Amundsen guys are doing well, Scott team has bad luck
Published on 26.12.2011 - The Scott Amundsen Centenary Race
One still does not know which team will first reach SP
© Expedition website
While Amudsen Team chaps are progressing well (66.4 Nm in 5 days), ths Scott team has stayed three days tentbounded. Weather and poor visibility are to blame.
In his 24 December update, Kev Johnson says that it has been an ordeal. The person in charge of their HQ wrote : "Old Man Beardmore is a tough nut to crack, with the weather making things even more precarious for the three-man team. Knowing that they’re moving through crevasse territory with chasms all around, they are once again forced to set up camp because of poor visibility. ..."
The same day, we are informed that the Beardmore has claimed another pulk (Kev's one) and that many a set of crampons had to be left behind, destitute on the Old Man (the glacier)' stubborn, icy ways. As the audio is not quite clear, we dont'know whether Kev's pulk was swallowed by a crevasse or damaged for good by the icy ground. In addition, this team had to be tentbounded on days 50, 51 and 53 !
In the meantime, Amundsen chaps are doing well. 14.2 Nn (25 December), 14.7 Nm (24 December), 12.2 Nm (23 December), 12.8 Nm (22 December), 12.35 Nm (21 December) : quite regular progression.
Amundsen
25 December - Day 53 : 86°52'52" S 173°8'20" W / Wind: 12 mph / Temperature: -20°c / Altitude: 9,224 ft / Daily distance travelled: 14.2 nmi / Total distance travelled: 511 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 187 nmi / Weather: "A shocker".
24 December - Day 52 : 86°38'49" S 172°34'52" W / Wind: 12 mph, gusting 16 mph / Temperature: -20°c wind / Altitude: 8,983 ft / Daily distance travelled: 14.7 nmi / Total distance travelled: 496.8 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 201 nmi / Weather: Overcast, windy, snowing.
23 December - Day 51 : 86°24'40" S 171°33'45" W / Wind: 19 mph / Temperature: -20°c wind / Altitude: 8,751 ft / aily distance travelled: 12.2 nmi
Total distance travelled: 482.1 nmi : Distance to the Pole: 215 nmi : Weather: Very poor, bad visibility, snow.
22 December - Day 50 : 86°12'43" S 171°0'36" W / Wind: 0-7 mph / Temperature: -8 to -28°c wind / Altitude: 8,771 ft / Daily distance travelled: 12.8 nmi / Total distance travelled: 470 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 227 nmi / Weather: Very good, no clouds, cold later.
21 December - Day 49 : 86°0'4" S 170°35'44" W / Wind: 10 mph / Temperature: -27°c wind / Altitude: 8,813 ft / Daily distance travelled: 12.5 nmi
Total distance travelled: 457.1 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 240 nmi / Weather: Foul, no visibility, not too cold.
Scott
25 December - Day 53 : 84°54'21" S 162°26'5" E / Wind: 3-5 mph / Temperature: -10 (-14 wind chill) : Altitude: 7,200 ft : Daily distance travelled: 0.0 nmi M/ Total distance travelled: 468.9 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 302 nmi / Weather: Blizzard, white out.
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24 December - Day 52 : 84°S54'21"S 162°26'5" W / Wind: Variable / Temperature: -15 (-28 wind chill) / Altitude: 7,200 ft : Daily distance travelled: 0.45 nmi / Total distance travelled: 468.9 nmi : Distance to the Pole: 302 nmi : Weather: Clear, then dark, then blizzard.
22 December - Day 50 : 84°54'38" S 162°35'20" W / Wind: No data / Temperature: No data / Altitude: 7,018 ft / Daily distance travelled: Tentbound
Total distance travelled: 468.5 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 305 nmi / Weather: No visibility, very cold.
21 December - Day 49 : 84°54'38" S 162°35'20" W / Wind: 3-5mph / Temperature: -15 (-21°c wind chill) / Altitude: 7,018 ft / Daily distance travelled: 4.5 nmi / Total distance travelled: 468.5 nmi / Distance to the Pole: 305 nmi / Weather: Started sunny, then whiteout.
