Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach
I was saddened to get the news that Sir Ranulf Fiennes, OBE, has gotten frostbitten. As a result, he has been forced to give up his dream of a winter crossing of Antarctica, an expedition entitled The Coldest Journey. His public support of CO2 alarmism has led to perhaps somewhat deserved public laughter at the idea of someone worried about global warming suffering frostbite, and to be sure there is the aura of the “Gore Effect” about it. (The “Gore Effect” refers to the oddity that many times when Al Gore has gone to speak somewhere, it has been unseasonably cold, and sometimes unreasonably so.)
Figure 1. Roald Amundsen, who imitated his beloved Eskimos of the Arctic in dress, style, and methods to lead the first team to the South Pole in 1911-1912. Check out the man’s eyes …
Fiennes is the oldest Briton to summit Everest, he’s a “because it’s there” kind of guy. I like to see that, I’ve taken on physical challenges to measure myself against the real world. It’s worth doing, although I prefer physical challenges that make me money instead of costing me money, but that’s just me.
I bring this up for two reasons. First, it appears that the man they call “Ran” suffered the frostbite as a side effect of incipient adult-onset diabetes … ironic given his lean physique. And for this man, as for Roald Amundsen, his hands and feet are more than just where he hangs his shoes and gloves. In some sense they are also where he hangs his life. So cut him some slack, send him some good wishes for his life and limbs …
The second reason is a bit more complex, and involves climate science.
Let me compare and contrast Amundsen’s exuberant dash to the South Pole with the current Fiennes expedition.
The photo above of a member of Amundsen’s expedition illustrates the following.
• For clothing Amundsen and his men used what the Eskimos used—a cunning, specific combination of different types of furs and other materials which allow heavy exertion in sub-zero weather without becoming encased in dangerous frozen sweat.
• For materials transport they used what the Eskimos used—dog sleds and sled dogs.
• For human transport they used what the Eskimos used—skis.
• For energy for materials transport they used what the Eskimos used—frozen seals.
• The only difference was, for energy for cooking, they used kerosene.
On the other hand, from The Coldest Journey’s web site, here’s their plan:
Now, I can understand why they are taking the vehicles. No way you’d live through all those Antarctic winter nights in some pathetic tent, not happening. But that puts the fuel use into the stratosphere. You need to tow a big fuel tank, here’s the full rig:
The proposed trip is about 2,000 miles. That crawler probably burns eight gallons per hour. Here’s their estimate from their site:
An estimated 20,000 litres will be required during the initial static phase at Novo, and 26,000 for cargo work, setting up the camp and establishing a fuel depot at 75°S. A further estimated 100,000 litres will be required for the traverse itself for the static phase at the end of the traverse. [total 39,000 gallons]
Then there’s the ships and planes to transport them and all of their gear and about forty thousand gallons of fuel to Antarctica and bring them back. By the end they will burn well over their estimated forty thousand gallons of eevil fossil fuels on the expedition, hundreds and hundreds of times what Amundsen used per man … and for what?
They give two answers: charity, and science. They’re looking to raise bucks for charity, perhaps they will, perhaps not. But under that rubric you can justify anything, as if the ends really did justify the means.
And they also claim that there will be valuable scientific measurements taken, although that seems like a bridge too far to me. According again to their web site, their plan is to take elevation measurements and snow samples … be still, my beating heart.
So I don’t buy it at all when Ranulph says:
“The science content of the Expedition is unique, global and genuine. The thought that we will be potentially doing something ground-breaking in man’s attempts to understand climate change is, for me, one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of The Coldest Journey.”
A string of one-off elevations and snow samples taken at a certain place and time are certainly unique, no doubting that.
And I suppose they’re genuine, in that they are real samples and elevations.
But “global”? “Ground-breaking”?? Don’t make me laugh. It’s a paltry handful of observations in one of the most atypical places on the planet. In the world of climate science, that’s neither global nor ground-breaking.
