Sample Passage from South Pole: 900 Miles on Foot
Pages 211 to 212
... That we had defied all challenges the Antarctic had thrown us was remarkable. That we had survived each other was an even greater feat.
The animosity that plagued our organization was not unusual in expeditions but it was not until we were presented with our greatest challenge, the failure of the sledge runners, that I began to understand the root of our struggles. The lowest point of our morale, it was, ironically, this crisis that was the catalyst for my re-evaluation of our relationships and a personal journey of learning.
As a result of this fiasco, we were forced to reconsider the benefits of working together and, in the process, I recognized that we were the right team after all for the journey to the Pole. Sadly, it wasn't until late in our adventure that we began to discover the team within our trio. Still, it wasn't smooth sailing. While our discussions on the Beardmore and the Polar Plateau indicated that we had begun to recognize and appreciate our individual contributions, we still each expected the others to reflect our strengths as well. Robert, thanking me on one hand for the careful planning and organization of our base, accused me of being slow to move into action and of being overly meticulous in my preparations. In response, I accused Robert of moving forward too quickly and with little advance planning, while on the other hand recognizing that we wouldn't have been there if it weren't for his courage to dream. Under stress, we each retreated into what we knew and could do best, and measured everyone else against our own special talents.
I am continually fascinated by people, and by seeing how much conflict in our lives is attributable to our perceptions of others' different approaches to learning and problem solving. This caused a great deal of conflict between Roger, Robert, Mike and me. Is not 90% of the stress we deal with in our lives related to people?
I admire my companions and value their contributions. I realize, after all these years, that my real education has finally begun. I have learned to balance my caution with working closer to the edge, for in the process of meeting new challenges and reaching for our own South Poles, we must push perceived limits. I enjoy working with the Roger Mears and the Robert Swans of the world. We all enable people to grow through the challenges we present to each other.
Robert, too, has grown. We speak with each other regularly, and in one of our recent conversations, he told me that as much as my meticulousness annoyed him, he now places great value on the Gareth Woods of the world in moving his dreams to reality. He has even learned now to temper his haste with upfront planning and attention to detail.
Our success was a tribute to our individual courage and determination, but most of all it was the result of our combined efforts as a team. We are different people today for the experience. We are friends. I am convinced that the secret to any success is people, and I truly believe that in Robert, Roger, Mike, John and me, we had the best...
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Sample Passages:
· The Beardmore
· Leopard Seal Attack
· Hut Point
· Epilogue
Independent Book Reviews:
· Sir Ranulph Fiennes
· Lincoln Hall
· Gregory Strong
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