Post: #1

British explorer Henry Worsley died recently while attempting a solo trek across Antarctica.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35398552

He was a brave man, and when events like these happen, it's appropriate to reflect on the qualities and traits that make such men.

I've had a long interest in these kind of intrepid explorers:

http://www.returnofkings.com/44632/ice-o...inst-death

May he rest in peace.

These are the types of role models and characters we need to be celebrating.

I also want to express my admiration, despite all our petty and carping criticisms, for the British nation, for its ability (somehow) to continue churning out men of Worsley's caliber.

He died doing what he was made to do.

So long as it has men like him, there will always be an England.

.

Post: #2

30 damn miles of hellish white death - so close. My hats off to him.

Post: #3

Although it was a mere 30 miles left, trekking through Antarctic snow, winds, cold, etc. would greatly slow down anyone. That 30 miles would probably take him weeks if he was lucky.

With that being said, he's a huge inspiration for having the balls to do something like that solo.

Post: #4

I'm sorry to hear that he passed away - he was raising funds for wounded British soldiers.

I remember being quite moved by the hardships, bravery and ingenuity of the Scott & Admunsen expeditions of Antarctica after visiting a museum exhibition on early Antarctic exploration - it's definitely not a place for the faint of heart, but also not the sort of place that tolerates hubris or a lack of planning, skill or fitness.

By the article, he had been there a few times before and was fundraising, so I doubt it was out of pride that he stumbled.

Post: #5

(01-25-2016 05:03 PM)Ricardo735 Wrote:  I'm sorry to hear that he passed away - he was raising funds for wounded British soldiers.

I remember being quite moved by the hardships, bravery and ingenuity of the Scott & Admunsen expeditions of Antarctica after visiting a museum exhibition on early Antarctic exploration - it's definitely not a place for the faint of heart, but also not the sort of place that tolerates hubris or a lack of planning, skill or fitness.

By the article, he had been there a few times before and was fundraising, so I doubt it was out of pride that he stumbled.

I still don't understand why Scott thought ponys would be the better choice than dogs?

I recommend Amundsen's book about the South Pole, Amundsen knew what he was doing, was on top of every little detail, only made my respect even greater.

Post: #6

All these bloody migrant threads are making me damned Nationalistic right now; we can add his name to the following, amongst others:

MARY KINGSLEY

Main Achievements:

(1893) Travelled through Sierra Leone and Angola where she studied the lives and customs of the local tribes.
(1894 – 1895) Studied tribal life in Western Gabon.
(1895) Journeyed by canoe up the Ogooué River in Gabon. Collected many specimens of previously unknown fish, three of which were later named after her.
(1895) Explored the uncharted territory of the Fan(g) tribe who were believed to be cannibals.
(1895) Established a new (European) route up Mount Cameroon.
(1896-1899) Provided one of the first empathetic studies of indigenous African culture and religion.
(1903) Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine establish an honorary medal in her name.


HENRY HUDSON

Main Achievements:

(1607) Contracted to discover a northerly route to the Pacific Ocean and the coast of Asia.
(1607) Reached Greenland and named an important headland as ‘Young’s Cape’.
(1609) Hudson discovered Delaware Bay.
(1609) Explored the ‘North River’ which was renamed the Hudson River in his honour.
(1610 ) Discovered the Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay which he charted.
(1607 – 1611) Created a far better understanding of the eastern coast of America.


SIR RANULPH FIENNES

Main Achievements:

(1967) Led an expedition up the Jostedalsbreen Glacier in Norway.
(1968 – 1969) Led the very first expedition up the White Nile on a hovercraft.
(1970) Undertook a second expedition along the Jostedalsbreen Glacier.
(1971) Undertook the Headless Valley Expedition.
(1979 – 1982) Transglobe Expedition: Leader of the first team to journey around – circumnavigate – the world on its polar axis by only using surface transport. Nobody else has ever done so by any route before or since.
(1979 – 1982) First person (together with Charles Burton) to visit both the North and South Poles by surface means
(1981) Together with Charles R. Burton he completed the first west-to-east transit of the North West passage in an open boat (whaler).
(1986) Awarded the Polar Medal for “outstanding service to British polar exploration and research”.
(1992) Discovered the lost city of Ubar in the Rub al Khali desert of Oman near Ash Shisr and the Yemini border.
(1992 – 1993) Together with Mike Stroud became the first person to completely cross Antarctica on foot – the longest unsupported polar journey in history.
(2000) First person to visit both the North Pole and South Pole by surface means.
(2009) – Climbed the Everest Nepal Summit thus becoming the first person ever to reach the summit of Mt Everest and cross both polar ice caps. Also now credited as the oldest British person to climb Mt Everest to the summit.
(2013) Currently recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s greatest living explorer.


ALEXANDER MACKENZIE

Main Achievements:

(1788) Journeyed to Lake Athabasca in Canada and helped to found Fort Chipewyan.
(1789) Undertook the Mackenzie River Expedition and in search of a North West Passage and traced it to the Arctic Ocean.
(1792) Established Fort Fork on the Peace River.
(1793) Became the first recorded European to cross the North American continent north of Mexico

The Sir Alexander Mackenzie Provincial Park and the Mackenzie River are named after him.
The Alexander Mackenzie rose is named after him.


ROBERT FALCON SCOTT

Main Achievements:

(1901 – 1904) Undertook the “Discovery” Polar Expedition.
(1903) Discovery of the Polar Plateau (Antarctic Plateau) – considered one of the most important discoveries in the history of polar exploration.
(1903) Collection of many important geological and botanical samples as well as extensive magnetic readings and the development of charts.
(1910 – 1912) Undertook the ‘Terra Nova’ Expedition.
(1912) Became the first British explorer to reach the South Pole.
(1912) Became the second expedition to reach the South Pole after Roald Amundsen.


WILLIAM DAMPIER

Main Achievements

(1679 – 1680) Circumnavigated the Globe for the first time while serving under the notorious buccaneer Captain Bartholomew Sharp.
(1686) Dampier joined Captain Charles Swan in the Cygnet and set out across the Pacific to raid the East Indies.
(1688) While the Cygnet was beached on the northwest coast of Australia he studied the flora, fauna and indigenous peoples.
(1688) Dampier was the first Englishman to land on the Mainland of Australia.
(1691) Returned to England and set about publishing his journals relating to his discoveries in Australia.
(1699) Undertook the Roebuck expedition to map the east coast of Australia (New Holland). Conducted the first extensive study relating to the geography, flora and fauna of the region.
(1699) Discovered and explored the Islands of the Dampier Archipelago which was named after him.
(1699) Discovered and sailed through the Dampier Strait which was named after him.
(1700) Discovered the island of New Britain.
(1701) Circumnavigated the Globe for the second time while serving as a privateer commander during the War of the Spanish Succession.
(1708) Circumnavigated the Globe for the Third time as Sail Master of the privateer Duke.

Dampier is recognised as the first natural historian of Australia and the first person to circumnavigate the world three times.


SIR WALTER RALEIGH

Main Achievements:

(1578) Raleigh sailed to America with his half brother, the explorer, Sir Humphrey Gilbert.
(1585) Sponsored the first English colony in America on Roanoke Island.
(1587) Explored the area from North Carolina to present-day Florida. He named the lands ‘Virginia’ in honour of Queen Elizabeth I, the ‘Virgin’ Queen.
(1595) Undertook his first expedition to find the fabled golden city of El Dorado for Queen Elizabeth I. The search was a failure but Raleigh is credited with the discovery of Guiana.
(1596) Credited with the introduction of the potato into Britain.
(1616) Raleigh was released from prison to take a second unsuccessful expedition in search of El Dorado.