Here’s my problem. I have no difficulty with someone burning thousands and thousands and thousands of gallons of fuel on a dangerous publicity stunt. That’s their business, and I wish them well. I have no problem with CO2.
But my goodness, if you’re going to do that, if you plan to burn huge quantities of fossil fuels doing something totally un-necessary just because it’s there, then don’t lecture me about climate change!
And in particular, don’t try the bogus justification that your expedition is going to provide some kind of valuable contribution to climate science.
Amundsen was the first to the South Pole, and he and his men surveyed and measured and took temperatures, he did real science that was of value for his time. It was ground-breaking, with global implications.
In this expedition, a few elevation measurements and snow samples by some dilettantes a century too late, after weather and snow and elevations have been measured all over Antarctica for decades, are nothing of the sort.
I have no problem with the expedition, it sounds like fun, heck, I’d go. And they can burn all the fossil fuel they want, also no problem for me.
It’s the moralizing and the bogus justification that ring false. I don’t need them telling me it’s OK that they burn tens of thousands of gallons fossil fuel because they’re doing “global, ground-breaking” climate science work. That’s both untrue and it’s special pleading, and I find it ugly and base in an adventurer like Sir Ranulf Fiennes, OBE.
I didn’t need any such justification for Sir Ranulf’s expedition to climb Everest, nor apparently did he. I’d suggest he do the same here, tell people he wants to make a midwinter Antarctic crossing simply because it’s there.
And above all, I wish him a speedy and complete recovery from the frostbite.
Regards to all,
w.
What fascinates me is the protective clothing. You might assume, I did, that modern materials and techniques are far better than those of yesteryear. Not so apparently, a while back a practical trial was done to compare current types with those of a hundred years ago, and found there was very little difference in terms of protection, weight and convenience: good tweed it seems is quite a match for the modern stuff. Sorry I can’t seem to find the link.
Note too how far back the art of protective clothing goes. Otzi, the iceman preserved in the alpine ice for over five thousand years was superbly equipped to handle the conditions: from his leaf cloak to his birchbark gloves and his shoes about which there is some debate. However quaint it might seem today his clothing was the product of a very technically advanced civilisation as were his tools and weapons, note particularly he carried different weights of arrows, light ones for small game heavier ones for bigger animals etc.
Indeed being old fashioned I wear tweed suits for the countryside although after some experiments I now have mine made with a Goretex interlining which works very well once my tailor had discovered how to sandwich the Goretex between very light rayon to stop the crackly, rustling noise. Protection against even the heaviest squall is superb. Even better than Drizabone.
Needless to say I have no connection to either manufacturer.
Kindest Regards
.
And why did he get diabetes we all wonder? Look no further than the Guardian….
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/blog/diabetes-diseases-climate-change-inequality
Good point about the clothing and sweating, Willis. Getting wet in sub-zero temperatures can be deadly. Also dehydration. Your nose/lungs use water to heat the incoming frozen air, then you breathe the moisture out. Doing work you get dehydrated very quickly. Read any account of early polar/Everest expeditions and any time spent not-moving/sleeping was spent melting snow.
I do wish RF well though at his age something gentler may be better. The only real payback is Cat getting information about their equipment working at -80C and high altitude. And how these ”snowflake” samples will travel is a big question, unless research is carried out in situ.
View from the Solent says:
March 4, 2013 at 2:07 am
Geoff Barnes says:
March 4, 2013 at 2:11 am
I’m a fool, guys, but I’m not stupid. Not only that, I know a bit about preparing for a difficult journey.
What you seem to have overlooked is that if you want to make a winter crossing of Antarctica, and you need to pre-position forty thousand gallons of fuel, and test your machines and all the rest … you better not start on the first day of winter …
Please read the links I provide, folks, this is all explained on the Expedition’s web site, they have a timeline there.
They plan to leave on March 21st, the fall equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. They plan to arrive at the opposite coast six months later, on September 21st, the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.
