Bosch : dialog between body and mental

Published on 30.12.2011 - South Pole 1911-2011, Two Men One Goal

Forty days of loneliness for Albert Bosch who was not ready for such a solo. In addition, he encounters these last days the worst conditions of all the trip. Nevertheless, the Catalan manages to maintain the pace of about 25 km per day. Soon the South Pole will be in sight. 

He could neither stop nor continue...

Taking a look at the figures below, one notices that Albert Bosch's pace is quite regular : between 21 and 25 km per day.

But this doesn't reveal the real conditions of the trek : since these last few days, although the conditions are a bit improving, the terrain remains more bumpy than ever and the temperatures have gone down drastically. On 30 December, a furious wind mixed with the thinest snow on earth was blowing so hard that Bosch did not know anymore what to do. If he had stopped, then he couldn't put his tent up alone (too much wind) ; and if he had continued, then he could quickly get frosbites on his toes and fingers. So what was the decision ? To carry on skiing (at least that keeped him warm) hoping that few hours later, the wind would have dropped and the weather would have changed.

Another interesting feeling from Bosch : on 28 December, he said that, during the all day (he was skiing), he had tried to find remembering his all life (Bosch is 42) a day during which he had not seen a single person during the all day. No way, he didn't find any. If one sticks together this latter result and the fact since 40 days, he hasn't seen a single living creature, one can easily realize how lonely this expeditioner feels sometimes, especially during these Christmas days.

What about their rubbish ?

As webmaster of Explorapole, let me -for once- put forward a personal comment : I am following the major polar expeditions since 1997. During all these years I have not met one adventurer who has spoken about the way expeditioners (while trekking) manage to keep the antarctic environment as clean as possible, ie, what do they do with their rubbish?

For the first time, we have an answer. And this answer comes from a Catalan guy, Albert Bosch. Of course there are no fixed rules in the Antarctic (except one which will be described in a minute) but a kind of international gentleman agreement : excepts for the pees, the kitchen and teeth waters which are usually thrown out of the tent, except for the dejections that have to be buried in the ice, every expeditioners takes all his rubbish in the sled. At the end of his travel, he takes (or should take) the bags with the rubbish into the plane. Between degrees 89 and 90, everyone who is in this restricted zone (near the Pole) is obliged to take his excrements with him. Of course this matter is only a question of education and respect. There are no rangers on the ice. But it's not sure that with the constant development of tourism, these 'rules' will still be a lot respected.

Bosch's latest datas

• 30 December - day 61: Time on skis : 10h / Total time on skis : 415h45' / Distance done : 21,5 km / Total distance so far: 983,5 Km / Remaining distance to SP : 172,7 Km / Days of progression : 46 (42 Solo) / Days rest : 15 (0 Solo) / Days travelled : 61 / Position : S 88º 33,796'- W 082º 23,020'
• 29 December - day 60: Time on skis : 10h / Total time on skis : 405h45' / Distance done : 26,4 km / Total distance so far: 962 Km / Remaining distance to SP : 194.2 Km / Days of progression : 45 (41 Solo) / Days rest : 15 (0 Solo) / Days travelled : 60 / Position : S 88 º 22,275 '- W 082 º 11.602'
• 28 December - day 59: Time on skis : 10h / Total time on skis : 395h45' / Distance done : 25,4 km / Total distance so far: 935.6 Km / Remaining distance to SP : 220.6 Km / Days of progression : 44 (40 Solo) / Days rest : 15 (0 Solo) / Days travelled : 59 / Position : S 88º 06,029'- W 082º 07,480'
• 27 December - day 58: Time on skis : 10h / Total time on skis : 385h45' / Distance done : 23 km / Total distance so far: 910.2 Km / Remaining distance to SP : 246 Km / Days of progression : 43 (39 Solo) / Days rest : 15 (0 Solo) / Days travelled : 58 / Position : S 87 º 54,337 '- W 082 º 00,815'
• 26 December - day 57: Time on skis : 10h / Total time on skis : 375h45' / Distance done : 23.3 km / Total distance so far: 887.2 Km / Remaining distance to SP : 269.10 Km / Days of progression : 42 (38 Solo) / Days rest : 15 (0 Solo) / Days travelled : 57 / Position : S 87 º 54,337 '- W 082 º 00,815'

Mental : 'Is it you, Body ?' / Body : 'Yes, it's me Mental...'

For the conversation between his body and his mental, it's better to go and visit his pages describing almost three pages of questions and answers. An exemple ?

- His Body : "Hi Mental, it's Christmas today, remember ?

- His Mental : "Of course Body, I remember I have congratulated you already this morning, didn't I ? Why do you come back with that matter ?"

- His Body : "Don't you think that to celebrate such a day, we could stop skiing at 9 tonight, at least for this evening ?"

- His Mental : "Hombre, this is not a fair idea. On the contrary, we should think of doing some more distance tonight, to better mark the day, if we want to get to the Pole on time. We still have a lot to do, you know. And personally, I feel like pushing a bit more tonight instead of stopping at 9pm..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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