DAVID LIVINGSTONE

Main Achievements:

(1840) Departed for the Cape of Good Hope in Southern Africa.
(1844) Survived a Lion attack which nevertheless shattered the bones in one arm.
(1849) Explored parts of the Kalahari Desert.
(1849) First westerner to discover Lake Lake Ngami in modern day Botswana.
(1851) Crossed the Kalahari Desert and sighted the upper Zambezi River.
(1852 – 56) Undertook extensive exploration of the hinterland of Southern Africa with the purpose of discovering a route from the upper Zambezi to the coast.
(1855) Was the first European to Discover the the Mosi-oa-Tunya – the smoke that thunders- waterfall. These falls are recognised as the largest in the world.
(1855) Renamed the Mosi-oa-Tunya falls as the Victoria Falls in honour of Queen Victoria of Great Britain.
(1856) Reached the mouth of the Zambezi River and thus became the first recorded European to cross the African sub-continent from Luanda in Angola (west to East) to Quelimane in Mozambique.
(1859 ) First European to discover Lake Nyasa, now named lake Malawi.
(1866) Explored the headwaters of the Congo River, Lake Mweru and the region surrounding Lake Tanganyika.

Considered to be the all time greatest European explorer of Africa.


SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Main Achievements:

(1561) First voyage of discovery to the New World (America).
(1570) Voyaged to the West Indies.
(1571) Second voyage to the West Indies.
(1778) Discovered and named Elizabeth Island – now most likely called Henderson Island.
(1778) Discovered that Tierra del Fuego, to the south of the Straits of Magellan, was not part of a giant southern continent.
(1778) Correctly predicted that it would be possible to sail around the horn of South America.
(1778) Credited with the inferred discovery of the Drake Passage below South America.
(1579) Claimed the Coast of New Albian (Alta California) for Queen Elizabeth I. Drakes Bay in California is named after him.
(1579) Discovered that Java was an Island and not connected to a mysterious southern continent.
(1577 – 1580) Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman (and third explorer) to Circumnavigate the World.
(1581) Was given the “Drake Jewel” by Queen Elizabeth I – It survives in the British Museum.


JAMES COOK

Main Achievements:

Undertook three great sea voyages of exploration:
(1763 – 1767) Aboard HMS Grenville he was responsible for charting the complex coastline of Newfoundland.
(1768 – 1769) Sailed to Tahiti via Cape Horn to observe the transit of Venus for ‘The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge’.
(1769 – 1770) Explored the South Pacific for the fabled land of Terra Australis.

(1769) First European to circumnavigate New Zealand and very accurately charted the coastline.
(1770) First European to discover the Eastern coastline of Australia.
(1770) First British explorer to set foot on Australia at the Kurnell Peninsula.
(1770) Provided the name for Australia’s infamous Botany Bay.
(1770) Discovered and named ‘Possession Island’ (Bedanug) in the Torres Straight where Cook claimed the coastline for Britain and named it New South Wales.
(1770) Proved that New Guinea & Australia (New Holland) were not connected.
(1973) Circumnavigated the globe at a very high southern latitude, thus becoming the first person to cross the Antarctic circle and the first explorer to circumnavigate Antarctica.
(1774) Discovered Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean.
(1774) Discovered New Caledonia Island.
(1775) Circumnavigated South Georgia Island and made the first landing. He named it “The Isle of Georgia” in honour of King George III and claimed it for Britain.
(1775) Proved that the great continent of ‘Terra Australis’ did not exist and that Australia was the largest landmass in the South Pacific.
(1778) Discovered the Sandwich Islands now known as the pacific Islands of Hawaii. He became the first European to land on Kauai Island.
(1778) He became the first Navigator to effectively map the northwest coast of North America.
(1778) Named Nootka Sound and British Columbia.
(1778) Determined the shape and extent of Alaska.
(1779) During February 1779 Captain James Cook was murdered in Hawaii. He is largely accepted as the greatest British explorer of all time. The Cook Islands were named after him to honour his memory.

Post: #7

Quote:I also want to express my admiration, despite all our petty and carping criticisms, for the British nation, for its ability (somehow) to continue churning out men of Worsley's caliber.

