-01.11.2009- The unassisted problem of South Pole route

A lot of people are again starting their expeditions to South Pole this season and are at the moment counting days to get on skiis and start the arduous journey through the icy wastelands. Some of them might be team expeditions and some solo.

As the Explorersweb defines assistance: "Assist refers to the outside help received by an expedition." (www.adventurestats.com). I think the definition mostly means that you should not be in direct contact to other expeditions or other persons or to pick up any extra gear, food, fuel or other things after you've started your expedition... Yet everyone who started their expedition to South Pole from Hercules Inlet knows that 95% (a fair guess) of the expeditions take the same route up through the Nunataks before heading to south.

During the 2008-2009 season 5-7 expeditions, of which some were solo expeditions, were flown to Hecrules Inlet during 24 hour time period and mostly everyone started their expedition going up though the Nunataks. Those who left first left clear tracks to where ever there was soft snow and those who came behind followed them. As the visibility was good on that particular day you could see the expedition ahead of you and behind you quite clearly. Now the first question is how close to other expeditions do you have to be to lose the unassisted status after passing 80th parallel? Can you be within speaking distance or do you have to maintain a hundred yards between you and the other expeditions? Or perhaps even a mile...

As some expeditions go by different day and night cycles you might pass someones tent a few times during the long days before the difference in travel speed finally breaks the cycle of you going past someones tent while they sleep and then they going past yours as you sleep. When you wake up and start going again you might find a glove or a hat, lost by an expedition that went by you while you slept, and pick it up to return it to it's rightful owner. By picking up a lost hat do you lose the unassisted or unsupported status? Or do you lose your unassisted status by returning it to it's owner next time you go pass his tent? Everyone knows that these acts are acts of kindness as losing a glove or a hat might prove to be enoung to stop your expedition and to have severe frostbites at later parts of your expedition. Would you not do this to help the next person...? What if you yourself had lost a glove or a hat and found a replacement that again someone else had lost ahead of you. Would you then lose you status as an unassisted or unsupported expedition? If you told anyone that is...

In practice, again a fair guess, 95% of the expeditions starting from Hercules Inlet take the same path and even see other expedition and their tents on their way. Sometimes closer and sometimes farther. Sometimes you're in speaking distance and sometimes you even stop at someones tent to say a word or two. Does it mean that you're giving or recieving assistance? Strictly saying the answer is yes but by saying that do you make the possibility to have an unassisted expedition impossible?

Well, I don't know... I'm just wondering...

-31.12.2008- Home...

I arrived to Finland around 3 pm as the plane from Madrid to Helsinki was suprisingly early. I will update my diary after a few days of relaxing and I'll write a summary of the whole trip.

Happy New Year 2009!

-31.12.2008- Madrid

Finally after 12 hour flight from Santiago I arrived to Madrid to wait for the last flight to get home. If my flight from Madrid to Helsinki is on time I will today arrive around 4 pm to Helsinki.

After travelling 24 hour already I would really like to be home already. I had to spend the night at Santiago airpoirt but luckily there were Jukka and Kirsi, the Antarctic distance runners too so I got good company all the way to Helsinki travelling with me.

-30.12.2008- Santiago

I arrived to Santiago just after midnight and now I got a 12 hour lay-over to kill...

-29.12.2008- Heading home...

Today is my flight day to Santiago. The plane leaves in the evening from Punta Arenas to Santiago and tomorrow I continue from Santiago to Helsinki via Madrid.

I packed everything yesterday and everything is ready to go. As no expedition food is travelling back I have 30 kilos less equipment going back to Finland. Eventhough I have less kilos travelling back I still have a lot of bags with me. On top of the sled and skiis I have three extra large duffel bags which seem to be quite full.

-28.12.2008-

Sleeping in a proper bed was a luxury. After a few shower I started to feel civilized again. I think I slept almost half a day and the rest of the time I tried to get my equipment sorted out so I could start my return trip to Finland tomorrow.

