A Very British Polar Expedition Old Bournemouth School chums Jon Beswick (in black-tie) and James Balfour celebrate in style at the South Pole 24 DORSET December 2012 dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk POLAR EXPEDITION Above: The jubilant team celebrate arriving at the South Pole (left to right) Jon Beswick, James Balfour, Nancy Moundalexis, Julie Ashtead & Neil Laughton Jeremy Miles meets a Bournemouth adventurer whose old fashioned derring-do not only took him the footsteps of Scott but also ended in a game of golf at the South Pole hink it’s turning a bit chilly? beaten by exhaustion, starvation and the For Jon it was also a chance to test out a Think again. This time last extreme cold. new survival shelter designed by his year Dorset architect Jon Exactly 100 years later, on 17th January London-based company Well-done, TBeswick had just spent 24 2012, Jon retraced the route of Scott’s Medium or Rare Architects. “I’ve always hours in an industrial freezer heroic team led by Neil Laughton - a tied travelling in with my work,” says Jon. as part of his training for an expedition to formidable action man who had already “I try to take lessons that I’ve learned back the South Pole. Within weeks the trekked to the North Pole and climbed the from these trips. When I heard I was Bournemouth-based adventurer was highest mountains on each of the seven going to the Antarctic I used my battling his way across the icy wastes of continents. experience of other expeditions to design Antarctica blasted by snow and bitterly Jon, no slouch himself in the adventurer an emergency shelter. We used the cold winds with temperatures plummeting stakes, had climbed the highest peak in prototype this shelter all the way and it as low as minus 50 degrees centigrade. Iraq, driven from London to Cape Town, worked really well.” As part of an elite three man/two motorcycled solo across the Himalayas The two women on the team were woman team, 31-year-old Jon was and crossed Great Thar desert on a camel. experienced polar adventurer Nancy following in the footsteps of Captain He was a natural for the team. Moundalexis and self-styled “Berkshire Robert Falcon Scott, marking the Other members included project- housewife” Julie Ashmore. Julie joined centenary of his doomed Terra Nova creator James Balfour, another Dorset after a mountaineering expedition proved expedition. Despite losing the race to be man, whose CV includes climbing Mount that she wasn’t cut out for high altitudes. first to the Pole - the Norwegian Roald Everest at the age of 24 and going on to Although this would certainly be a flatter Amundsen made it first on 14th conquer some of the highest mountains in adventure the sheer physical and mental December 1911 - the tragedy of Scott’s both the Arctic and Antarctic. Amazingly effort it would take to get to the Pole expedition captured the hearts and minds James was at Bournemouth School with created mountains of a psychological of the world. His intrepid team Jon, though not in the same year. “We nature to be tackled along the way. successfully reached the South Pole on certainly knew of each other,” says Jon. Leaving on January 1st the team spent 17th January 1912, but all five men “The expedition was a great chance to get two and a half gruelling weeks battling perished trying to get back to base-camp, reacquainted!” their way across the frozen landscape. dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk DORSET December 2012 25 “You’re pulling the best part of 90 kilos of kit and, when the weather’s bad, you completely lose visibility.” Above: Jon indulges in a little home-cooking... South Pole style! Left: Braving icy conditions to pitch camp Shuffling on skis and dragging sleds laden even judge where you were putting your we had to put on extra clothing and take with equipment and provisions – they feet. You would stumble and sometimes on board as much high calorific food as trudged in convoy, one behind the other. even fall over.” we could to combat the sudden drop in “At times it was a nightmare,” says Jon, With such extreme condition Jon says body temperature. We were absolutely who spent many weeks training for the he would find his mind wandering. “We rigid with keeping time too, down to the expedition. “I built up my fitness by took it in turns to navigate; one time absolute second. But the rhythm and pulling three tyres across Bournemouth when I was leading I suddenly veered off routine kept us focused.” beach for up to eight hours a day. at 90 degrees. It was only when I looked In contrast to the highly disciplined Physically I was ready but mentally it was back that I realised I’d changed direction. slog of crossing the ice, the overnight incredibly tough. What you can’t prepare You have to stay in that line.” camps were full of camaraderie. “At the for is that even though you are part of There were other challenges too. end of the day the time in the tent with team you’re spending hours alone with Despite the hard physical effort they the rest of the team was amazing fun. We no stimuli at all apart from endless snow could not allow themselves to break really got on well,” says Jon. “It was and ice. sweat. “If you start sweating, it freezes tremendous shared experience.” “It was very slow going. You’re pulling and then you’ve got real problems,” When the team finally reached their the best part of 90 kilos of kit and, when explains Jon. “You have to get yourself to iconic destination and planted their flag the weather’s bad, you completely lose a point where your clothes and your at the South Pole the fabulous five’s joy visibility, there’s nothing but white. It was work-rate match. We’d ski for 55 minutes was unbridled. They celebrated their incredibly disorientating, you couldn’t and stop for five. As soon as we stopped achievement with whoops of joy and 26 DORSET December 2012 dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk POLAR EXPEDITION “The Russian and Chinese team just couldn’t understand it. But we felt that bringing your clubs with you was just the sort of thing a good Englishman does.” James Balfour and Neil Laughton enjoy a spot of golf at the South Pole high-fives. “There was immense there who had done more amazing people who grew up in London, it’s so euphoria, although it was more powerful journeys than us so we decided to go for much harder for them. They don’t have for some than others,” recalls Jon. “For our own British twist on Antarctica. It was the basic skills that I took for granted. Julie it was incredible, she was a novice, great fun but you should have seen some They have to learn to sail, climb and tie while Neil Laughton, who had already of the looks we got!” he laughs. knots. Bournemouth and Dorset offered climbed seven summits, had now reached “People spend months trying to reduce me a great starting point. I love it - which both poles. So for him it was the end of a the weight of their sleds, taking only is probably why it is still my home today.” journey, for her the beginning.” equipment that is absolutely essential, Not that he’s spending a great deal of Surrounded by sundry international and then we arrive at the Pole and start time in his beloved home county right teams also marking the centenary of pulling out golfing gear! The Russian and now. On 1st December Jon leaves on Scott’s arrival, Jon says they were keen to Chinese team in particular just couldn’t another expedition to climb the 7000m stamp their own unique brand of understand it. But we felt that bringing Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. Once Britishness on the occasion. This was your clubs with you was just the sort of again he is planning an eye-catching achieved by setting up impromptu games thing a good Englishman does.” celebration once he reaches the summit. of cricket, golf and rugby followed by their Jon believes that being born and “I’m determined to do something silly at pièce de résistance - the solemn wearing brought up in Dorset has given him an the top. Maybe play a game of darts. I’m of black tie. edge as an adventurer. “I’ve always had sure I’ll think of something!” N “We sort of agreed it all beforehand. access to outdoor activities - walking, For more about Jon Beswick’s work and There were always going to be people camping sailing surfing. When I meet adventures go to www.wmor.co.uk dorset.greatbritishlife.co.uk DORSET December 2012 27.