Dying breed. My prayers will go out for his brave soul.

Post: #8

(01-25-2016 05:18 PM)nomadbrah Wrote:  

(01-25-2016 05:03 PM)Ricardo735 Wrote:  I'm sorry to hear that he passed away - he was raising funds for wounded British soldiers.

I remember being quite moved by the hardships, bravery and ingenuity of the Scott & Admunsen expeditions of Antarctica after visiting a museum exhibition on early Antarctic exploration - it's definitely not a place for the faint of heart, but also not the sort of place that tolerates hubris or a lack of planning, skill or fitness.

By the article, he had been there a few times before and was fundraising, so I doubt it was out of pride that he stumbled.

I still don't understand why Scott thought ponys would be the better choice than dogs?

I recommend Amundsen's book about the South Pole, Amundsen knew what he was doing, was on top of every little detail, only made my respect even greater.

Amundsen came prepared solely for a dash to the South Pole. That was the sole objective of the mission. Scott's mission was primarily for scientific research, of which there was a lot in Antarctica back in those days - geology, biology, magnetism, you name it. Reaching the Pole was a secondary goal of his voyage.

God save us from people who mean well. -storm

Post: #9

Worsley now enters that pantheon of great British explorers and adventurers.

There'll always be an England!

My favorite British explorers are these:

1. Richard Burton, the one and only. Master of over 15 languages and dialects, translator of numerous scholarly works, swordsman, explorer, and one of the first non-Muslim Europeans to visit Mecca and Medina in disguise. Had he been detected, he would have been killed immediately.

We can't even come close to guys like this today.

   


2. Wilfred Thesiger

Another explorer of Africa and the Middle East. The first white man to cross the Hijaz without the aid motorized transport. He was also a combat veteran of World War II.

   

   

3. Captain James Cook

This guy did more for Pacific exploration than nearly anyone else. A true professional, embodying the best of the British maritime tradition.

   


Here, here.


   

Post: #10

(01-25-2016 09:26 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  Worsley now enters that pantheon of great British explorers and adventurers.

I disagree. I'm sorry that he died, but this voyage -- an attempt to recreate the Shackleton crossing from a century ago, about which his ancestor Frank Worsley wrote his great memoir -- was misguided and foolhardy. He will no doubt be feted in England, but that in itself is a sign of a culture whose thinking has become sentimental and distorted.

There is no comparison between this kind of gratuitous death-seeking and the undertakings of the great British explorers of the past. Those men were indeed explorers -- they set out to explore new and uncharted territory, to stake England's claim to it and to plant its flag in new lands. Even one hundred years ago, Antarctica was in many ways mysterious; there was no air travel and there were no satellite images of it that would allow us to know the lay of the land. The age of adventure was the expression of the human spirit which seeks to assert its dominion over all of nature; and Englishmen who went farther along these lines than anyone else covered themselves and their nation in glory.

However, each age has its own adventures. Ours does not lack for them -- we have not only set out into space, but every day we advance in our understanding and ability to control the materials that embody and surround us in ways that are approaching the miraculous. To embark on a needlessly risky Antarctic voyage is not one of true adventures of 2016 -- it is, instead, a sentimental gesture towards the past by a culture that is, momentarily, weakening in its confidence about the future. The voyages of Shackleton and Scott and others were not such tributes; they were originals, not remakes.

This video was posted on the forum not very long ago. It got very few responses at the time -- disappointingly few -- but here is what I wrote about it:

(12-03-2015 10:36 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  This is the best such talk I've ever seen, bar none. Thank you for posting it.

The things that are being described here will play a far greater role in shaping the world and our future than anything else we talk about day in day out. Labs like the one that this guy runs at MIT are where some of the real action is.

When you see the double amputee hopping around on the rocks -- realize that this goes beyond the miraculous, and into something different in kind: the human being's mastery over recalcitrant materials has become stranger and more awe-inspiring than any mere miracle conjured in the timid dreams of our past. It's good to see that; it's better to know that we are just barely getting started.

