At the time of writing, the team is in the process of returning from Cape Town, and the Antarctic adventures of Brian Newham, Ian Prickett, Spencer Smirl, Rob Lambert and Richmond Dykes are at an end.
Their original endeavour, to cross Antarctica in winter, from Crown Bay, via the South Pole, to Captain Scott’s base at McMurdo Sound, was to take six months – mostly in complete darkness and unimaginable cold – and span more than 2,000 miles. They were undertaking a number of significant controlled scientific experiments – human and environmental – and raising money for anti-blindness charity, Seeing is Believing.
Unfortunately, Sir Rannulph Fiennes had to withdraw from the expedition in its early stages, having contracted frostbite, but it was after weeks of painstaking progress that Traverse Manager Brian Newham called a halt to the crossing, due to the unforeseen intense crevassing they encountered and perilous weather conditions.
The dark winter was spent in a camp, conducting the scientific research associated with the expedition, until the time was right to head north to Princess Elisabeth Research Station. Conditions were far easier on the return, despite encountering a few crevasses and some poor visibility.
Expedition co-leaders Sir Rannulph Fiennes and Anton Bowring were there to meet the team in Cape Town; the equipment – as absolutely no residue from the expedition can be left in Antarctica – will be shipped back at a later stage.
Brian wrote, as he waited for the plane to take the team from Princess Elisabeth station to the Russian station of Novo: “It will be strange to leave our caboose, which has been our home for so long, and it will be a huge separation from our journey and all that it has meant. I think there will be some quiet moments and five emotional minds as we climb into the sky and I, for one, will be looking to the south.”
Rob Lambert, in his blog, http://www.thecoldestjourney.org/blog/from-the-ice/seeing-is-believing-by-rob-lambert/ made one final plea to followers of the expedition to connect with the charity which does so much work to treat and prevent blindness across the world. Every dollar and pound donated is doubled by Standard Chartered Bank – to date, almost $2 million has been raised through generous gifts and incredible sponsored endeavours.
The scientific research is one of the important and lasting legacies of The Coldest Journey, presenting unique opportunities to collect specific data. There are five main strands to the research projects:
SNOW DYNAMICS and MOISTURE TRANSPORT
The research: to capture chemical (water isotope) and photographic data on changes in snow precipitation, drifting and surface features, as well as compiling a photographic record of how wind shapes the surface of undisturbed snow.
Find out more here http://www.thecoldestjourney.org/blog/team-tcj/stable-isotope-composition-in-antarctica/
Bacteria in the extreme cold
The research: to recover snow and ice samples to document the biology of potentially unique cold-tolerant micro-organisms that can survive in this extreme environment.
Find out more here http://www.thecoldestjourney.org/blog/team-tcj/science-matters/
Measurement of the dynamics of coastal antarctic ice sheet surface motion
The research: to monitor surface motion to test the model predictions using a precision GPS backed up by repeated GPS observations throughout the team’s encampment.
Find out more here http://www.thecoldestjourney.org/blog/team-tcj/gps-measures-ice-train-position-to-within-a-few-centimetres/
Weather observation website
The research: to collect daily meteorological data and post on the Met Office Weather Observation Website (WOW), for use by schools and other stakeholders.
White mars project - human exploration analogue research
The research: an examination of the physiological and psychological effects of both acute, intermittent exposure to extreme cold and chronic exposure to loss of the day/night cycle, low oxygen levels and stresses of living and working in a small group in a hostile, threatening setting. The conditions are thought to be similar to those encountered in space exploration.
More information will continue to be posted, and there is an opportunity to donate to the expedition’s charity, Seeing Is Believing, on the website for The Coldest Journey.
http://www.thecoldestjourney.org/blog/