I call that a winter crossing … what do you call it?
w.
Willis
Love your stories and Joi de vivre.
The tractor photos are I believe, The Kiwi Sir Edmund Hillary’s expedition to set up supply dumps for the International Geophysical Year’s Bombardiers & Snowcats doing the crossing. Stevenson was part of the team that set up supply points from the other direction. This included the use of dog teams. These teams over-wintered in preparation for the traverse. A great read!
I saw an interview with Ranulph Fiennes on the TV just before he left. I wasn’t paying close attention but I am sure that he said that the tractor and the shelter that it is pulling were imposed on them by the British Government as conditions for getting permission to cross the Antarctic in winter. I’m not sure we they need permission but he had wanted to do it on foot.
Their crossing will start on 21st March and a winter crossing has never been attempted before. Temperatures can drop as low as -90C and the average temperature is -49C.
I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall that RF had previously suffered frostbite, with a loss of fingers, on an earlier expedition; no one can say he’s not intrepid, even if misguided on science!
“I don’t think Amundsen consulted the Eskimos about skiing. ”
True. Amundsen was one of the best long-distance skiers in Norway (=World) long before his arctic travels. But he did stay an extra winter during his voyage through the Northwest passage in 1903-06 in order to learn more about Eskimo techniques (dog sleds, hunting, clothing, igloo-building etc) from the Netsilingmiut who were, even then, the only Eskimos that were completely uninfluenced by Europeans. Incidentally Eskimos historically have used snowshoes, not skis, presumably because there is no wood suitable for making skis where they live. Skis are an invention of the taiga-dwelling peoples of northern Eurasia.
As for modern arctic clothing not really being superior to traditional ones it is worth noting that Nordenskiöld brought wolf-fur jackets for the voyage through the Northeast Passage in 1878-79, but found that they were really to warm to use, even in winter in northeastern Siberia.
At the end of his life Mark Twain was a bit cynical, but retained his sense of humor, when he said, “You cannot outrun death.”
However that may not be the coldest journey, if fraud concerning the hockey stick winds you up in the place ending in double hockey sticks.
An article says they are planning to go on without Fiennes. Scary thing is that they are using Cat D6 tractors -, diesel engines in Antarctica. Diesel fuel gels at temperatures a lot higher than they’re going to encounter. Taking precautions against it, but still rolling the dice.
“I call that a winter crossing … what do you call it?”
w.
____________
Fiennes’ Folly?
I hope Fiennes has a plan to offset his King Kong sized carbon footprint. It’s odd that as they worry about the ice they spew out all the black carbon which isn’t too cool for the ice.
Now, what I want to know is if he does get “unique” samples / research then what will it be compared to that will help climate scientists?
These people are hell bent on showing a problem in Antarctica while its extent laughs in their faces.
Imagine this today. Ngashing and grinding of teeth would occur.
“Bernd Felsche says:
March 4, 2013 at 1:31 am”
After wading through the list of sponsors, I could not be bothered looking any further at Warmawear, well not beyond their “mission statement” anyway. And as David Chappell says @ur momisugly March 4, 2013 at 2:07 am, the sun would have to be piped down from the Arctic (LOL). But it would be rather hillarious if that was one of their product lines. Or will they do what they do (Did?) in Spain with solar power at night and use diesel powered generators?
“Mike McMillan says:
March 4, 2013 at 3:20 am”
Indeed it does. In fact diesel froze in injectors in the UK cold winter of 1982/83 as I recall. Still am sure they can use their “Warmaware” solar powered tank warmers.
If Sir Ranulph sets off on this winter crossing, I fear there’s a good chance of him having a “just going outside and may be gone some time” moment.
