Bryony Balen, a Queen Scout Award adventurer, has become the youngest Briton to ski from the edge of the Antarctic landmass at the Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole.
Hostile but beautiful terrain
The team of five adventurers – with a mix of different levels of experience – tackled some of the coldest and most hostile terrain, with inclines of 3,000m, to cover the total 1,135km in just 56 days. Most expeditions of this type allow 60 and plan for 70 days. Temperatures of around minus 12 degrees Celsius where not the only challenges the team had to contend with. They faced whiteout conditions, sastrugi – the sharp ridges caused by snow erosion – and frozen condensation blocking their goggle vision. This is on top of the expected lack of sleep and exhaustion of skiing for eight hours a day while lugging ski sleds full of tents and equipment, plus a 60kg backpack containing food and supplies.
Be prepared
But, as a scout, Bryony knows that preparation is everything. The expedition took a total of three-and-a-half years to plan, including a gap year from her geography studies at Newcastle University: ‘... to focus on a fierce training regime and prepare myself mentally and physically for the challenge ahead.’
Alongside the physical fitness training at her University sports centre, Bryony had to ensure her body’s endurance for the expedition by putting on nearly 20kg. The planning phase also included the calculations for the nutrition needed to feed the team for the total number of days, plus the logistics of packing it all onto their sleds. There was mental motivation to consider, and, as Bryony’s aim was to raise funds for charity, a fundraising partner also had to be found in difficult economic times.
Historic footsteps
Bryony celebrated her 21st birthday while on the expedition. The team also took time out to remember the groundbreaking adventurers whose legendary footsteps they were following. The team paused on 17 January, the date that marked 100 years since Captain Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition reached the Pole.
Building an adventure
Bryony says the expedition built on her enthusiasm for outdoor activities and personal challenges. She credits its success to her previous experience of teamwork and preparation for other expeditions she has organised as well as the challenges involved in completing her Queen’s Scout Award.
Bryony rightly acknowledges: ‘I think it's safe to say I'll never have a boring life!’
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