There has been an ever increasing tendency
in recent years for people to use Antarctica as an adventurous playground
for their extreme exploits.
This
is really just an extension of the drives that take people up mountains
and down rapids, engage in long overland journeys from one place to another
for some historical precedence - following in the wake of some famous figure
who has gone before, or because they want to be the first.
But when these exploits happen in Antarctica,
they seem to frequently become imbued with some kind of heroism that I feel
doesn't always really apply.
Take the South Pole for instance,
all sorts of people go there today, and many are trying to be the "First"
something, first to get there wearing an orange hat, first to get there
and have clean underwear on everyday. They, or maybe the press (their
press officers) try to convince us that they are "Walking in the footsteps
of Scott".
Ahem! - Scott and his team really did walk
there - all the way from the coast - and despite great logistical support
of their own organization died in the process. By 1950, there had still
only been ten men who had stood at the South Pole (five from Scott's
party and five from Amundsen's) and half of them had died on the way back.
Today's climate of technologically advanced clothing, tents, communications
and support is very different. Not to mention the fact there are lots of
National Stations dotted around the continent for emergencies - more of
those later.
Sometimes charity is cited as the reason
for all this effort. While there are those who do raise great amounts
of money for charity through their efforts, there are those for whom this
seems to be a great way of getting to go to a place they could never otherwise
manage and to have a great adventure in the process. I met someone a few
years ago whose expedition was looking like it was going to fail through
a lack of sponsorship, fortunately it was rescued at the last minute when
his father came in and supplied many thousands of pounds to pay for it all.
When I asked if he could come to the state school where I teach and give
one of his heavily promoted talks, he regretted that he couldn't as we couldn't
afford to pay the (very expensive) asking price - so much for charity.
A while ago there was some guy whose expedition
was to be the "First" to ski down Mount Erebus. He was sort-of in that he
was the first to mount an expedition with this as an aim (and indeed I think
he succeeded) but personnel from the nearby New Zealand and US Antarctic
stations had been using Mount Erebus as a ski slope for years. They just
weren't claiming that it was particularly heroic to do so.
Now I'm not of the ilk that says we
should all stay away from Antarctica and not touch it or not go there
at all, far from it. It's a fantastic place and if you ever get the
remotest chance of going I suggest you grab it with both hands.
Having spent two of the best years of my
life in Antarctica, I feel that I know it more than most who go there briefly
or just write about it. Antarctica is not so different to the Arctic and
plenty of people live there all the time and have done for centuries. What
is different about the Antarctic is that it is even more remote than the
Arctic and has a greater mystique as so few people have been. To survive
there is not a great feat, it is the result of careful planning, familiarity
with the risks and having the ability to deal with any unexpected trouble
that may come your way. It also relies on the fact that you aren't going
to do anything extreme unless you're well practiced. Would you haul a sledge
or trolley for a few hundred miles from your home, plant a flag and go back
again? .....thought not.
Maybe it's just a part of my progress to
becoming a grumpy old man, but I find it less than impressive or convincing,
when starting around the end of November and running through to about March,
I read about some new great heroic expedition (why are they always expeditions?)
in the papers every month.
 | By all means go to Antarctica. |
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| By all means walk hundreds of miles over
great expanses of nothingness while hauling great weights
if that's what you want to do. |
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| You could even fly over any isolated
point that you've identified no-one has done before in your
string and cardboard plane you made yourself in your converted
outhouse. |
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| If you like the idea that you're the
first person of your age from your street that has done
it while whistling Dixie, then great!. |
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I hope you have a great time and get
what you want out of the experience, but please:
| Don't allow others to think that what
you're doing is in any way heroic, or god-forbid - important. |
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| Please plan and pay for it yourself unless
you really are famous or hardworking enough to get corporate
sponsors to help you raise plenty of money for worthy charities. |
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|
 Then
there's one more thing that I've saved until last, that is possibly
the most important this is in regard to support and rescue.
There have been several instances
particularly in recent years, where adventurers have got themselves
into what could potentially have been a fatal position.
The reason that it wasn't is that there were research bases
nearby (often by design of the adventurers) who came to the
rescue (or answered the door when a knock was received). The
rescue may have been literal in the case of downed aircraft
or more benign in the case of adequate food, shelter and transport
for those who simply hadn't provided for themselves when things
went wrong.
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Human nature will always ensure that
someone in an emergency will receive help and assistance from those
nearby who are able to give aid. However to put yourself into a position
where you know you are relying on others to achieve your own goal, adventure
- dare I say - holiday, is of a rather different nature.
| It's
a bit strange to see someone with the same name as me thinking of
going to Antarctica.
p.s. - I completely agree with the article.
