03.11.2019

Welcome everyone following my expedition to the South Pole! I will try to post updates from the expedition as much as possible and communication availability dependent. I will take pictures too, but these will be available on this page after I come back - except a few, which I manage to post via satellite. Until then enjoy my photos from Spitsbergen preparation trips and from training in the field.

04.11.2019

I landed in Punta Arenas, Chile - my base point from which the plane will take me to Union Glacier in Antarctica on the 10.11. On the way I’ve watched spectacular Andes around Santiago. Now, I’m starting to prepare the gear (cargo arrived!) 300 meters from Straits of Magellan (on pictures).

06.11.2019

Food packed (on the before and after pictures) - 165 freezes-dried rations, 7 kg of nuts and dried fruit, 55 noodle soups, 5,5 kg of chocolate, 110 candy bars, 900 sugar cubes and 7 kg of butter. Who will eat this?

09.11.2019

Everything packed, checked in and loaded on plane.
Now we are just waiting for the weather and tomorrow we’ll go to the Union Glacier base in Antarctica!

Final weather forecast tonight...

11.11.2019

At last the weather allowed for a start from Punta Arenas today.
By 16:00 we have landed on the Union Glacier.
First night in Antarctica ahead of me. The tent is set in the base camp - today is 11.11 national holiday - so the flag must fly over the tent.
Weather window for the flight to the start (Hercules Inlet) most likely already tomorrow!

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13.11.2019

Flying weather - so they managed to get me to Hercules Inlet. I got on the route at 13:40. Weather was not bad, although by the end of the day wind got strong. The pulks are heavy and first days steep uphill, so it's going slow. Forward!

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17.11.2019

Last days with deteriorating weather. I march in complete whiteout staring at compass. Terrain is slowly getting flatter, so I’m able to increase the daily distance. As on the picture - no mercy.

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19.11.2019

„Still snowing in Arendale” and I can only hope that „I’ve got the power”. 🙂
The climate change unfortunately got to Antarctica too, so on the dryiest continent it is snowing fith day in a row... So much powder here is an anomaly and bad news for all the expeditions that started already (4 on the routes).
The pulks (sledge) are constructed for going over glacier desert, and in fresh snow behave like a 110 kilo anchor. I fight with it every day - today in 9 hours overall, almost non stop skiing v-shape style, I managed to drag my camp... 8 km. New WOD for crossfit lovers - makes mean quads and triceps.
Whiteout and zero visibility since day two, so no pictures from the outside - instead I’m posting „from the tent life”.

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21.11.2019

Today forced off day - terrible conditions, soft snow and 30 knots of wind in the face. According to forecast, tomorrow morning it will be 50 knots... So the tent is dag in and I’m waiting for the storm to pass (see pics). I have some spare time, so I decided to sum up the first 8 days.
-I skied over 80 km, so I am 20 km behind the plan (plus the time off will make 2-3 days delay)
- the steepest part of the route is behind me and in addition my pulks should get below 100 kg by the end of the week
- no major losses in equipment, although some minor repairs were needed (most important the ski skin, which fell off and only epoxy glue plus 4 screws stabilized it - unfortunatelly I have no spare, so I’m carefull to make it stick for the rest of the trip)
- no major losses in manpower - only some old injuries echoing back (sore achilles and knee) but I blame it on the vintage.
Now the key will be the weather, and especially the skiing surface, so I could slowly increase the daily distance.
I use my supplies carefully, so I assume that they would last me more than 55 days (according to my calculations I can overstay max 60 days, mainly due to stove fuel limit).
Wish me please some good weather!

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26.11.2019

After stormy winds finally good weather - fair in the past four days (yesterday full sun almost 24 hours) and the forecast also positive for the coming days. I even managed to catch some sun into the batteries. So, I’m trying to catch up as much as possible. Quick wake up early morning, breakfast, water into thermoses and on the route. Still multiple large areas with soft snow, so I have to ski a lot v-style, but it’s going much better than last week. Yesterday I passed the 81-st degree so there was a little party - biscuits and tea. Visibility is good and only now one can see the endless landscape.

