Britons Reach South Pole, Retracing Scott’s Journey

Three British explorers who set out 14 months ago to retrace the steps of Capt. Robert Scott through Antarctica reached the South Pole on Saturday, expedition coordinator Peter Christopherson said.

It was the first trek to re-create the expedition of Scott, who reached the pole Jan. 17, 1912, after a losing competition with Norwegian Roald Amundsen. The effort, which had already strained the limits of his men’s endurance, proved to be a disastrous one: Scott and his four men died in a blizzard two months later on their way back, 11 miles from a supply cache.

The three modern-day explorers--Robert Swan, 28; Roger Mear, 35, and Gareth Wood, 33--set out on Nov. 2, 1984, 74 years to the day after Scott began his expedition. Like Scott, they carried no radio equipment and received no outside support of any kind.

Special Logistics

They face further risk. The team does not have enough provisions to make it back after the 883-mile trek and is to be picked by a single-engine plane, a specially modified Cessna 185, and brought back to their base camp at Cape Evans.

The three were last sighted by a plane on Dec. 10 as they approached the Beardmore Glacier, the most dangerous part of the journey.

They walked and skied for a year in freezing temperatures, each dragging a sleigh of provisions, eating the same menu of dried and instant food every day plus a half-pound of butter each to keep up the fat level, Christopherson said.

The $1.5-million expedition was sponsored by 700 companies, for which the men conducted research and experiments such as testing equipment in extreme temperatures and measuring the level of pollution in the Antarctic Ocean.

They were originally expected back in London in mid-February, but Christopherson said their support ship--which was to take them from Cape Evans to London--was crushed by ice Saturday and sank.

Stuff of Drama

There were no casualties among the 24 crew members, who included Swan’s girlfriend. Christopherson said arrangements are being made to transport the team home by alternative means.