
Two men are trying to become the first person to cross Antarctica alone - sergeant3
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/11/sports/antarctica-race.html
======
paultannenbaum
Colin Obrady is a close friend of mine. I was visiting him in march of last
year when he told me he was considering this journey (The other trip he was
considering was a solo unassisted row across the entire pacific ocean).

As someone who has been paying close to attention to this trek, along with
quickly chatting with him right before he left, I had no idea that another
person would be attempting the crossing at the same time until I read this
article. Definitely a interesting plot twist, but hoping for a safe journey
for both these courageous athletes.

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jniedrauer
The closest I've ever come to getting a glimpse of what these two are going
through is a 1100 mile trek through the Appalachian mountains one winter. It
was fun, but I don't think I ever want to do that again. When the temperature
drops below about 0* F, there are only two things you can do: Move, or get in
your sleeping bag. After a couple months of 14 hours a day alone in the frigid
darkness, you start to lose your sanity a little bit. You start to forget what
your body looks like. And when you do get a chance to check yourself when you
cross civilization, you look almost unrecognizable from the weight loss.

And this is all in the continental United States, a few hours from
civilization. It's almost incomprehensible to me to do what these two are
doing.

~~~
jshevek
Hiking and camping in cold weather can be an extremely effective weight loss
strategy. If done with good nutrition, enough sleep, proper gear, it can even
be a healthy weight loss strategy. I'm surprised no one seems to ever discuss
this, with so much of our culture seemingly obsessed with losing weight.

~~~
Erik816
Our culture is obsessed with talking about or thinking about losing weight,
preferably with no discomfort or sacrifices involved. So the exact opposite of
actually doing something really hard that will result in losing weight. That
doesn't sell books.

~~~
ryanwaggoner
Ha, now I'm imagining this book:

 _The Frigid Formula: How to Rediscover the Ancient Secret to Rapid Weight
Loss_

Inside, only one line: "Hike the Appalachian Trail in winter, eating only what
you can carry or kill."

~~~
sterlind
Doctors hate this!

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bydo
Related, an excellent long-form New Yorker feature about another recent
attempt: [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-white-
dark...](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-white-darkness)

~~~
tootie
I read this and thought that whoever tries stuff like this is just a moron.
There's not really much discovery to be made if any. It's extremely costly and
dangerous. The only benefit is vanity.

~~~
moab
The same thing could be said for many costly (in terms of either time or
money) journeys: hiking the AT, biking across the world, to name two. In these
cases, others have made these voyages thousands of times before, but that
doesn't stop people from making these trips.

By the way, I think you're misreading the piece---I don't get the impression
that these men are making these trips for vanity.

~~~
kisstheblade
If you have to tell other people about your trips then it is (also) for
vanity. Nobody does these extreme trips and doesn't tell about them to
anybody.

~~~
RugnirViking
Artists usually show their pieces to at least some other people, yet many
paint for internal contentment - we are fundamentally a social species. A
large part of experiencing something is showing it to other people to seek
their opinion/approval - especially if it had a large impact on a person. More
to the point, beyond simply surviving, why do anything? What is life's goal? I
would put it to you that many people like this were raised in such a way that
their internal contentment and pride comes from this kind of thing: they judge
people and more importantly themselves on the experiences they have had and
the joy they get from it. They feel a need to share to get some of this joy -
usually with loved ones and friends, but sometimes wider.

This is not a bad thing: People often also have a need to hear about others'
experiences - hence books, videos, and you being here on hacker news.

------
gvb
Related: "Ten things no one tells you before an Antarctic expedition" (2015)
[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11315994/Ten-
things-n...](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11315994/Ten-things-no-
one-tells-you-before-an-Antarctic-expedition.html)

1\. You're going to have to eat a lot of raw butter.

 _When you are skiing across Antarctica and putting in 12-14 hour days of
pulling a sled in minus 40C, you have to keep your calorie count up. A normal
man burns about 2,500 calories in a day. We burn between 7,000 to 9,000. That
means supplementing your dehydrated food with slabs of butter. In the first
few days of the expedition, it tastes revolting, but then your body just
craves the fat content and you eat the butter like blocks of cheese._

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dbatten
Let me preface this by saying I don't want to diminish what these guys are
doing at all... this is an incredible feat, no matter what.

However, I'm genuinely curious, and I'm sure other people are as well: Looking
at the map, the definition of "across" Antarctica seems a little bit squishy
to me. Does crossing one small portion of one side of the continent count as
going "across" it? Is this the New York Times trying to grab attention with
the headline? Is there some known definition among these types of adventurers
as to what counts as "across"? Will there be debate later?

I suppose Charles Lindbergh didn't exactly fly across the widest part of the
Atlantic either... still, I'm just intrigued.

~~~
paultannenbaum
The journey they are attempting is a known route first attempted by Ernest
Shackleton, and is now reffered to as shackletons crossing. It has been
attempted several times but never completed. For more backstory on the history
of the route, reading David Grann's excellent New Yorker article will fill in
a lot of the gaps.

[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-white-
dark...](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-white-darkness)

~~~
bmj
I suspect should one of them be successful, the next challenge will be a
proper direct crossing.

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pen2l
I just find it really inspiring to know we have the presence of such
adventurous explorers. Once we find ways to travel to other stars, we'll need
these men to explore once again.

~~~
mattmanser
Inspiring?

Having watched Everest and read Cold: Extreme Adventures at the Lowest
Temperatures on Earth my view has changed to that these people are selfish
glory seekers who can potentially cause a lot of grief and heartache for the
people they leave behind when they screw up. As well as huge expense for
rescue operations (which then put other people's life at risk).

I sort of understand your pov, but in this day and age they're literally
making up dangerous challenges for themselves and have been for decades now.

