Posted: Oct 12, 2006 04:39 pm EST
(ThePoles.com) The Royal Geographical Society has arranged a gala next Wednesday October 18th to honor British explorer Wally Herbert, 71. Organizers expect the evening to gather the largest number of British polar explorers ever seen.

“Amongst the cognoscente, Sir Wally is acknowledged as Britain's greatest living polar explorer, and arguably the greatest of them all,” reports the organizers for the event; a brainchild of Pen Hadow and Ranulph Fiennes.

The gala press release claims that Herbert was first man to walk to the North Geographic Pole, the first man to cross the Arctic Ocean on foot, and the first (and only) man to map the North Pole Ice Cap - feats eventually earning Herbert the popular British honorary title "Sir".

First to the Pole?

Controversy has raged since 1909 over who was first to walk to the North Geographic Pole. USA-born Frederick Cook claimed to have got there first, back in 1908. His claim was refuted by Robert E Peary, also American, when he got there the following year.

Peary's claim in turn was questioned by British Wally Herbert who, on assignment by National Geographic, later "scrutinized" Peary's claims. If found without ample proof - alas - Wally himself would get the honor.

“Detailed analysis of Peary's records has subsequently led to severe doubts,” reads the gala press release published by Voyage Concepts (a company holding a partnership with Pen Hadow for Polar trips).

Not possible?

As for Peary's log, the organizers write, “Quoted daily distances in excess of 50 miles a day have never been achieved before or since, not even by Norway's most professional dog team, featured in BBC 2's recent 'Blizzard' series, which crossed the relatively smooth surface of Greenland in excellent weather and surface conditions.”

In spring 2005 however, British explorer Tom Avery set out to recreate the controversial 1909 Peary’s dog-sledging journey to the North Pole – guide was American lady explorer Matty McNair. Avery matched Peary's reported 37 day record using exact replicas of the Peary's sleds - and Matty as only expedition guide. Tom and Matty and the Ultimate North team broke Peary’s 1909 speed record at 36 days, 22 hours and 11 minutes - 7 miles ahead of Peary’s pace. In a short period of 5 months, Matty, 53, had skied, kited and dog sledded 3000 km of polar ice - both north and south.

Questions of "first" continue into new millenium

The press release states that, “Sir Wally was first to walk to the North Geographic Pole, arriving on April 6th 1969."

While there is no proof of that, it's clear however that Wally and his team used dogs (like Cook and Peary) but also airdrops (unlike Cook and Peary) to reach the North Pole.

According to AdventureStats, the first team to actually walk to the pole (no dogs) was the1979’ Russian expedition led by Dmitri Shparo (4 air drops).

The first man to walk to the North Pole unsupported was Norwegian Borge Ousland - who did it solo, back in 1994. This year, Borge also did a trip to the pole in winter conditions together with Mike Horn.

Crossings

Wally started out from Point Barrow, Alaska. After the pole, the team turned the dogs towards Svalbard, covering a total distance of 3100 kilometers and making Wally the first to do a crossing of the Arctic ice in 1969.

The expedition took 16 months, including 3 months over-wintering on the ice cap. "This astonishing feat has never been repeated,” states the press release.

In 1988 however, Russian Dmitri led a team who reached the Pole on foot from Cape Arktichevski and then crossed to Cape Columbia, without dogs.

The first and still only people to have crossed the Arctic totally unsupported (no dogs, kites or airdrops) were Norwegians Rune Gjeldnes and Torry Larsen, in 2000. They started out in Russia and stepped on the ice during the pitch black Arctic winter. By the end of the journey, the guys had lost almost everything - their sleds, their gear - and were finally picked up by the Canadian coast wearing only a backpack. The expedition lasted 108 days.

This year, Rune also ski-kited 4800 km coast to coast at Antarctica, approximately 1000 km longer than the previous skiing expedition record, without air drops. Rune Gjeldnes is the only person to have traversed both polar ice caps without resupplies.

Lack of recognition?

The gala organizers say they are frustrated by "the current lack of recognition for one of Britain's true heroes, and a living icon," according to the press release.

However, the release also points out:

“Sir Wally has had a mountain range and a plateau named after him in the Antarctic, and the most northerly mountain in Svalbard named after him in the high Arctic. He is also a prize-winning author with nine books to his credit, and a gifted artist who has had one-man shows in London, Sydney and New York.”

“He was awarded the Polar Medal for his Antarctic Research (1960-62) and another Polar Medal for his crossing of the Arctic Ocean (1968-69); and Gold Medals by the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Scottish Geographical Society, as well as the Explorers Medal by the Explorers Club (New York).”

“Wally Herbert was made a Knight Batchelor by HM The Queen on the last day of the old millennium, as 'one of the British 20th Century icons'.”

Tickets for the gala are available at £250 per head for the whole evening, or £30 for Gala Performance only. The evening's program includes an auction of several objects, including Wally's compass, radio transceiver, and beloved harpoon - once possession of Robert Peary's great grandson, Sissuk Peary.

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