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Photo courtesy of GE and Scott Draper
Parker Liautaud, 15 years old, is reporting on his progress skiing his way to the North Pole. He has made his goal to become the youngest person to ski to the North Pole, and to use that attempt to bring greater awareness to the urgent environmental issues of the arctic.
In his latest reports, this has been an arduous trip and there have been set-backs.
The problems range from repetition to caught skis, falling into icy water, and going off course. The joys? Well, seeing progress made to the goal of going that Last Degree and reaching the North Pole.
Parker notes some of the problems in these two entries (excerpted with permission).
On April 5th he reported: Today we had whiteout conditions for most of the day – we were just tripping all over the place. In the beginning we had a fairly rough start, we only had one nautical mile done in the first pole because we ran into a bunch of pressure ridges and didn’t know where we were going. The ski gets caught in something because you can’t see it in the white out.
It was difficult to keep going. It's also difficult how repetitive it gets. You wouldn't imagine it, but since you're doing the same thing nine hours a day, you have to think of stuff to keep yourself busy. I let my mind drift, but the problem is I also have to stay focused on what I'm doing, or I'll catch a ski and fall over, or my sled can roll on me if I’m going down a pressure ridge.
The main thing that’s keeping me going is the visualization of reaching the Pole. It's difficult to do the same thing over and over again, but when I think of the ultimate goal and the ultimate aim, it keeps me going.
Yesterday, April 6th brought more severe challenges, and yet more progress. Today was an exciting and incredible day...despite also being depressing and degrading.
White out conditions made the going difficult, then there was the breaking through the thin ice twice, filling his boots with the icy water.
At the moment I'm sitting in my sleeping bag with a bottle of hot water in the lining of my boot ... which is in my sleeping bag. Whenever we need to dry something out we stick it in the sleeping bag. I have half my sled in my bag to warm it by body heat.
And more importantly for his purpose of letting the world see the ravages of global warming on the arctic - There was a lot of open water today. It really shows what's been going on in the Arctic - it's falling apart. Right now we're camping on this patch of old ice, but all around us is open water, broken and thin ice. To our north there's a massive pan of very thin ice. Everything is freshly frozen, if not open.
See the slideshow below to understand what's involved in a trek to the North Pole
Parker’s journey is part of an expedition that is open to the public. For more than 10 years, Doug Stoup has been guiding teams across the frozen Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. From numerous ‘Last Degree‘ treks to his most recent 660-mile epic journey to the South Pole.
Cost: €25,700 but for a quickie (I'll bet you didn't know you could do this as a quickie), fly from Longyearbyen to Ice Station Barneo, then take a helicopter to 89.599? North. Spend some quality time on the ice for photos and celebration and then return. Cost: €16,900 (more information
This video is a guide to the gear that Parker will be taking with him.
He will be reporting his progress online through his Facebook Fan Page “The Last Degree” and his Twitter handle @parkerliautaud.
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Comments
I'm not quite this adventurous. Maybe Ted would like to go.
Well, it would not cost a lot. Perhaps we can get a comped trip. Smiles... Great story and I look forward to all follow ups.
What an inspiring young man!
This has to be one of the silliest of the silly stunts people engage in to "raise awareness" of global warming (as if we haven't all been bombarded with propaganda for twenty years) and the article is even sillier. As if this brainwashed junior climate scientist knows anything about how the arctic is "supposed" to look this time of year. As he's talking about how the arctic is "falling apart" the ice is about at it's normal extent for the first time in nine years. And the writer implying this is evidence of "the ravages of global warming" is among the worst "reporting" of the year. She'll probably win a Pulitzer.
Or the Nobel, like the last one...
Oops, its, not it's.
Temps of -34C, yet melting ice and open water. Ice growing for a month later than the 30 year average, and extent at the 30 year average. Yet we're all doomed...you betcha.
Will I still get that Pulitzer if they realize I'm not reporting on global warming, but on the experiences of someone making the trek to the North Pole?
Perhaps I should wait to work on my acceptance speech.
Ha! I'll vote for you either way. This made me think of Ted, too. ;-) That's pretty amazing.
This is the most self indulgent opportunism I have ever seen. He has no basis to make reference to normal or abnormal - he is a child. NSIDC and JAXA show that the sea ice is "normal" based upon the arbitrary NSIDC determination . Temps are average as well - yet this punk comments on the QUALITY OF THE ICE - yeah right, let's make policy on his observations.
Reminds me of the (choose one) deaf, blind, retarded, drunk or stupid people who used to (choose one)
go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, sail around the world in a 10 foot boat, etc... Inspiring? Well, in a fashion.
Attention seeking pre-pubescent boy needs to go to Arctic to get his rocks off.