Graeme
McMurdo (Scotland) |
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| I'm against for developing the Antarctica
because its beautiful place and has it own natural resources.
The animals are safe and wild within their habitat and people
develop this the is a possibility that we may destroy this.
I think we should just leave it because it is a beautiful place
and if we pollute it we will lose Antarctica.
Riya |
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| I tend to agree with most of what you
have written. For many years I have been keen to travel
to McMurdo as the Lt Archibald McMurdo after whom it was named
is from our wider family line. I guess as a young person I never
ever got around to making plans but recently my eldest son approached
me and suggested that now I have recently retired perhaps some
McMurdo family members should travel down from NZ and get to
see the place named after one of our McMurdo clansman.
Regards Graeme Mcmurdo |
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| Well why don't all you people get out
there and do something to save Antarctica instead of whinging
on the internet!!! Yes sometimes it doesn't hurt that there
are a few tourists going there as long as in the process they
are creating awareness of climate change. if people are going
there just for fame well don't let them! people should be able
to realise what is happening!
Animals are dying from
our greediness! we don't really have to go to Antarctica just
for the fun of it do we? and half the time its not fun, its
dangerous and people can die! so lets all just leave it alone. |
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| I think we should just leave it because
it is a beautiful place and if we pollute it we will lose Antarctica.
Kieran |
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Firstly let me say that this
site certainly offers a wealth of information. I have found
it a very interesting read. I intend to visit Antarctica,
I will be putting together a continental crossing that will
be sponsored by a corporate, have some scientific value and
gain money for a Leukaemia charity. I have 2 reasons for doing
this;
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1) I can raise money and
awareness for my wife's rare Leukaemia (My wife has CML),
and
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2) I personally want to go
to Antarctica.
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I do not intend on selling my
experience purely for commercial gain, what I hope to offer
from the experience will be positive achievements in the face
of adversity. I believe that anyone who takes on a challenge
whether it is North Pole, South Pole, Everest or any far away
experience (dare I say Expedition) should be recognised for
the effort they put in. I am aware that people have different
reasons for going to the South Pole and that you may not approve
of them all, as you say, in your experience help is never too
far away and so, they cannot really be called explorers.
However in many cases, if there
is a weather change and parties are a reasonable distance from
assistance then there can still be danger (please correct me
if I am wrong). Just as some may sell their Expedition rights
and not offer free talks to schools there are other individuals
that are inspirational and do intend to share their experiences
so people can gain a better understanding about one of the worlds
most important continents. It seems that you have had a bad
personal experience with one or more of the new adventurers,
and perhaps are quite rightly upset, however, please do not
tar everyone with the same brush new adventurers can still be
Explorers.
Regards Simon
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| I think that people should have more safety
gear and more people around when they go to Antarctica.
Sarah McEwen |
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I don't think that people
shouldn't be going to Antarctica because of all the waste they
leave behind and what about the animals they should be left
alone. If you want to go there and risk everything then
go ahead but just think about things first!!!
Nicole Butcher
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But if you're saying Antarctica
is such a beautiful place, why would you want to just leave
it there- what a waste of pure beauty! Sure we need to take
many, many precautions, and make sure the impact on the environment
is minimal, but if it's there why not indulge in it- after all
we only live once! As for the animals- what about all the animals
in the Amazon who die because of deforestation, why not worry
about those animals, who we all know are disappearing because
of our inhumane acts, before we worry about something which
hasn't even happened yet.
Anon
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| People do think about the animals in the
Amazon as well! There are hundreds of people and organisations
trying to save the Amazon rainforest and all its wildlife. Yes,
Antarctica is an amazing beautiful place but no matter how much
we try there will always be damage to it. |
Everything we do will create a negative impact,
although I am not saying that we should waste it. Saying there
should be no tourists does not mean we are wasting. I believe
that the only people that should be allowed on Antarctica are
the scientists, etc. who are trying there hardest to monitor
it and their work is very important as it tells us what is wrong
with Antarctica and what we can do to help.
Even though I say there should be only tourists
allowed I think that people that raise money for reputable charities,
are extremely well organised, adhere to strict guidelines and
understand all the dangers involved. These sorts of people-
as long as they don't use their experiences in Antarctica for
their 20 seconds of fame and only for educating the general
public-would be an asset to the greater population and also
to Antarctica!
Anon
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