~~~
alexlrobertson
"Deliverance From 27,000 Feet" [1] in the New York Times really changed my
view in a similar way. While the most successful and visible adventurers are
consummate professionals there is an unseen tier of adventurers that take on
more than they are trained for seeking glory without the required experience.

1\.
[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/18/sports/everes...](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/18/sports/everest-
deaths.html)

------
keithrel
I followed some of Mike Horn's trip last year. Unfortunately I don't know
enough about the differences between these attempts and Horn's trip. Wasn't
Horn's trip last year the first unsupported crossing of Antarctica?

~~~
privong
> Wasn't Horn's trip last year the first unsupported crossing of Antarctica?

It may depend on the specific definitions ("unsupported" vs "solo
unsupported"), but the first unsupported crossing I'm aware of was that by
Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud in the Antarctic summer of 1992/1993\. It was
documented in two books, "Mind Over Matter"[0] by Finnes and "Shadows on the
the Wasteland"[1] by Stroud. Both were very entertaining and interesting
reads.

[0] [https://www.amazon.com/Mind-over-Matter-Ranulph-
Fiennes/dp/0...](https://www.amazon.com/Mind-over-Matter-Ranulph-
Fiennes/dp/0099435128)

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Wasteland-Crossing-
Antarctica...](https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Wasteland-Crossing-Antarctica-
Ranulph/dp/0879516364/r)

------
nashashmi
Related:
[https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_saunders_to_the_south_pole_and...](https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_saunders_to_the_south_pole_and_back_the_hardest_105_days_of_my_life)

[https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_saunders_skis_to_the_north_pol...](https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_saunders_skis_to_the_north_pole?language=en)

------
gist
The way I think I have no clue why people take risks like this other than for
the obvious fame and fortune. Just the way I am it seems to be either
narcissistic or foolish. I am sure others spur them on because what is not to
like about being the friend of someone who does something where you don't
suffer any large downside (other than you lose them as a friend).

Also there always seems to be a bit of 'watch car racing for the crashes' or
'watch ice hockey for the fights'. It seems to be something that people are
interested because there is the chance of interesting devastation or perhaps
elation after the fact that nothing happened.

~~~
tomcooks
I don't understand the downvotes you're getting.

It might not be as narcissistic as it seems to you: I have been embarking on a
couple of adventures, certainly not even close to this Antacrtica crossing,
yet my unassisted trips were seen as some as a egoist, narcissistic showoff
thing to do. I got a lot of people telling me they assumed I was doing it for
likes and follows, only my close friends understood that there's something
deep inside you that tells you to go and explore; not for fame, which is
shortlived, but for your own good. Without The Life you're struggling, trying
to cope with civilization and routine while they eat you from the inside.

More than the "car crash" thing that you mention,I believe people are
interested in witnessing success, and happiness. On top of that add the whole
"fuck you i'm going" pornography, quitting everything and embarking on a solo
trip seems to be a common secret dream that people working 9-5 hide deep
inside of their heart.

~~~
gist
> I don't understand the downvotes you're getting.

Because popular culture is such that we are brainwashed into thinking this
type of thing is GREAT!. Similar to when someone jumps on the railroad tracks
to save a complete stranger. They get called a hero. But what (to another
replies point) if they get killed and aren't around for their family? Why
should you risk your life in that case? How is that smart or even considerate
of those around you? What is is: stupid and selfish actually.

> only my close friends understood that there's something deep inside you that
> tells you to go and explore

Thanks for that. You are the type of person that I would sit down with to
explore that entire thinking actually. (I don't feel the same way so I can't
easily understand that..)

> quitting everything and embarking on a solo trip seems to be a common secret
> dream that people working 9-5 hide deep inside of their heart.

Not me. I don't think I could deal with that!

I think it depends. I was talking to the guard at the courthouse last week and
he couldn't wait to retire off to the country. But his job has to be boring as
fuck <\-- sorry. And you know his son he told me was 'really good with
programming and had some game author write to him directly for something he
was doing'. And the father (the court sheriff guard guy) says 'he says he
doesn't want to do programming full time'. What does he want to do? Well he is
now a police officer in the most dangerous town in the state (really). This
isn't really about the son though. My point is the father is happy standing
around all day doing nothing. So of course he can't wait for his vacations and
to retire (and do nothing at all most likely). Can you imagine just standing
there and doing nothing? I can't.

------
magerleagues
I know we're talking about Antarctica, but this story reminded me of the
incredible book from Hampton Sides called, "In The Kingdom of Ice"
([https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Ice-Terrible-Voyage-
Jeannette...](https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Ice-Terrible-Voyage-
Jeannette/dp/0307946916)).

It takes in the 1880s, when the general population believed that the North
Pole was an open polar sea. The book tells the story of the USS Jeannette,
which tries to sail up there.

More:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Expedition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Expedition)

------
smorgrav
First? What about the crossing by Cecilie Skog and Ryan Waters in 2010?
[https://www.explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=19064](https://www.explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=19064)

~~~
madstap
They weren't alone.

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aquamo
How to the skis they use differ from classic style cross country skis? In the
image they look a little wider than any I've owned.

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bitfhacker
If they are two men, they aren't alone. They have the presence of each other.

~~~
dang
Please don't post unsubstantive comments to HN.

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franze
the current HN title doesn't make any sense: "Two men are trying to become the
first person to cross Antarctica alone"

two men can by definition not be alone.

~~~
pcl
As discussed in the article, two men are independently making the attempt, at
the same time. The grammar works out, but it catches your eye, which is often
a goal of a headline writer.

~~~
scrollaway
Sounds like they'd have a better shot at it if they teamed up :)

~~~
mcv
I was tempted to post that joke, but decided against it. Still, you've got my
upvote.