A man like Hugh Herr -- a fearless and breathtakingly brilliant true scientist who lost both of his legs and has gone on to create these unimaginable new materials that will change the world -- is a true heir to the spirit of the great explorers of the past. Someone like Worsley, by contrast, may deserve our sympathy but he is not worthy of adulation and does not belong in that pantheon.

Post: #11

Lizard, man...!

I'm going to have to rip into you for this one, chief.

I think you're being a bit hard on the guy. Sure, you can say that the world is a much different place than it was in 1880.

But this does not diminish his quest, or its lessons. Men have to take up the gauntlet of the Challenge wherever they can find it. The average man today can't go to the Moon. He can't go to Mars. He is Earth-bound, and he has to do the challenges within his capabilities. We're all in this situation. It's unfair of you to fault him for that.

And I will beg to differ with you about this being some sentimental gesture to the past.

First, Worsley's project was a FIRST. He was doing something no one had done before.

He was trying to be the first person to cross the Antarctic unaided. No one has done that. With no air-dropped food, nothing but skis for transport, and no-one for company, he was to travel 1,100 miles (1,770 km) carrying food for 80 days.

And he almost made it.

Second, he was a 55-year old man. A former Army officer. How many 55 men do you know who are out there risking their asses?

He deserves our unqualified respect.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, he inspires us with his Stoic acceptance of death and the steadfast courage with which he faced it. Here is his last audio message.


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35402146


His bravery, his stolid endurance, embodies the best of the Anglo-Australian traditions in the polar regions.

His example stands in stark contrast to the sorry specimens of humanity ambling around today. The day we refuse to honor men like him is the day we need to take a hard look at our value system.

He was a great Englishman.

Post: #12

Here are my final thoughts on the matter:

http://qcurtius.com/2016/01/26/every-man...his-quest/

Post: #13

(01-25-2016 09:26 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  My favorite British explorers are these:

1. Richard Burton, the one and only. Master of over 15 languages and dialects, translator of numerous scholarly works, swordsman, explorer, and one of the first non-Muslim Europeans to visit Mecca and Medina in disguise. Had he been detected, he would have been killed immediately.

We can't even come close to guys like this today.




2. Wilfred Thesiger

Another explorer of Africa and the Middle East. The first white man to cross the Hijaz without the aid motorized transport. He was also a combat veteran of World War II.





3. Captain James Cook

This guy did more for Pacific exploration than nearly anyone else. A true professional, embodying the best of the British maritime tradition.

Just look at the character in those faces and the studied repose of Thesiger and Burton. These were men that really lived, and you can see it oozing from every pore.

Post: #14

I'm reading a great book now by Ed Viesturs (only American to climb all 14 8000ers) called: K2 Life and death on the world's most dangerous mountain.

There's a chapter that begins along the lines of "every explorer thinks he was born too late - by 1900 all the world's oceans had been mapped, source of Nile ad been found, and the American frontier had been well explored. Scott and Shakleton must have thought there was nothing left as well". He felt the same regarding climbing. All the world's great mountains had been climbed. But his point was that there are still things to explore. You just have find it.

That's exactly what this guy did. Unfortunately, you are forced to end up going into more and more obscure niches to do so. On the other side, to do what say Capt Cook did, and do true frontier leading exploration is considerably more difficult. I think the only things left would be deep space or maybe deep ocean. Like James Cameron the ocean you might be able to explore on your own, but anything to do with space would be a concerted effort of many nations. With these Antarctic expeditions, it was within the realm of one man to organize one. Multiple countries were organizing multiple expeditions throughout the early 1900s. Much of the money came from wealthy individuals. Sadly today that just isn't the case, so this guy wanted to explore and looked what was available to him. We need more bold risk takers looking to do what hasn't been done before. RIP

Post: #15

I was lucky enough to meet Henry, he was a driven man, one of the few that leave a lasting impression. Regardless of what you think of his quest, or his place amongst the great explorers, he was living a mantra preached by many on this forum - chase your dreams.

