Uber Gruber where are you?

[Rockin Robbins]

This is totally off-topic and moderators may choose to give this the kiss of death and banish it to the general forum (I hope not, though).

I was thinking of Uber Gruber, our Irish sub skipper whose been missing in action for quite a while here and thought others may wish to know his whereabouts. He's a bit landlocked right now: actually 60 nautical miles from the south pole, a long way away from anything submarine. Here's his last post from his "vacation".

89th Degree (January 4, 2008)

Two days ago, New Years Day, my heels were in agony and I could no longer ski. I took my skis off to try walking. My feet were numb, like blocks of concrete. I stumbled and fell, got up, staggered, and fell again. I could go no further. As the rest of the team rallied round I crawled to the end of my sledge, sat down and looked into a chasm of despair. And then I cried, hot tears steaming up my goggles, closing me off from the world.Something stirred in me then. Something I rarely see. I got up, reattached my sledge and edged one foot forwards, then the other, counting each tentative step. The sole of my right boot came away but I ignored it and carried on. Reciting the alphabet, first forwards, then backwards. Singing, stray lines from songs between big gulps of air, always moving till finally I reached our camp.
That was two days ago. This morning we crossed the 89th Parallel, a popular starting point for people who wish to walk the last 60 Nautical miles to the pole. I try to imagine I'm one of them, in good health, fully fed and keen to ski the 'Last Degree'. But the image doesn't last long. We've hauled over 1000km for 54 days to reach this point, we have lost a lot of weight, we look awful and we smell.
Now, as I sit in the tent, massaging Arnica Oil into my heels and tending to my sloughing soles, I accept my last degree will be a mountain. Yet not even death itself will stop me from reaching its summit.

http://www.polarblogger.com/
His ETA to the pole is Tuesday. Hats off to an uncommon man in an uncommon place!

[Rockin Robbins]

Dispatch from http://www.beyondendurance.ie/news/post/192, Pat Palvey, the expedition leader's website:

Success
A call was just received confirming the teams arrival at the South Pole at 4.30 Chilean time.
We will be compiling these dispatches properly when we get time…
HOORAY!!

This is a truly extraordinary achievement by an outstanding SUBSIM member. Upon his return we should raise the virtual rafters with our cheers!

[Zero Niner]

Which one is Uber, if he is in the pic?

[Travis Reed]

I dunno about anyone else, but my sub doesn't have any rafters, virtual or otherwise...

...course, I'll have to be on the surface, otherwise I'll sink like a stone when my crew and I blow the whole top of the sub off...

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Dispatch from http://www.beyondendurance.ie/news/post/192, Pat Palvey, the expedition leader's website:

This is a truly extraordinary achievement by an outstanding SUBSIM member. Upon his return we should raise the virtual rafters with our cheers!

Quite an accomplishment


RDP

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Zero Niner

Which one is Uber, if he is in the pic?

You mean I should do my homework? Aye, aye, sir. BBIAF

[Rockin Robbins]

From left to right we have the all Irish team as follows:

Team Leader Pat Falvey, a youngster at age 50, veteran of more than 59 high adventure expeditions around the world.

Jonathan Bradshaw, 36, veteran adventurer of Africa, the Himalayas and New Zealand.

Uber Gruber, information withheld as I am not sure he wishes for his name to be out there in SUBSIM. I sure can't ask him right now.:rotfl:He is survivor of a cross Greenland expedition last year where Falvey selected him and Bradshaw for this historic south pole walking expedition.

Dr Clare O'Leary, 35, the first woman in history to walk to the south pole. There were several weeks during the journey where she was the only uninjured team member. She pulled a 500 lb plus sled just like the others. Hope she gets rich and famous. I fear the world is much too jaded for that much deserved outcome though.

Freddy T. Bear, age unknown, on top of the pole in the foreground, accompanies Pat Falvey on all expeditions, writing a blog for the benefit of school kids around the world. Here's the link http://www.patfalvey.com/freddy.htm. What a bear!

So there we have it. I'll release more information as it becomes available, such as will they walk the rest of the way across the continent, having reached this milestone. That's in the plan, but how do you stay motivated after reaching the pole? Remember, they can just fly out nowdays.

[AVGWarhawk]

Great achievement but looks damn cold

[Rockin Robbins]

As might not be surprising the first team member to dispatch from the pole is.....Freddy T Bear!

