Do People Grow Their Pinky Nails

Meet the Word: A Unicorn in conflict ... and Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton [Part 2].

Hello, good day!

First, an apology: we speak of "keep the word" yet, 5 days after what I said in my previous post, I can post this. Sorry. The research vessel had problems with the wireless network ... and a of trust ... finally, here we are now. Shall we begin?

The story to which I referred in the "post" above has to do, like all good stories, with ordinary people who somehow are "rediscovered" in extraordinary circumstances. But what makes it special is that, besides being one of the most remarkable survival stories of all time, is a story of trust, loyalty and sacrifice of men committed to their peers. Something that is rarely seen today.

[For example, consider the case of Mexican PAN deputy, Gerardo Priego, who returned a few days ago $ 1,200,000 pesos, approx. U.S. $ 95,000, a travel fund (ie, "economy" on behalf of our taxes). Miracle! (Although, to be deputy, it surely did with a perverse and obscene ownership plan, NIACE, Ñiace!) But ... one Juan Jose Rodriguez-Prats, a poor " partner" member of his own party , goes to whine and say that the deputy "... should also return your diet because it had a performance ($$$) deficient as a legislator ... His remarks are an insult to the legislature! (sic). " In another protest, and not say anything: it is of the opposite party, the PRI, as César Horacio Duarte. "Probecitos"! Why which will return the million that will provide "support" ... do nothing, lametraseros loose ball?!
Make me the refavrón Cabor! These diputaditos go and have tantrums because they were put into evidence (more?). And the insult to the Mexican people, by the most lazy, incompetent, unproductive and cynical aside, "WHAT?! Therefore I tell ...!]

Wow. I think I got angry. Sorry for the outburst. We continue:

[Please be prepared with enough coffee pot and walnut rolls, because the story has several nuances. If you are ready, let's begin ...]

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there was a "Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration." The primary mission was to reach the southernmost point on Earth: the South Pole. In fact, there was a competition to reach the South Pole first, similar to the space race to reach the Moon in the 1960's. And in this "race to the Pole, the Irishman Ernest Shackleton had gone to Antarctica between 1901 and 1904, as part of the famous" Discovery Expedition "Commander Robert Falcon Scott and later became the leader in the "Nimrod Expedition" in 1907. It had been known to reach the southernmost point (a 88 ° 23 'S) and was preparing for the final attempt ... when it happened that the famous Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen , unable to be the first to reach the North Pole, he changed his goal and won the southernmost point on Earth, the South Pole on 14 December 1911.

The highlight of the expedition:
Amundsen at the South Pole

Map Antarctic Ross Sea and Barrier.
in green, the path of Scott, with their horses Siberia.
In red, the path of Amundsen, with their sled dogs.

[Here, other brackets to highlight the kind of Men of that era: on Jan. 17, 1912, Scott and his men reached the Pole. With disappointment and sadness found that Amundsen had won the race. And in return, given the severe and worsening weather conditions, the British expedition ended in tragedy. Eight months later, when newspapers were able to recover data and explorers, it was learned they had fought to the end to acts of dignity and heroism like this:

Scott The legendary group: in the South Pole on January 18 1912.
Above, left to right: Wilson, Scott and Lawrence Oates ;
Below, seated: Bowers and Edgar Evans .

- Despite the difficulty of the day, still had the intention of making geological and meteorological observations. Carrying 14 kilos of scientific samples!
- They reduced their rations to avoid overloading a healthier peers. The largest group, Edgar Evans died for it, on 17 February.
- In a heroic action, later immortalized by poets and artists, Captain Lawrence Oates, an old war wound in the leg and damaged by the freeze, he realized he was convicted of the resulting gangrene, so that the day of his 32nd birthday (March 17), sensing that his colleagues would like to celebrate and would refuse to leave him for any reason, left the store, looked at the white vastness that surrounded them and sighing, passed into immortality with the following words: " I'm going out ... and I was possibly too long plowed " ... before disappearing into the snowy horizon.


Pictured left Scott and his men on base "Polheim" left at the South Pole by Amundsen. From left to right: Scott, Bowers, Wilson and Evans. The photo was taken by Captain Lawrence Oates, who appears in the photo of the De rejected, with the horses of the expedition " Terra Nova."