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02.12.2019

I simply must cite Gombrowicz:
„Monday - I.
Tuesday - I.
Wednesday - I.
Thursday - I...”
Context dofferent of course, but the words spot on. 🙂
Last days passed mainly with a fight for distance - I must push hard, so that I have enough supplies to finally, some day get to the target.
November said good bye with brutal winds on the last day (50 knots again) and trying to wait it out I started late. It was hard to take down the tent on such conditions (wind tried to rip the snow shovel out of my hand) and I snailed through the day to make 17 km.
December for a change came on the first day with a great, sunny and frosty weather - may it stay as long as possible - and immediately I made 25 km.
I have entered more difficult terrain now. Lots of jagged glaciar pieces and sastrugi plus I’m starting to go uphill again. There might be some crevasses here, so I’m cautious, but I have not seen any open so far.
Two days ago there was a party again, and this time for two reasons - a) I passed the 82-nd degree b) I have celebrated the official change of socks (I have only three sets, so it is an event). There were cookies and water with electrolites - nobody showed up (vide above) but I had fun anyway. 😉

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06.12.2019

Sant Claus was probably training around here (see picture), but he did not bring me anything interesting.
In the last days the terrain turned to be favorable and the weather was good, so I tried to catch up a little to cover as much ground as possible. I have turned on the fith gear and pressed the pedal to the metal - on two days almost 62 kilometers! Unfortunatelly, I have overloaded the machinery and it started to crack. The right Achilles tendon is in the worst shape of all. Too strong, too much and too soon. Today I’ve reduced the pace and limped altogether 13 NM (around 24 km).
The point is that in this pace I might run out of food before I get to the target, but of I try to crank the speed up again I’m afraid the tendon might snap, and the expedition would be over.
I will now try to continue on with the reduced pace and observe. Not cool.

On a lighter note - my (legendary) sense of humor tells me that every real lonely castaway should have his own Wilson (everyone who has seen ‚Cast away’ with Tom Hanks knows it). Yes, it is this stage. 🙂
I have Roald Amundsen’s picture printed on the front of my skis. He was a true legend, polar explorer and the first man to get to the South Pole.
I look at him every time I check my compass or search for a better footing.
Roald is my companion since the beginning of the expedition. He has been avoiding eye contact for long. At first he looked at me with pity, now he looks at me with anger (see the picture) since I reminded him that he had dogs to pull his pulks. 😉

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11.12.2019

Some 20 days ago I lost from sight the last hills and I’m seeing moon landscape since. Hudge white pan, slightly tilted uphill toward South, cut by scars and sastrugi. Only white and shades of grey (the only colors are on my equipment) and light blue sky. And the sun, neither dawning nor setting, just making circles on the sky. Not a trace of a human (not even a single jet line on the sky). Unbelievable and completely surreal world!
The expedition continues - leg patched up with tapes, and my faithful cutmen in the corner (Mr. Paracetamol and Mr. Ibuprofen) are making miracles to send me back to the ring for the next rounds in one piece.
I’m also exercising intensively some motivational lines for the old times:
- „No pain no gain”
- „Pain is the weakness leaving the body”
- „Pain is temporary, pride is forever”
And so on.
But the absolute hit of the expedition is a song, that my older daughter „sold” me before I left - „Nie bój się chcieć” from the Polish version of the movie „Zootopia”:

„I’m not going to give up. Nothing can break me down.
Every difficult moment will only give me strenght.”

With a strong beat. Perfect!

My younger daughter likes to repeat after the Pyjama Ninjas: „We don’t sleep! We come out! We fight!”.
And this is exactly what I tell myself every morning at six when I’m crawling out of the sleeping bag. 🙂

- Roald, please stop boasting - these were different times, and at least you had dogs!

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15.12.2019

I’ve just written about the moon landscape and the next day Thiel Mountains appeared on the horizon. Yesterday, on the other hand I’ve passed by Thiel Fuel Cache (a very important waypoint) - a small landing strip with spare jet fuel (no crew of course - self service). Looks very austere - short landing strip marked with flags, meteo mast, some barrels with fuel and... a toilet. I wanted to take a photo, but my camera refused to cooperate in the cold - the only piece of human infrastructure on over 1100 km route and the camera does not take a picture...
Two days ago I crossed the half point - mentally a very important point for me. There was a celebration of course - on the picture - electrolytes, tea, coco biscuits and sugar coated mango. Humble but with pride. 🙂
Additionally, there was also something for the soul - “Męskie Granie 2018” album, which I had managed to download just before departure. Great music!
The best practices developed by my colleague Paweł (and together thoroughly tested in Tatra Mountains) require a small flask of cherry vodka for such an occasion, but I must admit that this part of preparations I had botched.