-27.12.2008- Punta Arenas

Late last night there was a weather window for the Ilyushin to fly in to bring new climbers and trekers to Antarctica and to take all the people waiting to get home back to Punta Arenas. Eventhough Antarctica is an amazing place with amazing people, it was really time to leave the continent and head home... or atleast head for a proper warm shower.

The plane arrived to Patriot Hills just after midnight and we started our flight back around 2 am. The flight took about 4,5 hours and we arrived safe and sound to Punta Arenas just after 6 am. I think the target time for arrival to Punta was 7 am so atleast once we made it in time.

As it's summer season on this side of the globe I had a bit too much clothing on when we arrived to the Punta. But the idea of a warm shover helped to make it to the hotel without any trouble. I didn't get much sleep last night so today has mainly revolved around the shower and taking a nap.

My flight to home takes of on the 29th so I'll (hopefully) arrive to Finland on New Years eve. Invites to good parties are taken in... :)

-26.12.2008- Exchanging gifts

Last night just before Xmas dinner we had a gift exchange and I got partnered up with Dave Hahn. I gave Dave a small Finnish flag and I wrote to him in Finnish Merry Xmas and so on. After a few minutes Dave came back to me and brought one of his carabiners. He told me that that carabiner has visited the summits of Everest, Denali an Vinson and now he wants me to take it to the South Pole on my next trip. I thanked Dave for the carabiner and promised to take it to the Pole and then return it to him so that the carabiner could continue it's journey to new places.

Today the weather is clearing and sun is shining. However there is no real news about the flight from Punta Arenas to here. If the flight does not happen tonight then there is a new weather system coming in and that's expected to last a few days.

-25.12.2008- Xmas day

The Xmas evening went quietly. We're having the main party today and we're all invited to the Xmas dinner.

Eventhough it's not recommended to get your hopes up, it seems that there might be a chance for an Ilyushin flight from Punta Arenas in the next two days. The weather at the moment is still very windy and clowdy but during the next 24 hours the weather should clear. I hope that either of the next two days would be clear and calm enough for the Ilyushin so that I could finally start my journey home.

Todd Carmichael arrived to Patriot Hills yesterday from the Pole. He succeeded to do the new speed record from Hercules Innlet to the Pole.

-24.12.2008- Merry Xmas!

Merry Xmas to everyone!

The storm still goes around here and will do so atleast a couple more days. I would have loved to be back home by now but atleast it's a different Xmas for me this year. Will have to see what kind of Xmas meal we're able to put up...

-23.12.2008- Stormwinds

Todays is one of the seasons windiest days. The expected wind are around 50-70 knots so it was recommended to set the tent properly wind direction. I didn't get much sleep during the night as it was like being inside a turbine and the wind howled like a hyeena.

The same storm has now continued three days as it started when I arrived to Patriot Hills. Also the storm is expected to continue 3-4 more days and the first possible flyday is 27th Dec if the storm moves like predicted.

As I'm spending the Xmas here I decided to trim my beard a bit to look a bit more civilized. With paper scissors and a small mirror you can't do miracles but according to others every clip was an improvement...

-22.12.2008- Snowstorm continues...

It seems that I will not make it to Finland by Xmas. The snowstorm has already continued for three days and it doesn't seem to go down. The weather forecast says that the storm continues atleast for 3-5 days so my new target is to be home by New Year.

At the moment all I can do is to wait around for the storm to pass. The tent by my tent is only three meters away but sometimes the wind and snow makes the next tent dissappear completely.

Dave Hahn is currently stuck at Patriot Hills just like the rest of us. Last night he gave a lecture about Mallory's trips to Everest on 1920's. Dave has himself made 14 attemps to Everest and succeeded 10 times to get to the top.

I've been hanging out with a great Canadian group called South Pole For Kids. The Canadians are a group of three, Fred, Steve and Peter plus their guide Doug Stoup. They skiied the Last Degree and raised money for children's charity. Check out their website www.southpoleforkids.ca to learn more about the their expedition and charity.

<== 15.12.2008                 NEWEST UPDATE