Gee, let’s not talk to the other people who think maybe, just maybe, this was a bad idea gone even badder? I had to laugh when I saw this on their Facebook page. It reminds me of the days of denial put forth bv that other collection of clowns arctic explorers that were caught out faking biotelemetry readings.
Uh oh, Brits only now. Everybody else is to be excluded. I think that soon, comments to team members on their website and Facebook page might become unmanageable. Obviously, they don’t realize they are on the world wide web.
For those of you just joining us, recall that “Row to the Pole” is in name only, they aren’t actually going to reach the magnetic north pole of today, nor the geographic north pole. And, at the rate they are going, they likely won’t make the magnetic pole of 1996 either.
But hey, it’s a publicity stunt to promote this Scotch Whisky few have heard of, so don’t expect too much.
By the way, has anyone noticed that not once has the team posted any updates on the “the science” they are supposed to be doing on this stunt trip?
The whole thing is sheer poetry.
Row, row, row, your boat, fake it to the pole
Merrily merrilly merrily merrily, ice is but a dream
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I love the British use of the English language. They are the only people in the world who are able to find 3 syllables in a short word like “evil”.
bil says:
August 14, 2011 at 12:01 am
LOL! Been looking for some humour. Post on their website – I assume from a fervent AGWer – “hope the ice clears”. The irony is completely lost on them.
=====================================
We love Arctic ice so much. That’s why we would like it to decline. Shades of Monty Python:
“I love animals. That’s why I like to kill ’em”:
LexingtonGreen says:
August 13, 2011 at 8:34 am
“I just noticed on their website:
7000 Calories Per Day
450 Miles to Row
6 Crew Members
1 Pole
1 Pole? I thought they said they wanted to keep it an all british affair!
Yesterday’s satellite photograph shows the Western side of Ellef Ringnes Island and the MNP of 1996 totally devoid of ice, except at the southern end where the Danish strait between King Christian Island and Ellef Ringes has a fair amount of ice. But once they have cleared the Danish Strait the rest of the journey should be plain sailing unless the wind changes.
At the moment they are in Londesborough harbour on Table Island and waiting to cross the Belcher Channel to Cornwall Island.
Link to satellite photograph for the 14th August (scroll hard right and about 80% down, north is to the right of the picture)
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/imagery/subsets/?subset=Arctic_r04c02.2011226.terra.250m
Here is a link to a fantastic mapping tool for the area. Which calls into doubt the mapping skills of the team, as Jock Wishart’s latest report said they were just to the East of Cape Ogle. This map clearly shows when compared to their yellow brick road track that they were just to the East of Cape Briggs and about 6.7 km to the west of Cape Ogle.
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/map
Here is an example of the danger of this kind of BS. Quoting from a posted entry on their blog: “The children want to know if you have seen Father Christmas yet”
Now we all know that “Father Christmas” resides at the geographic North Pole. Have these children been deceived into thinking that’s where these rowers are going? I guess this just is in keeping with the mantra that to turn lie into the truth, you start with indoctrinating children.
Jock’s audio report posted today seems to indicate they think this stretch is the hardest. I would not have expected that. I would love to see a good image of the ice conditions. I thought it was just going to get harder from here on out. Hmm.
Is this more or less the same Magnetic North Pole the Top Gear folks *drove a truck* (and sledded a sled) to a few years back? They had some thin ice, but lots of thick snow and ice boulder fields.
Having seen that, a boat seems an extremely unlikely vehicle for reaching the same general area.
othercoast, it is exactly the same spot. Top gear went there in early May when everything is still frozen solid and Jock Wishart is now rowing there in late August when the ice has melted. This jolly does not prove anything. All the places they are visiting were given names 150 years ago when the Europeans had the money and inclination to send exploratory ships up there in the Arctic Summer.
Look at the maps and you will see rivers on them. What else is there to say?
If you dig a little deeper you will see that Wishart used science to first define the North Magnetic Pole in 1996 and has since then made a living out of staging a biennial race from Resolute to his North magnetic Pole.
Unfortunately for Wishart a couple of his entrants decided to stage their own annual race to the North Pole called the Polar Challenge and they are now making big bucks out of it. Jock’s race attracted only four people this year while the Polar challenge was inudated with amatures wanting to get to the 1996 North Magnetic Pole.
At the end of the day this is all about making money not pure science. I am sorry to say.