Ok, so half part behind me, so let’s make a reality check:
1. 55 days of the expedition will strike at 13:40 Chile time (17:40 Polish) on the 07.01.2020 - so I have 22,5 days left. All buffer times were eaten up by snow storm and stormy winds.
2. The most difficult parts are still ahead of me:
- large glacial dunes and sastrugi between 86 and 88 degree latitude
- Climbing up above 2800 m above see level
- Polar Plateau with low temperatures and thin air (altitude plus proximity of the pole)
3. Material supplies are on the edge:
- my food rations counted to the last peanut (all extras I’ve saved are now redistributed to boost daily rations)
- Stove fuel usage - 40% (here I was very prudent)
- Medical supplies usage - 30%-80% depending on category.
4. Equipment condition - good. Small repairs as in previous posts.
5. Loses in manpower - moderate
- Weight loss - visible (my weight on the level from high school 🙂 )
- Tendons condition - average (taken care of)
- Frostbite - none
- Spirits are high

In summary - in this fight I have hit the canvas, I was counted and I’m definitely losing on the scorecard, but this is a main even title match and after 33 rounds I’m still in the fight. Still in the fight!

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20.12.2019

For the last two days I’m skiing „on the milk” - total overcast, poor visibility and zero contrast. Seems this kind of weather may stay with me for at least two days more (unfortunatelly, these conditions are rather normal here). It is an absolute nightmare to navigate in it, especially if you need to avoid obstacles.
Today I’ve entered into the most difficult terrain, which will last until the 88th degree 20th minute latitude. I gave myself 11 days (including today) to cover it - if I make it then most likely my good rations will be enough until the end of the expedition. If not, then it will be difficult and I will have to strip the remaining rations and “magically” create extra days. The calories are now critical and it turned out I brought a bit too little food.
On the other hand, I have really chosen well my freezed-dried food. I chose a strategy to have only one type per meal, on order to reduce choices and to avoid disappointments, when after a tough day I get “not the favorite one”. So: for breakfast (picture 1) porridge with milk and fruits (and a lot of extra butter), for afternoon (picture 2) gulas with veggies (and extra butter), and lastly (picture 3) the king of the evening - beef stroganoff with penne pasta (and of course butter). I eat these every day for the last 38 days and they still taste great!

- Shut up Roald - you ate your dogs instead. You did, didn’t you. Didn’t you?! 🙂

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24.12.2019

I would like to wish all of you a very merry, happy and warm Christmas!

Ps. Since several days I was skiing in low visibility, zero contrast conditions, and today at the end of the day beautiful sun came out - now, that’s what I call a Christmas present!
I’ve also made myself some Christmas Eve celebration - see picture - from what was available. I even sang Christmas carols. 🙂

Ps. Roald joins the best wishes. But from his face you can tell - see picture - that he is rather an Easter Holiday fan.

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30.12.2019

Yesterday, I managed to leave behind me the most difficult terrain. Passing through this sastrugi’s hell was a non-human effort - some days I was finishing on “last legs”. Sastrugi for tens of kilometers - some the size of a car - one after another. I’m not sure if it’s visible on these mini pictures I’m sending. It took me 10 days from the planned 11, so I should have enough food until the Pole (the eleventh ration I’ve already eaten of course). Those who remember the pictures from packing the food rations for the expedition can now compare how much is left - on picture. That’s it, and there will be no more.
Last days I’m above 2600 meters above sea level and it is quite cold. My balaclava and mask are freezing to my beard while I’m skiing. See the inside of the mask after a full day’s work. Thanks God I have two sleeping bags - one down and one synthetic (together they have comfort rating till -36 C and extremum till -70 C). I’m sleeping in the double set since a week ago, so in the “night” it’s nice and comfy.
Today, I’ve met people for the first time in 48 days - some team expedition. We didn’t talk much, because they were busy handling some medical issue of one of the members.
Now, I’m trying to find some last sparks of energy inside me to make the final push for the target. I would like to report at the Pole on the sixth of January latest. Hopefully, my next post will be from the South Pole. Keep your fingers crossed!

Ps. It’s last day of the year tomorrow and the New Year the day after - so together with Roald we would like to wish you a sparkling party and a great Year 2020!!!