=According again to their web site, their plan is to take elevation measurements and snow samples … be still, my beating heart.=
I’ve just read the Science section on their website and I find the planned science impressive and much needed. It’s ok if some technicalities, e.g. Cryostat 2 and IceSat calibration, don’t give the author arrhythmia. We’re not all scientific minded. But why that kind of attitude should deserve a place on a scientific blog completely beats me. This is scientific blog, right?
I too admire RF’s spirit but find this latest venture pure PR.
For my money, in this context, nothing beats “The Worst Journey in the World”. It is Cherry Apsley-Guise’s account of a journey by 3 members (he was one, on his first polar trip) of the last Scott expedition. They went out for 6 weeks in the depths of the Antarctic winter to find the rookery of the Emperor penguin and bring back some eggs. They succeeded despite temps down to -70C, permanent darkness, blizzards, etc..
That said, accounts of the Shackleton expedition are equally enthralling and astounding.
Amundsen was a total professional, acquiring the skills and knowledge he needed over years. It is bitterly ironic that his team got back from the Pole in good shape, indeed some were heavier, where Scott and his men were mainly doomed by starvation and malnutrition. On the other hand, Scott’s expedition did produce extensive reference material on many aspects of Antarctica, far more than Amundsen. As reflected in the famous quotation:
“Scott for scientific method, Amundsen for speed and efficiency but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton”.
To elaborate on Midtskogens comments (sorry, saw tty’s to late):
Norwegians ski, eskimoes used snow shoes or stood on the sled.
Amundsen learned a lot from the inuit People during his previous expedititons to the Arctic but in the end a lot was his own adaptations. He made his own pemmican (main expedition food) recipee and used antarctic seal blubber/meat for dog Food. Since he travelled light and fast he was not troubled by scurvy and didn’t need fresh meat to prevent it (Vitamine C was not indetified back then). The English competing expeditions, without skis and pulling the sleds themselves, by design combined scurvy and backbreacking physical work.
My understanding is dogs are no longer allowed in the Antarctic since they represent an forreign/invasive species. That means you nowadays either fly, drive or ski to the south pole. During the Antarctic winter you don’t get there, it’s so cold and windy there are no flight in and out of the US base on the pole. The novelty of the Fiennes expedition must have been traversing the antarctic continent during this period. Just getting him of the continent and back to proper care in a reasonable time will be a challenge. I would not wish this on my worst enemy and any hint there is some poetic justice in this is just cruel. Political differences aside we should all hope for the best for him.
Yes, Fiennes has lost parts of his fingers to frost bite – he cut the ‘stumps’ off himself on a previous expedition. This time I understand he took his gloves off to adjust straps on his skis or snow-shoes because he couldn’t do it with his gloves on. It goes to show even the most experienced ‘explorer’ can make mistakes.
As for the expedition, it seems they will carry-on, but I do wonder how they are going to tow their containers etc.. across ravines, not too mention cope with winter storms. I don’t thing Antartica has taken much notice of the “rampant global warming” that we are supposed to be sufferring from!
Sadly it has all the hall marks of a tragedy waiting to happen.
Willis said:
“But my goodness, if you’re going to do that, if you plan to burn huge quantities of fossil fuels doing something totally un-necessary just because it’s there, then don’t lecture me about climate change!”
Well said..
I might believe Al Gore when he trades the jet in for a Clipper Ship…
Or John Kerry trades the ”Flying Squirrel ” for a Conestoga.
(the Airplane that is..)
Absolutely brilliant Willis. You have put, far better than I ever could, exactly how I feel about this expedition. Each time I have seen anything to do with this expedition, my reaction has been ‘Flaming hypocrites!’. Like you I wish Fiennes a good recovery.
To those who commented on the season in the Antarctic, yes, it has been summer. However, he was in training for the winter ahead.
And if something goes wrong who is going to save them?
As someone who has the same last name as a famous Antarctic explorer (hey, reflected glory is better than no glory at all, right?!), I say hear hear, Willis! As Glenn Reynolds is wont to say, I’ll believe it’s a crisis when they start acting like it’s a crisis.