Britons face Arctic peril

Press, 16 February 1982, Page 3

Britons face Arctic peril

From

KEN COATES,

in London

The two Britons who last year crossed the icy Antarctic continent on their circumnavigation of the world yesterday set out for the top of the world.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Mr Charles Burton, of the Transglobe expedition, will now gamble with death on the most hazardous leg of the long journey. They left their vessel, the Alert, on Ellesmere Island, the world's most northerly point of habitation, on Friday. They are riding two motorised Skidoos, each hauling a sledge laden with

9001 b of supplies and vital survival equipment. Because of a relatively mild Arctic winter, the sea is not frozen near the Alert, so the pair are travelling overland up the coast, over frozen snow and ice.

They hope to strike solid sea ice after about 10 days of travelling and will then turn due north for the North Pole in a dangerous 850 km trek through the continuous night. Before he set out. Sir Ranulph said: "Nowhere is there so hostile and uncertain a region as the Arctic - to travel on its broken skin is to court death."

Just how far the expected sea ice will remain thick and negotiable remains to be

seen. The fear is that as well as a jumble of pressure ridges, the men will face thin ice or broken "porridge." which cannot be crossed by sledges or boats. The journey to the Pole will be hazardous because of the treacherous effect of the higher-than-usual temperatures.

During trials in 1977. Sir Ranulph and two companions had to abandon their polar trek within 260 km of the North Pole because they faced soft, deep snow. This time broken ice could also turn them back.

Keeping track of the pair's progress by radio and coordinating supply drops will be Sir Ranulph's wife, Vir-

ginia, aged 34. Mr Simon Grimes, aged 27. and Mr David Mason, aged 30. A three-man Norwegian team, led by Mr Ragnar Thorseth. and accompanied by an Eskimo igloo-builder, plans to reach the North Pole before the two Britons, following a parallel route. The Norwegians plan to leave from Ward Hunt Island at the end of this month. The two Britons say that they have scientific work to do and will not be making a race of it.

But ■ British pride will probably see them strive to beat the Norwegians, and also the French and Russian parties reported to be mak- : ing for the Pole as well.