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05.01.2020

I made it!
Picture 1 - Today, January 5th 2020, at 17:41 Chilean time (21:41 Polish time), after 53 days, 4 hours and 1 minute, I have reached the South Pole!
I skied solo 1141 km, unaided, unsupported. I am joining a group of about 30 people in the history of polar expeditions. There is three of us in Poland: Marek Kamiński, Gosia Wojtaczka and I - Jacek Libucha from Strzyżów, the son of Barbara and Adam.

Picture 2 - “Non omnis moriar”

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06.01.2020

I will start today’s post by saying thank you. So, I would like to thank:
- my Dad (R.I.P.) for the dreams about travels and adventures
- my Mum, who is absolutely a woman made of titanium, for teaching me determination and the will to fight to the end,
- my wife, Ania, for taking on her shoulders all my duties at home while I am away,
- my daughters, Marianna and Apolonia, for the best expedition motivators and the right bearing home,
- my family, friends and all who crossed their fingers for me, for words of support, greetings and prayers,
- special thanks for Kordian, who took the role of the Ground Team leader, and Marcin for oversight on logistics (I know, I know, you still need to bring me back home).

Oh, I almost forgot, I would like to thank my old pal Roald, for the company every day on the way. See him finally brightening out (picture)!

My yesterday’s post was short, because my stay at the Pole was short. Just as I was arriving, they were loading a small plane, which was to leave in one hour and twenty minutes and the next one maybe could come in several days. So, I rushed to the South Pole markings, I took some pictures and the post I have written already on board. I have sent it while we were refueling mid way (btw: we refueled at the same strange landing strip that I had passed by on December 14th... (picture)).

The last days of the expedition turned out to be more difficult than I expected: first - you could clearly feel the effect of the thinner air (the legs did not want to listen and the breath was faster), secondly - the surface was very resistant (you had to plow through loose powder again, because the snow does not ever melt close to the Pole and it doesn’t freeze into a hard surface). I skied much slower, so I had to compensate it with longer hours in the field. The last four days were again a march “in a milk” - the poor contrast was especially difficult. Nevertheless, the proximity of the target (and shortage of food...) pushed me forward. When I finally saw the Amundsen-Scott Station’s antennas, I felt as if I got an adrenaline shot.

As far as food: I have eaten the last hot ration mid day yesterday, I have eaten the last half chocolate hour and a half before reaching the target. Since a week ago, I would always carry in my pocket in an old medicine container some sugar cubes, which I would eat in crisis moments while skiing, when my body would get a “power cut”. Yesterday, I put only four sugar cubes into my tea thermos, and one (the last one) I’d put in the pocket container - when I arrived at the Pole, from all the food that I had brought for the expedition that last sugar cube was all I had (see picture)!!! I will frame it and keep it as a souvenir.

Now, some weight accounting: this morning I weighted 72,2 kg (picture), and when I was leaving Poland it was 88,3 kg. So, 16 kg are missing!
Miracle diet: eat 5000 calories every day and lose 16 kilos within two months - I need to patent it. 😉

Today, I’m in my safe quarters (picture) in the Union Glacier base camp, regenerating, overeating with “the real” food and preparing my equipment for the return back home.
As soon as I get to civilization (read: wifi), I will send the pictures from the expedition in the original quality.

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10.01.2020

And I have finally arrived at the civilization. I’ve reached Punta Arenas and fortunately all my equipment with me. I’m slowly digging out all the communication channels (ie. the mail got blocked during the two month absence). I’m getting congratulations messages through all kinds of means - it is super nice to receive them and to realize that so many people actually was following the expedition and keeping their fingers crossed. I apologize for not being able to answer and thank for then personally - please allow me to use this medium to thank you so much for the kind words. 

My connection is still not optimal, but from tomorrow on you should expect the original size pictures to show up steadily in the gallery on the web page. Videos - and there is only a few of them because the cameras were failing repeatedly in the cold - I will try to upload as soon as I’m back home in Poland (and it’s only a few days). 

Up to now I’m trying to handle the overflow of inputs - from a white desert, I’m thrown into a world of colors, sounds and... people, who are saying somethings to me and having things to settle. I’m happy I had these few days of “decompression” at Union Glacier, because it is easier now to enter the normal reality.

Tomorrow I will secure the equipment and pack for the final transfer to Poland. I will also make sure I explore Punta Arenas from the culinary side, as my body is calling for reinforcements. Today it was a proper steak of course - see the picture - and tomorrow I will try to hunt for some good seafood. 🙂