He put this to me - "Everyone has an Antarctic - what's yours?" It's a damn good question.

Post: #16

(07-27-2016 01:21 PM)Lagavulin Wrote:  I was lucky enough to meet Henry, he was a driven man, one of the few that leave a lasting impression. Regardless of what you think of his quest, or his place amongst the great explorers, he was living a mantra preached by many on this forum - chase your dreams.

He put this to me - "Everyone has an Antarctic - what's yours?" It's a damn good question.

Lagavulin,

Can you tell us more about the meeting? What was talked about, and where it was?

Post: #17

Sure thing.

I spent a bit of time working in Antarctica, which I mentioned in this thread:

/thread-32484...antarctica

One of my responsibilities was to maintain communication with each expedition, take their position, get a feel for how they were doing, and report back any problems etc. When I arrived Henry was leading a group bidding to reach the South Pole via an ascent of the Beardmore Glacier and the expedition was already underway. So for the duration of my time there I would speak to him most days via satellite phone, some days it would be one of the other two guys in the group but usually it was Henry. When my time was up I left to go back to Chile as the group were nearing the end of their expedition, we missed each other by a couple of days and never actually met at this time.

After this I went to work in the Middle East as a contractor and eventually settled into a job with a broadcasting company in Afghanistan where one of my responsibilities was the day to day running of a radio station providing services to the military and contractors, a bit of respite and a link to home.

One day one of my staff came looking for me and told me that a British Colonel was in my office asking if we could help him publicise an Antarctic expedition on the radio. Straightaway I looked forward to meeting this guy as I knew it would be an interesting conversation, as I headed for the door I asked "what's his name?", was told Colonel Worsley, and I knew who it was. He was out in the desert doing another operational tour, and it transpired that he was looking to start raising awareness about his third, final, ill fated trip south.

I went in and enquired if his name was Henry, straightaway I could see him wonder how I knew his first name. I introduced myself and told him how I knew who he was, his eyes widened in amazement, and he was like "reeaaally?". It was a pretty cool moment, we had a good laugh about the circumstances of our meeting and chatted as two guys would under the circumstances. I told him a bit about my background and he told me about how he had always been interested in the Antarctic, and how he had become engrossed in polar exploration after his first expedition. At this point planning for his third expedition was in its infancy and there was no guarantee it would happen but he thought he had secured provisional funding for the trip if I recall, he was determined and clearly extremely capable so I had no doubt that it would happen. I told him I would also like to go back one day and we laughed about the possibility of meeting again back out there.

I was going on leave shortly after, and he was also due back in the UK at some point in order to give a talk or presentation of some sort on polar exploration but he told me he'd come back in to see me before he left. He did come back to the office to speak to the radio presenters but I was't around at the time. When I got back from leave 3-4 weeks later one of my team told me he'd been back in looking for me and left me a copy of his book - Shackleton's Footsteps, which it turns out he had signed.

   

"From the footsteps of this story to the dust of Afghanistan. Who would have thought it! You were very involved with this journey even though we never met.

Camp Bastion 1 February 2013

Everyone has an Antarctic - whats yours?

My abiding memory of Henry was his fierce, intelligent gaze. He seemed to look right through you and challenge you with his stare. It's hard to put into words but I remember feeling as if he was seeing right through me and assessing my mettle with a glance, nobody has ever had that effect on me before or since. He was the kind of man who's words made you feel as if anything was possible, in a nutshell, inspiring.

A sad loss.

Post: #18

Excellent story Lagavulin. Thanks for sharing.

Post: #19

Ah, the British and their stiff upper lips. "It is with some sadness" he needed to inform the world that all his organs were failing and he was about to freeze to death alone in the coldest, most godforsaken place on earth, having not reached the goal of his journey. He felt the need to put some in there to moderate the downer part a bit. I mean, theoretically things could be sadder on a day like that, and noone likes a whiner, so let's not get overly emotional about this.

RIP.