Please tell us exactly where you are so we can relate your information to location. The photo suggests that you are still in a fjord somewhwere. Silly to report open water when you are still at the coast don't you think? I would also like to know about all previous trips to the north pole you have made, since you are such an expert on it. I for one cannot understand how anyone with half a brain can take his "reporting" seriously. Where is the science?
good for your own self esteem. But this is just anti science.
An adventure that can be admired. Some may wonder about the wisdom of spending $ on this adventure rather than other worthy causes, but it's a free country . . . However, the article does reveal the sad state of education for today's youth -- and for the media. The Arctic always has had open waters; his diary entries on ice conditions matches what explorers were saying over 100 years ago.
Real science would notice that trends in Arctic ice match concerns about soot more that global warming.
How hard can it be: where is the above picture taken?? The one where you are dragging the sled?? Anyone
Perhaps the words of the man, Doug Stoup, leading the expedition, who has done this many times will be more relevant to the global warming question
www.iceaxe.tv/doug-stoup/
- Last Degree to the North Pole
March 28 2010
The Arctic ocean is in a state of emergency. Scientists are reporting this Arctic Season to be been one of the warmest in recorded history. As a veteran polar adventurer, I have seen huge differences in the state of the Arctic Ocean over the last decade. I have witnessed less multi-year ice.
Well, the picture is NOT taken at the polar ice cap. How about Svalbard?
So, let me see if I got this right...
He is basically taking an open-to-the-public commercial package guided tour for €25,700 (the team leader has been taking groups for 10 years)? And this is somehow supposed to be both heroic and a benefit to the environment?
The kid is a brain dead silver spoon puppet. He has no clue what the Arctic is "supposed" to be like. He is a poster child for the profound ignorance of global warming alarmists.
Can y'all remember you're talking about a 14-year-old? You may disagree (vehemently) with his position, but there is no need to call him hurtful names.
You're anonymous (even if you put down an actual name). On the internet, no one knows you're a dog (for those who have seen or know of the cartoon).
Parker is a real person who has gone public.
Calling him names is a cheap shot taken at a young teen.
Oops - sorry that would be Parker is a 15-year-old. Can't edit comments.
The judgement and name calling is sad.Whatever the age, here is a story about a person with courage and strong belief, who has chosen a way in which he can actually act. Before you criticize, ask yourself this- What are you passionate about? Are you willing to do something about it- no matter what others say? Do you have the drive, the courage and the determination? Then,I look at the age- maybe too many of us have lost it. Cheers to this young man. He's doing something. How many of us can say that? How many of us can be honest enough with ourselves to be able to just wish him well? Important endeavor. Good coverage. You are both making a difference.
I got a tattoo once!
Wow! A lot of controversy, but great adventure story.
THe kid claims that "the ice is falling apart... from global warming" yet his web page says the temperature in his region is -34 degrees. Please, Parker, try to explain how the ice is melting when its 66 degrees below freezing.... Kid you need to cut it with the overpriced photo-op field trips your rich daddy arranges with GE money, and go back to school and learn some basic science, like the fact that water freezes at 32 degrees.
I think that this kid is amazing. And the fact that some people, sitting at home have the guts to call him names and to tell him that he doesn't deserve his accomplishment is simply embarassing. This kid has worked extremely hard, and looking at other sources has trained for almost a year. How sad is it that rude people would put him down like this and even go to the extent to call the photos fake! His aim was/is to promote awareness for global warming and he completed that at 15 years old having gone on a week and a half expedition in horrible conditions, without giving up. Parker has acheived greatness, and it is more than a shame that some people can't see and respect that.
Mike lorrey, you're an idiot.
The temperatures got down to -35C, not F, which makes it a lot warmer. On the 2nd last day of the trip the temperatures got as high as -2C, which is barely under freezing, about 31F, which is unbelievably warm considering that where he was was supposed to be one of the coldest places on Earth.
Also, water currents in the sea, and the sheeer volume of water, means that water won't freeze up automatically when temperatures dip down below freezing, you unbelievable douche. Even when it does manage to freeze over, if it gets cold enough, there is little chance it will be thick enough to walk on. Moreover, climate change isn't necessarily typified by only warming temperatures. The strong wind coming out of the north west carried on for 7 days, a very strange weather pattern in the Arctic. This also helped break up the ice causing pressure ridges and leads. Maybe it's time for you to get your head out of your ass, and think before you speak.
Well, he is getting attention and like they say in the celebrity business...all publicity is a good thing. Getting people to think about it. I learned a lot ...never thought about the north pole as an adventure.
As you'll see from the last entry and my last column - link is above in the related articles box - Parker and the expedition couldn't ski all the way up.
Why? Open water. Yes, right near the North Pole is a large lake.
And this would suggest temperatures high enough to melt some of the ice and keep it melted.
While we don't know the depth of the lake, something warmed up and kept warming the water. Right by the North Pole.
I think the term lake referred to just a large open water lead - where there isn't ice floating on the Arctic ocean where there should be, preventing Parker and the team from skiing over it towards the pole.
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