Norway, it was a joyous experience, being so far removed from comfort, 1:1 with natures forces. Well planned, well practiced (using skis and sleds, that were tested over and over again). “We do not have much to tell in the way of privation or struggle. The whole thing went like a dream.”

For Scot on the other hand, it was meant to be tough rugged, an ordeal. He was an idealist with much man power at his beck and call, testing equipment on arrival, tossing the skis for walking, horseback and machinery, Abandoning well planned procedures, pushing past the bring and taking risks. On the route home, second to the pole, Scot and his men had not eaten for a week. “Outside the tent is a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better now. We shall stick it out until the end, we are getting weaker of course. The end cannot be far. It seems a pity but I do not think I can write more.”

The modern day explorers, with cameras on board, a collaboration of strong climbers, with many opinions but team focused leaders, read deeply past experiences by Amundsen and Scot who had come before them. Relying on maps from the 50’s (the last time I team had trekked through that particular area), blazing a new trail, the only small specks of life in half a continent. Eating modern day cuisine, a mixture of Hummus, falafel, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese, maple syrup and tofu. Inside a self described “ping pong ball. You can’t see the horizon. Its \very disorienting.” These climbers honed skills like Amundsen on other glaciers in prep for the biggest challenge.. Hurricane force winds, horse tail clouds swirling, superfine ice battering and deep wind-chill in their path. A division of thought occurs at the base of a massive 3,000ft head wall. To go up a shorter but very steep side path, where falling means instant death or to gradually meander through Seracs (ice blocks the size of houses, weighing three tonne, unpredictable and unstable), but attainable for the lesser experienced film crew. Krakauer had risked his life before on Everest in the latter and would not do it again. They would rather control their fate, lead by their years of practice and hardened ability, than left in the hands of unpredictable ice and snow. Both sub teams emerged together at forward base camp and made the final summit bid together. A successful bid to stake claim to new trails. In reflection.

Alfred Stephenson, a famed polar explorer said:

“Adventure is a sign of incompetence.” If you have an adventure you are doing something wrong.”

Modern day explorer and author Jon Krakauer said:

Perverse – what we are doing is a perverse thing, We are deliberately hoping we have some adventures, but not too much. We wonder what we are doing here, and know why we are here. You have to be here to understand.