Unfortunately, this deliberate and gallant sacrifice will not help much. Affected by extreme and adverse weather conditions, and several miles from their shelter, Scott and his men lost the battle against nature. It was not until 8 months later when a rescue mission would find the remains of his expedition.

But there's more. When Roald Amundsen arrived in Norway, hosting, albeit diminished by the news of the tragedy British, was triumphant: even kings came to meet them. Apart from the recognition and glory, he could get cash prizes, in fact, this historic day ought to have tried a lot of money to Amundsen, ... but much of that money donated to the Scott family for their valor, courage and heroism .



Photographs: explorer Roald Amundsen, left, Commander Scott, right.










Carax! And then I wonder why I require my students and fellow workers, when to exit gracefully from the obligations. Can we ever go back to see specimens of this ancient race of Men, in our times, nay, in our country? Best
close the parenthesis ... if not ... Gggrrrrhhhhh! ... ]

Shortly after Amundsen conquered the South Pole, World War I broke out. As a consequence, ceased to be more shipments of this size, marking the end of this heroic age symbolically ends with the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1922.

Shackleton (left), upon learning of the exploits of Amundsen, set a new goal: to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent. So he planned a bold new issue.

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition ( "Endurance" ) departed from London on the 1st. August 1914. Their goal: to cross Antarctica from a point near the Bay Vahsel in the southern Weddell Sea to reach the South Pole and move the Island and the Ross Sea on the other side of Antarctica. Use two ships and two teams: the Endurance (named for the family motto " Fortitudine Vincimus "Or" By Endurance, We Conquer "-" Strength Through , conquer "), the team would cross the continent, and the Aurora , leading to the second team to the Ross Sea to implement one-way supply for the second part of the hazardous journey.

Imperial Transantarctic Expedition ("Endurance") from 1914 to 1915:

1. Map of the sea lanes of the "Endurance", the "James Caird" and "Aurora".
2. Route inland supply of equipment in the Ross Sea.
3. By road planned by the side of the sea Weddell, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Voyage of Endurance Drift Endurance on ice drift camping equipment on the ice,
after the sinking of Endurance Route " James Caird" planned Trans-Route Travel Aurora "to Antarctica Removal of" Aurora supply route

The initial objective of the mission had to be modified when the Endurance was trapped in the ice almost about to reach its destination in the Bay of Vahsel, and then, after about 9 months of effort and optimism to save him, was crushed by blocks of ice that imprisons him.

And here begins one of the stories of epic journeys and more incredible and heroic survival of all time.

"VVOOOYY! A little!" You will say, rightly so, after hearing the false and exaggerated praise government and annexed. Just 'pérenme a little. I explain:

Can you imagine being in a barren, arid, unknown and hostile (as in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, or Baghdad, Iraq, and at 10-11 at night and not even a Glock 9 mm loss or an M-16 rocket launchers) and no hope of help?

And that, as in a nightmare, to see the place where they could be safe, but could not reach it, even to walk, because every day (due to horizontal pressure) will rise before you walls of ice up to three meters high, preventing further in that direction?

And to finish grinding ... What would you do if you woke up the next day, and realized with horror that Elba Esther Gordillo's just see ... NO, sorry!, No big deal!

said ... realized with horror that the place where they camped several miles away to drift safe place where you're almost there!?

¿All this, with dwindling food rations, biting winds with temperatures around 30 degrees below zero, breaking on the floor of glacial ice and water leaking everywhere!?

For all that and more had to pass Men's Endurance, forced to travel by land to seek refuge, a mission that was becoming increasingly difficult and impossible, until several real options for survival, leaving them ONE: go sledding on the inhospitable Weddell Sea and then venture into small and fragile lifeboats! to Elephant Island in the archipelago of the South Shetland Islands (Islas Piloto Pardo for the Chilean).

sites were closer, but as you know, the waters in that part of the world are among the most treacherous and violent in the world ... and more in winter. The island " Deception", The Malvinas or Tierra del Fuego were closer, but men do not endure the conditions. Must go to a place a little more distant, but far from those raging waters and terrifying.

