[NO NEW UPDATES] Expedition Dispatches: Desert Grand Slam with Dean Karnazes

November 2008

November 25, 2008

About the Last Desert Race...

The Last Desert race in Antarctica is an invitational event only open to those who have successfully completed at least two of the '3 Deserts' – the Gobi March (China), the Atacama Crossing (Chile) and the Sahara Race (Egypt). In order to participate in The Last Desert race, you must first have successfully qualified by finishing at least two of these races. The race format during these three desert races is the same: six-stages, 250-kilometers (155 miles), self-supported. Of course, the elevation, terrain, temperature, environmental conditions, etc… are different in each.


The Last Desert competition is the only multi-day stage race on the Antarctic continent. Twenty-eight individuals will be traveling to Antarctica to compete in the 2008 Last Desert race. A special medal is awarded to anyone who completes the 4 Deserts series by finishing The Last Desert event, regardless of the number of years it has taken to do so. Fourteen individuals this year are attempting to do just that. Two of us—Paul Liebenberg of South Africa and myself—are vying to complete the 4 Deserts series in a single calendar year, which has never been done before. One person will also be crowned the 4 Deserts series champion, based on rankings in previous desert races, regardless of the year they were completed.


The race will be held in three or four locations on and around the Antarctic Peninsula. There are some notable differences, however, with format the format of The Last Desert race when compared to the others in the series. For one, each individual competitor is only required to carry a minimal amount of equipment, not everything needed to support oneself for seven days. Additionally, competitors in The Last Desert event will generally sleep on the ship at night, not in tents. Though perhaps best of all, morning and evening meals will be provided by the crew. Yes, no more astronaut food!


The Last Desert race is an epic expedition across the final frontier, Antarctica. Deserts are separated into four categories: subtropical, cool coastal, cold winter and polar. The 4 Deserts events are located in the largest desert of each category, which also represents the driest, hottest, coldest and windiest places on Earth. All of the courses have been set up to pass through some of the most beautiful and pristine land on Earth. Antarctica is the dramatic conclusion to this remarkable series.


Racing locations on Antarctica have been carefully chosen with special consideration to the environment, wildlife and landscape. Competitors will be transported between land and the ship on small transport crafts (called Zodiacs), though passage will be entirely dependant on favorable wind conditions. Along the course, racers will pass a number of international research stations, penguin rookeries, iceberg-scattered coastlines and even an active volcano. Due to the unpredictable weather, race stages can vary in distance from 10 to 100 miles per stage.


Below are some of the particulars:


Flags and Banners –


Custom made flags and banners are used in The Last Desert. Sometimes the katabatic winds are so strong that the flag poles can't be used, so an alternative method is utilized. In the past, race officials have had to secure the flags and finish line with large chucks of ice that had washed upon on the shore from the severe winds.


Special Bibs –


Because the winds can be so relentless, competitors in The Last Desert will be using specially designed bibs that are designed to withstand these extreme conditions.


Satellite Event Coverage –


Five satellites are being used in Antarctica, called BGANs. BGANs provide broadband internet access virtually anywhere in the world. Breaking news, photographs, features, results, daily stage updates and videos will be uploaded through BGAN terminals. However, satellite reception over Antarctica is not always 100% reliable, so information may occasionally be delayed.


Ship to Shore Transfers –


Competitors are delivered to each stage by special boats called Zodiacs. Zodiacs can only be used in moderate winds. If the katabatic winds become too intense, competitors will have to wait on shore until the winds calm before returning to the ship. All equipment must be transported in waterproof bags, as ice cold water can sometimes splash into these small transport boats.


Spectators Along the Course –


Are not human. The only spectators in Antarctica will be the ever-friendly penguins. Competitors will see thousands of penguins and other forms of wildlife as they conquer The Last Desert. Penguins reside in the exterior of Antarctica and not the interior, such as at the South Pole. On my last trip to the interior of Antarctica, I saw no wildlife whatsoever, so it will be nice to see the course this time lined with our little waddling friends.


Course Markers –


Special biodegradable bags are used to mark the course for The Last Desert race. These bags are filled with snow and designed so that no wind can blow them away. The bags are dyed a bright pink color keeping with the pink marker color used in all 4 Deserts races.


------------------------------------------------------------------- P.S. For those of you who have been asking when the 50 Marathons DVD will be available, I’ve finally got an answer: it’s out now. Visit www.50Marathons.com for more details.


- The North Face
November 23, 2008

Getting to Antarctica / Men Wanted

In an effort to immerse you in the experience, I thought it might be helpful to describe what it takes to get to Antarctica.

