Explorers had to average '20km a day or die

11-08-2010 | Contributor

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it, says polar explorer Robert Swan.

At the NZX Agribusiness conference in Taupo recently he described himself as the "first person in history stupid enough to walk to both poles: 1600km on foot to the South Pole and 1400km on foot to the North Pole".

A self-deprecating Englishman, Swan said he started out with a "really useful" degree in ancient history at university. Now he runs an organisation called 2041, dedicated to preserving Antarctica by promoting recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.

In 2041 the protocol on environmental protection to the Antarctic Treaty could be modified or amended. Swan's aim is to ensure the treaty is strengthened to prevent mining or drilling.

The film Scott of the Antarctic sucked him in as an 11-year-old with the stories of explorers.

He was at pains during his speech to say he wasn't a real explorer, simply following and respecting the footsteps of those who had gone before.

Swan said both trips to the Pole showed him what it is possible to achieve against the odds with minimal resources.

It took him seven years to raise NZ$5million for the first trip to the South Pole in 1985. He took a team of five south to the ice, and three of them walked to the Pole in 70 days, reaching it in January 1986.

Their trip to the pole was unassisted, which meant no radio contact. They pulled loads of 180kg for nine hours a day and had to average 20km a day or die.

The three were strong characters and had to work out some rules. Because they crossed 6000 crevasses, some unseen, they decided the leader for the day would choose the route, and the other two would have to trust the leader and follow without debate or complaint.

They reached the Pole only 300m off-course using the sun, a sextant and a watch to navigate by.

Swan began his environmental crusade after being appalled by the rubbish left on the continent, and after listening "to what Antarctica is trying to tell us - and it is melting quite fast".

"It comes down to a very simple thing: our world is warming naturally, it is possible we are making it worse, but none of us will ever know. We just need to look at it as an insurance job. Let's do the right thing if we can now - just in case."

• Robert Swan

  Printable View