Having reached Elephant Island, there was a tiny problem: it was a remote and seldom visited by any human (other than whaling). We had to seek aid beyond to return to civilization. Strengthened so that one of their small boats (the "James Caird") and Shackleton, along with Worlsey and other 3 climbers, sailed across the Atlantic unpredictable winter to South Georgia for help.



Left: Sketch of a journey in lifeboats to Elephant Island (green), and the incredible journey of the boat "James Caird"
Elephant Island to South Georgia ( in red).

A Right: Captain Frank Worsley, the legendary
Navigator of the heroic journey of the "James Caird."


this journey alone, would issue an entire post about the determination, bravery and courage of the human spirit. Sail a boat of only 6.7 m in length (long on the inside) through the Drake Passage to Georgia's South almost to the Antarctic winter (April-May) was a very risky and possibly Odyssey is unparalleled in the history of navigation. Besides, it is an incredible demonstration of the ability of a Man (Worsley) for navigation, as for guidance only had a small sextant had to manipulate quite challenging conditions, agitated and beaten by the storms, glacial waters and tidal waves.

And like a bad soap opera length argument, to come ashore south of the island ... another obstacle had to decide if they continued the journey along the coast (very dangerous) or to cross the mountain range that ran dorsalmente la isla, en una expedición impredecible (¡NO se conocía el interior de esa isla!) cruzando una cordillera desconocida en un viaje tremendo de ¡¡36 horas!!

Al final, en un recorrido legendario, donde por las alucinaciones o de plano la Providencia (ayuda extraterrestre, diría Jaime Maussán, jejeje!) todo el tiempo se sentía la presencia de "un cuarto personaje", según declaraciones de los 3 hombres, alcanzaron la base ballenera de Grytviken, donde consiguieron ayuda.

Lo primero que hizo este extraordinario líder, fue regresar por sus compañeros al otro lado de la isla. Posteriormente, a pesar de los consejos para que recuperara fuerzas, insistió in return the same for his men ... because it "promised." Hired a whale (22 May), which could only reach 110 km of Elephant Island.

desperation, went to the Falklands and from there applied to the Admiralty in London for a suitable boat for rescue. He was told that "to have something available in October, and thought that would be too late (the bureaucracy is the same everywhere," eehhh?).

However, Shackleton did not surrender. Got a Uruguayan boat in Montevideo, and went back to his comrades, on 10 June. What do you think, my strong readers? "Did he finally had a happy ending?


Well ... NO!
could not reach AT THIS TIME!

This ended in tragedy. But even then forgot his promise. And with the help of the Chilean left Punta Arenas on 12 July, in another rescue attempt. Sadly, the ice barrier prevented him from reaching again.

Well, YAAA! What was the end of this unfortunate but heroic story?

Shackleton asked the Chilean government to allow him the Yelcho , a steamboat small but very strong and who had assisted during the previous attempt. The Chilean government agreed and so, on August 25, Captain Luis Pardo Villalón (see illustration below) under the command of Yelcho , headed for Elephant Island, in a stubborn attempt by the Shackleton.
This time ..., Providence favored them. The sea was open and the boat could approach the shore of the island, with dense fog. At 11:40 on 30 August the fog was opened, revealing the field. What would have happened with the crew?

The 22 men who had remained on the island, had survived!, Hoping, almost certainly would tell then that he would return for them, because they trusted their commander.

So, months after having reached South Georgia Island for help in an hour all the crew on Elephant Island was already on board, sailing to Punta Arenas.

(Insert a club here, please!)

ALL Endurance crew survived. The legend had begun ... =================================



... And this was the story that I (we) did reflect. And it is my only excuse for having done what is rarely done, as noted in the first part of this post. Now, the issue has calmed down, and I thank my friends have reminded me this episode, to do what needed to be done.

suppose that to the extent that we have men like these, regardless of nationality, race, creed or age, we still have choice. Just hope not to have tired both Antarctic trip. The moral of this story, this time, I leave to you.

Wishing you a relaxing weekend, and my best wishes for an inspired day, farewell, the weary sailor

Unicorn ...

PS This post was updated to post some corrections in the photos. Thanks.