From the West Coast of the US, I boarded a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina (via Atlanta, GA). Travel time to Buenos Aires was 17 hours 15 minutes. From there, I caught another flight to the tip of Argentina, Tierra de Fuego. Travel time was 7 hours 23 minutes (with 1-stop at El Calafate). I’ll overnight in Tierra de Fuego. Tomorrow, we’ll board a ship in the port of Ushuaia bound for the frozen continent, a two-day journey across one of the most treacherous causeway on the planet, Drake’s Passage (it’s been reported that 98% of the prior participants in The Last Desert race suffered from some form of seasickness).

The ship we are traveling on is called The M/S Professor Molchanov. She was built in Finland in 1982 for polar research and has been refurbished for expeditions to Antarctica. The Molchanov carries a maximum of 52 passengers. While the crew is mostly Russian, the official language on the ship is English.

That’s what’s involved in getting to Antarctica. You have to work almost as hard to get here as you do to run the race (with the seasickness part being especially taxing).

Now to dispel a widely held myth, there are no polar bears on Antarctica. There are plenty of penguins, and there are these terrifying creatures called leopard seals, but no polar bears. For those of you interested in reading a great adventure book about penguins, leopard seals, survival and leadership, I would highly recommend: ‘The Endurance,’ the story of Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Antarctica expedition.

While us participants in The Last Desert race signed up without duress, Shackleton recruited his men for the expedition with the following post:
MEN WANTED
FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS.

Only question: how do I sign up?

From the tip of South America, Dean Karnazes signing off.
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P.S. For those of you who have been asking when the 50 Marathons DVD will be available, I’ve finally got an answer: it’s out now. Visit www.50Marathons.com for more details.

- The North Face
November 18, 2008

Frozen Assets

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting entries about the upcoming Last Desert race in Antarctica. If you’re like me, you probably didn’t realize that Antarctica is classified as a desert, given that the continent is largely covered in snow. It is. In fact it is the largest desert on earth, just a cold one.


Antarctica is also very remote. How remote? The continent is 1.4 x larger than the USA, yet there are only about 3,000 inhabitants. Could you imagine just 3,000 people living in all of the US? Clearly, urban sprawl isn’t a problem they’ll be facing anytime soon.


The Antarctic is filled with superlatives and remarkable facts; it is a fascinating and astounding place that captured my senses from the moment I first stepped foot on the continent six years ago. I’ll pontificate on the wonders of this frozen land in upcoming postings. As an introduction, though, I thought what we’d do first is revisit my historic maiden journey.


As some of you know from reading my book, Ultramarathon Man, I first visited Antarctica in 2002 to participate in the inaugural South Pole Marathon, an event that has yet to be replicated (which speaks volumes about the intelligence of attempting a marathon on the polar plateau). But this marathon wasn’t the only harrowing event that took place during my travels to the South Pole. Something even grander transpired afterward.


Huddled near the finish line, one of the other participants, a friend of mine by the name of Don Kern, had another bright idea: “Now that we’ve become the first to run to the South Pole, let’s be the first to run around the world naked.”


My initial thought was that I’d either heard him wrong through my earmuffs, or that he was suffering acute hypothermic dementia.


“Around the world naked?” I asked.


“I’ve been doing some calculating,” he said.


At the South Pole there is actually a candy-striped Barber Pole with a stainless steel orb on top. Don went on, “If we run around that Pole, we’re literally circumnavigating the globe, just at its smallest circumference.”


He was technically correct; there was only one small problem, “Don,” I said, “It’s minus 40 degrees outside.”


“Just don’t let any of your appendages touch that metal ball and we should be fine.”


Being the gentleman that he his, he volunteered me to go first. Geez, thanks Don.


I made him promise that if the situation got “sticky,” under no circumstances were they to deploy a tourniquet. Thankfully, the endeavor was completed without incident or loss of limb.


Now we have the dubious distinction of being in the first party to run to the South Pole and being in the first pair to run around the world naked. Gives new meaning to the term: “being buff.”


Stay tuned for frequent updates on The Last Desert Race in Antarctica. As Don likes to say, “And the journey continues…”


Dean


P.S. For those of you who have been asking when the 50 Marathons DVD will be available, I’ve finally got an answer: it’s out now. Visit www.50Marathons.com for more details.