Jock’s Polar Race http://www.polarrace.com/
The Polar Challenge http://www.extremeworldraces.com/
Have just revisited the Row to the pole site and they have now taken down Wishart’s voice message saying they were to the East of Cape Ogle on Devon Island. Incredible. I can easily accept people making mistakes and owning up to them but deleting the original mistake is not good…not good at all.
Looks like they are monitoring your Blog Mr watts
As for ‘a whisky few people have heard of’:
“Inver House Distillers has been awarded Double Gold, Gold and Silver medals for their ‘exceptional whiskies’ at the prestigious 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Old Pulteney 12 year old Single Malt, Balblair 16 year old Single Malt and Speyburn 10 year old Single Malt all impressed judges with complex and carefully crafted flavours.”
http://www.oldpulteney.com/press-media.php
You shouldn’t assume that because you haven’t heard of something therefore few other people have.
No worries! ABC’s World News Tonight had Heidi Cullen and the sky is falling crew on tonight, who assured us there’s very little ice left at the North Pole. The row-your-boat boys and their Scotch should get through just fine.
Can’t wait to see the updates.
Tree hugger, I saw that too and almost threw a book through the TV. In the last week I switched from NBC because I could not stand the GE climate change crap. And then I see ABC and it is even worse. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting the evening news? I can’t stand Fox.
I quit watching the ABC, NBC, and CBS news in the middle 1980’s. The nightly attacks on Reagan were too much. I knew back then they had chosen sides.
Time is growing short:
…AUGUST 2011 YEAR GROUP AND FALL OUTLOOK…
THE YEAR GROUP FOR AUGUST IS 1997. OTHER YEARS THAT ARE CLOSE ARE
1996 AND 1989. AT THE START OF AUGUST 2011 THE ICE IS DIMINISHING
QUICKLY FROM THE ALASKA NORTH COAST. THE ICE EDGE IN THE CHUKCHI SEA
IS BETWEEN 71N AND 73N. THE EXTENT OF THE MAIN PACK ICE IN THE
BEAUFORT SEA IS BETWEEN 71N AND 72N. THESE ICE CONDITIONS COMPARE
MOST WITH EARLY AUGUST 1997 ICE CONDITIONS.
FOR THE OUTLOOK IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT BOTH 1996 AND 1997 WERE LA
NINA YEAR…AS IS 2011. THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE WINTER OF
1996 TO 1997 REMAINED IN A WEAK LA NINA PATTERN. THE WINTER OF 1997
TO 1998 BECAME A STRONG EL NINO PATTERN. THE CLIMATE OUTLOOK FOR THE
EARLY WINTER OF 2011 TO 2012 IS FOR A WEAK LA NINA TO CONTINUE. THE
OUTLOOK DATES BELOW ARE BASED ON ICE CONDITIONS IN BOTH 1997 AND 1996
TO ACCOUNT FOR THE FORECAST LA NINA PATTERN.
EVENT OUTLOOK DATE
FIRST ICE TO REFORM ALONG AK NORTH COAST 25 SEPTEMBER
FIRST ICE AT BARROW 5 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE IN KOTZEBUE SOUND 10 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE AT KIVALINA 15 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE IN NORTON BAY 12 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE IN KUSKOKWIM BAY 15 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE IN BRISTOL BAY 20 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE IN NORTHERN COOK INLET 30 OCTOBER
FIRST ICE NEAR NIKISKI EARLY DECEMBER
2011 KCOLE
$$
@LexingtonGreen
Why can you not stand Fox? Fox is actually not as far to the right as most folks think.
Manfred,
I am more Libertarian and Fox is not. They seem to cover up Republican hypocracy. So I just have not found a happy home for my evening news. I think I am back to NBC with Brian Williams.
They are going great guns now. Across the Belcher channel and carrying on to the West of Cornwall Island, their longest stint so far.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/polar-bear-kills-one-injures-four-on-british-expedition-to-arctic/story-e6freuyi-1226109387553
umm?
was this the booze crew?
Lexington Green. Ah! Looks like we are in the same camp, almost. While Fox is not as far to the right as it should be, It is the furthest right of any of the other main stream media. Incidentally I view the Republican party as being too far to the left as well.
Zac – indeed they are doing well today – 60 miles in 24 hours and have reached Ellef Ringnes island.
Thanks for your links and maps – I’ve learned a lot about this area this week (from the comfort of my sofa!)
They are now on Thor Island, only a few miles to go now. Satellite info has enabled them to avoid most of the ice .
Are they rowing back or waiting for a plane to pick them up at Isachsen?