Freddy makes it - Jan 08


Hip, hip hoorah!! WE ARE AT THE SOUTH POLE!! I am so excited, I can hardly sit still to write this!

Yesterday morning we started skiing at 7am and could see the South Pole in the distance – just a black dot, but we didn’t care – we were finally within reach of our goal.

The sun shone as we skied the final 20km; Polly and I couldn’t stop grinning, knowing that after 58 days on the ice and 1,140km of skiing, we would soon get the chance to stand at the South Pole.

Nobody wanted to stop for breaks – we’re all tired of eating the same food – and too keen to get there.

By 4.00pm we were walking along the runway towards the South Pole Station. Thirty minutes later we could see the international ceremonial flags which surround the South Pole globe.

‘You go ahead first, Freddy, you have done the team proud.’ Clare called from behind. I slowly walked up to the globe, touched it, looked at myself in the glass and then broke into a huge smile. ‘Wow! We really are here!!’ I shouted. Pat, Clare, Shaun and Jon stepped out of their skis and unclipped from their sleds. Together with Polly, we all hugged, cheered and waved the Irish flag. What a proud moment… one I will never forget – I am the first Irish bear to reach the South Pole, Polly the first penguin, Clare the first Irish female and all of us make up the first Irish team!

After taking some photos, we were met by the station master. She took us on a tour of the station where 243 people are currently working. It was so cool to step into the warmth of their canteen where we were treated to hot drinks and fresh cookies!

Our journey is finally over. Thank you to everyone at home who has followed our expedition – we’ve had a long, tough trip and all your messages have meant a lot to us.

I’m looking forward to getting home now.. See you when we get there!

Freddy & Polly.

Clare O Leary has been helping Freddy write his blogs since he left Ireland. Her enthusiasm and commitment for keeping it updated is a fantastic achievement and may help children get involved and learn about their expedition experience. Great job Clare.

posted by Pat Falvey on Wednesday the 9th of January, 2008 at 16:20
tagged as south pole dispatch, freddy

Stay tuned for word from Uber Gruber. Freddy makes it sound like it's time for a quick flight out of there, doesn't he? I can't blame him.

Irish penguin???

[Rockin Robbins]

Is from Jonathan Bradshaw. http://www.cantbeassed.com/.

It's well worth the trip to read it, especially his observations about sitting on a toilet for the first time in 58 days. And it looks like they are giving no thought to walking the other halfway across the continent. Good for them. after 1400 km of lugging their own sleds and a successful navigation to the pole, they have nothing to prove. Still waiting for word from Uber Gruber and will post it as soon as I get it.

Isn't it amazing how we receive tragedy and triumph on the same day. Even more amazing that neither detracts from the other. So cheers for Uber Gruber, SUBSIM skipper at the south pole! If there were justice in the world he would be famous. However, we're too busy looking for our celebrities to make another bonehead move or expose some part of their anatomy to pay attention to real achievement.

Sorry to ressurect this, i didn't know the post existed till RDP pointed it out . Just wanted to sa thanks for your support. It was a long trek, 58 days in total, and we had a few problems on the way but we got there in the end.

Its the first Irish Team to make it from continent edge to the pole which is pretty wierd when you think of other Irishman associated with the place...i.e. Shackleton, Tom Crean, McCarthy Brothers etc.

Anyway, thats enough noise from the my trumpet.....thanks guys, seriously.

[AVGWarhawk]

Oh yeah, great job sir!

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by Uber Gruber

Anyway, thats enough noise from the my trumpet.....thanks guys, seriously.

Great to see you back


RDP

[Rockin Robbins]

I still have to give Shackleton first place among all-time Antarctic explorers but you finished what he proposed to do! He took a "failed" quest for the pole and turned it into a never to be challenged multi-year adventure that should have killed all of them three times over. Instead, he didn't lose a man. He traded one difficult goal for several impossible accomplishments. Congratulations for finishing Shackleton's work!

Anybody who is not familiar with Earnest Shackleton needs to request shore leave and read an account of a mission equal in every respect to traveling to the moon and back. Admiral Lockwood is issuing passes for anyone wishing to do this. I believe the best available book is Alfred Lansing's "Endurance." You won't believe it could possibly be true.