- The North Face
November 03, 2008

Get the Facts & Get Involved - The Sahara Desert

EMBRACE THE RACE:
The Sahara Desert in western Egypt, North Africa, is the world's largest subtropical desert. 1600 kilometers wide (1000 miles) and 5000 kilometers long (3125 miles) East to West, it is also the largest non-polar desert in the world.
Sahara Race competitors face a land of contrasts: rocky mountains give way to gold, red and white sand dunes, stony expanses, the occasional palm-filled oasis and dried-up river beds. The heat is fierce with almost no relief, yet temperatures fall abruptly making evenings very chilly. Strong winds and sandstorms are common.


FACE THE REALITY:
Many African countries face severe climate conditions resulting in water crises. Let's examine two very different scenarios:
Egypt reports very encouraging statistics despite the fact that two-thirds lies in the Sahara Desert.
• 96% of the rural and 99% of the urban population has access to improved drinking water sources.
• Almost 100% of the urban and 96% of the rural population has access to improved sanitation.
• To control water pollution, Egypt established new legislation to increase organic farming, limit use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Nile basin countries cooperate on protecting and managing the river’s water
• Bilharzia, a common disease in rural Egypt, has greatly decreased with the provision of improved drinking water to most rural areas.


Tanzania reports major environmental problems due to inadequate water management, inadequate monitoring, and inadequate involvement of stakeholders:
• Lack of accessible, good quality water for urban and rural inhabitants • Deterioration of aquatic systems
• Pollution and poor management threatens the productivity of lake, river, coastal, and marine waters


You can create the change these families need.


By donating to the Blue Planet Run water fund just $30, you can provide safe drinking water to one person for life.
https://blueplanetrun.org/ext/donationformR2/g_donation_stp_new1.php?lang=en&dedicate=DesertGrandSlam

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WALK IN THEIR SHOES:
The Blue Planet Run has dedicated thru the month of November to help bring safe drinking water to 1,200 students, and their families, in Tanzania.


Currently, these students leave valuable classroom time to walk long distances and collect water from a hand-dug, open water pit. This water source is used by animals and people for all purposes. It's a source of mosquito breeding and is not reliable drinking water. The community uses it very sparingly.

Based on reports of other communities in the region that have received wells, a well can greatly impact lives. Children attend school more regularly. Communities can grow gardens which impacts health and commerce. Life becomes hopeful.

Sahara_tanzania 
GO THE DISTANCE:
Athletes all over the nation and beyond have committed to running, walking or cycling 30 miles in 30 days thru November 1 to raise funds for the three school communities in Tanzania. By pledging $1 per mile, people can make their miles matter. Make Your Miles Matter! http://blueplanetrun.org/30-mile


Learn More:
View the Blue Planet Run Foundation slide show and see for yourself the change you can make! http://www.blueplanetrun.org/desert_grand_slam


Spread the Word:
Send the message to your friends and family. By sharing this email with others, you are ensuring that more people embrace athletes such as Dean, learn more about the water issues we all face, and potentially save lives.


Donate Now:
You can give a tax-deductible donation to water projects that save people's lives. Just $30 provides safe drinking water to one person for life! Donate on-line. https://blueplanetrun.org/ext/donationformR2/g_donation_stp_new1.php?lang=en&dedicate=DesertGrandSlam

 

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- The North Face
November 01, 2008

Stage 6...The Finish!

After spending five days crossing very remote stretches of the Sahara Desert without getting lost, it is ironic that on this final day of racing—while running through a bustling section of Cairo—we would make a wrong turn. Put us in the desert searching for little flags and we’re fine, have us run down a paved road with street signs and we’re hopeless.


I ran the final stage today with the 3rd and 4th place finishers, Paolo Barghini and Rob James. As we were chatting spiritedly about what a remarkable week it had been, we ran right past the finish shoot and just kept heading down the road. Classic.


Other than the navigational blunder, the finish at the Great Pyramid of Giza was spectacular. A large crowd of locals had gathered to see us in and there was food and festivities awaiting our arrival.


I’ll post a longer update in the next couple days. Right now, I need to get packing for the trip back home. The top 10 finishers are listed below and you can visit the 4 Deserts website for complete event details: Sahara Race


Overall, it’s been an incredible experience.


Homeward bound,


Dean Karnazes


-------------------------------------------- 1. Ryan Sandes – South Africa


2. Dean Karnazes – United States


3. Paolo Barghini – Italy


4. Rob James – Hong Kong


5. Paul Liebenberg – South Africa


6. Nina Breith (F) - Germany


7. Angelo Salvetti - Italy


8. Olivier Lhoas – Belgium


9. Sean Abbott – United States


10. Andrew Whiteside – United Kingdom


- The North Face
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