South Pole Challenge - Cameron is Back!

Back in Cardiff, Cameron shared with us the details of his fantastic journey to the South Pole.

Day 1
John and I began our journey on the 28th November 2007, our arrival in the Antarctic being delayed by a week due to strong crosswinds making it unsafe for our plane to land.

There was little time for acclimatization and within 24 hours of landing our sleds were packed and we began our long journey to the Pole.

Temperatures were in the region of -15C during the first days of our journey, which, whilst skiing, felt very comfortable indeed. We enjoyed beautiful blue skies and inspiring views of the Ellsworth Mountains way off to our East.

The 24-hour daylight took some getting used to: despite all the energy that we were expending, we rarely felt tired when it was time for bed and we would wake often during the night and experience only very light sleep.

Our meals and snacks had been carefully planned prior to our arrival in Antarctica and provided approximately 4500 calories per day. For the first 10 days we had to force ourselves to consume the daily food ration, but as anticipated, our appetites steadily grew and by day 14 we could have easily eaten an entire week's food in 5 days!

Day 15
Today, we woke to find that the wind direction had changed from the South to the East and that the clear blue skies had turned cloudy and overcast. Little did we know that we were about to encounter a freak weather system that was almost unheard of in Antarctica.

Throughout the day the cloud got thicker and lower, creating a fog that slowly obscured the horizon. Navigation gradually became more difficult and as a result our rate of travel slowed.

To make matters worse, a thick layer of powder snow slowly began to accumulate, making the sled weight feel like it had doubled.

We were working harder than ever pulling the sleds, but the distance that we covered got less and less with each hour that passed. The density of the cloud continued to increase and by the end of the day we could no longer even make out the position of the Sun. For 15 days, John and I continued southward shrouded by snow and fog.

Day 30
Finally the cloud showed signs of breaking and the sky seemed to clear almost as quickly as it had been obscured. Whilst we were thankful to have the horizon back, the logistics team at base- camp informed us that we could expect to encounter further deep snow. The news came as quite a blow. The extra energy that we were using to pull the sleds had sent our appetites sky high, and the rations that once seemed so huge now appeared quite meager.

In addition, continuing at our present rate of travel meant that we would arrive at our mid-way re-supply point 10 days behind schedule and we would be forced to cut our daily calorie intake in order to stretch out our rations. Since we were already moving as fast as we could in the deep snow, our only option was to ski for longer and we increased the length of our travel day from 9 hours to 10 1/2 hours.

Day 37
We arrived with huge appetites and both John and I felt to have lost a considerable amount of weight. With little time to waste we loaded our sleds with as much food as we could pull. We gorged ourselves on the food that we could not carry and after just 8 hours rest we were back on the ice again. We had just 20 days to cover the remaining 300 nautical miles. To reach the Pole in time we would need to travel at near record pace.

The snow surfaces had not yet improved and ahead of us were 1500m of height gain and the coldest temperatures and most unpredictable weather of the journey. It was a formidable prospect, but fortunately we both found motivation in the challenge.

Once again our travel schedule had to be revised, or risk failure. After much deliberation and calculation a new routine, based upon a day consisting of 29 hours instead of 24 hours, was devised. We would spend 8 hours skiing before resting for 3 hours in the tent.

During this time which we would eat a hot meal and melt drinking water after which we would ski for a second session lasting 6-hours. At the end of the second session, we would pitch the tent once more and 12 hours was allowed to cook a second hot meal, melt drinking water, sleep for 8 hours and eat breakfast. The routine would then begin again.

Day 50
During the following 7 days the snow lessened, but was replaced by steady incline as we ascended onto the polar plateau. As expected, the temperatures gradually fell to between -35C and -45C as we came within 100 nautical miles of the Pole.

We were blessed once more with blue skies and the winds remained light and from the South. These favorable conditions permitted good mileage and an opportunity to enjoy our final days in Antarctica.

Day 57
On January 24th 2008, John and I arrived at the South Pole after 57 days on the ice and just 1 day inside of our deadline. We were overcome by an intense feeling of triumph, and we took a great sense of fulfillment in knowing that our efforts had raised over £20,000 for people with visual disorders.

Besides a few blisters, tendonitis and some superficial frost bite, John and I had arrived in good health and good spirits. The emphasis that we had placed on self-preservation had been key to withstanding the elements and the physical demands of the journey.

Once again, thank you very much to all of you who have supported Cameron during the past year. To find out more about the trek and to make a donation, please visit: ww.oechallenge.com.

Cameron Hudson.