Expedition retreats from infamous summit

THE Irish Shackleton Expedition is expected to set out for the long journey north today, weather permitting, following a retreat from one of Antarctica's infamous mountains.

The South Georgian summit of Mount Roots remains virgin territory, in spite of the best efforts of two Irish mountaineers. "We know now why it's unclimbed" John Bourke, expedition manager, told The Irish Times by satellite telephone.

"We're certainly not disappointed. We were up walking where the gods would walk, if they knew the way, in a beautiful snow bowl above the clouds. But the conditions just weren't right," said Paddy Barry, the expedition leader.

At 2,281 metres, Mount Roots is not particularly high, but is acknowledged to be one of the most technically difficult peaks in Antarctica. British military expeditions have attempted it several times, but the main challenge has always been the weather. The island, which was described as "savage and horrible" by Capt James Cook in 1777, is renowned for storm-force winds almost every other day.

The two Irish mountaineers, Frank Nugent and Paddy Barry, joint leaders of the South Aris venture, had established a base camp at more than 1,000 metres on Saturday, following an arduous trek up the Nordenskjold Glacier. Three other members of the expedition, Mike Barry, John Bourke and cameraman Mick O'Rourke, supported the climbers by carrying gear up to the glacier's head.

Roots and the island's highest mountain, Paget (2,934 metres), which was first ascended in 1964, are part of the Allardyce Range forming South Georgia's spine. Keeping in contact with their rescue yacht, Pelagic, through the British military base at King Edward Point, the climbers reported that the route was proving to be "much more formidable than we thought".,

The climbers had been attempting to reach the summit in alpine style, with emphasis on speed, mobility and the minimum of gear. "But it probably requires a siege approach, and may be easier to tackle in winter, with consistent ice and snow" John Bourke said. "We just don't have those resources."

The expedition has already achieved its main target on South Georgia, the 30-mile snow and ice traverse originally undertaken by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Tom Crean from Kerry and Capt Frank Worsley, after 800-mile sea rescue journey in 1916.

The expedition's progress is being monitored enthusiastically at home by school groups in several parts of the country. The fourth-class pupils in Scoil Mealruan, Old Bawn, Tallaght, west Dublin, have been working on a project about it, and dispatched correspondence, while 10-year-olds in Scoil an Linbh Iosa, Prosperous, Co Kildare, have also written letters to the team, care of The Irish Times.