Geezer who ran the entire length of Africa ponders if a Pole-to-Pole endurance race is possible. What do you think?

31 comments

1. Having just idly googled what drake’s passage is, I would say: nope, not a chance.

2. Walking is always possible. Swimming, I have doubts.

3. Darn, would ya look at that, my calendar is just fully booked up and I don’t have two years to spare. Probably best to not even start, to not get my hopes up, ya know? And I so wanted to run a full marathon every day for the next two years (and also take a nice relaxing swim). Next time?

4. You’re not swimming the entire Drake’s Passage i don’t think. Ranulph Fiennes did a circumnavigation of the globe, but he had an icebreaker to cross the main wet bits, and a kayak to cross the lesser wet bits. (checkout Transglobe Expedition for more details)

5. yeah just casually swim the drake passage sure [why not](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/drake-passage-antarctica-dangerous-waters)

6. That swim is almost certain death. I wouldn’t even do that shit in a boat.

7. Dumb ways to die 🎶🎵

8. The Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. Currents at its latitude meet no resistance from any landmass, and waves top 40 feet (12 m), giving it a reputation for being “the most powerful convergence of seas”. As per Wikipedia

9. The Wikipedia entry for The Drake Passage says: “Currents at its latitude meet no resistance from any landmass, and waves top 40 feet (12 m), giving it a reputation for being “the most powerful convergence of seas”

   I don’t think you could swim that. If you used a ship/boat to cross that, I believe you could run the rest. People have ridiculous amounts of endurance

10. Swim 😂😂

11. How do you manage to build the level of endurance this guy has in your mid 20’s? Did he grow up as a competitive runner?

12. No. End of thread.

    *NEXT!*

13. John Franklin would like a word

14. If he somehow lived through the Drake Passage, he’d have a very hard time crossing through the Darien Gap in Panama/Colombia. If he somehow avoids being killed by nature, then he’d also have to deal with all of the cartels in the region who have a habit of attacking passerbys unless they give them all of their possessions.

15. How are this man’s knees not _dust?_

16. You surely can’t swim Drakes passage? how many ship wrecks are there?

    as an aside if anyone wants a SLICE of naval history that’s an absolute joy to read ‘The Wager’ is a brilliant book!

17. This is like the jackpot of inhospitable environments
    – Antarctica
    – Swim Drakes passage
    – Walk across the Darien Gap in central America
    – Artic

18. Not going to eat Drakes Passage. Check [https://youtu.be/tTgxTP-k2R0](https://youtu.be/tTgxTP-k2R0)

19. Some people just need to get a job

20. If you want to age 12 years in about 2, then go for it. But don’t ask me to donate to your jolly.

21. I would but I already made plans

22. To add to all the comments on drake’s passage, the Darien Gap is no joke either. If you get past the cartel controlled jungle, you only have miles upon miles of dangerous swamp to trundle through.

23. Ready for the news he got eaten by a killer whale or leopard seal trying to swim from Antarctica 

24. Screw it, let him try. If he dies doing it then it’ll be a lesson to everyone else and a Darwin award if he tries to swim 500 miles in brutally rough seas

25. You could just try therapy

26. Aye, give it a go lad.

27. Love how people are taking the drakes passage but as if he’s serious😂

28. Ah yes.

    A nice little swim across the balmy, glass like, waters of Drakes passage, followed by a gentle wander through the pastoral vistas of the Amazon jungle, up into the peaceful and welcoming region of the Darien gap, on it’s autobahnesque roads, then just a casual stroll up the continent, through the beautiful northern tundra, with all it’s super friendly and not at all dangerous polar bears, right to the top.

    Super easy, barely an inconvenience.*

    *Ryan George references are tight.

29. Does he think Drake’s passage is like swimming in the Thames and don’t get me started on the Darien gap

30. When Michael Palin did it (by very different means) they roughly followed the 30° east meridian because it covered the most land. This is what he would have used to get from South Africa to Antarctica, but there weren’t enough berths: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._A._Agulhas

    An endurance race wouldn’t be possible, but it would make a good series of Race Across The World. So would a remake Around the World in 80 Days (ether the Jules Verne or Michael Palin version).

31. My geography is fairly James May levels of woeful but isn’t Drakes Passage a bit fucking big and a bit fucking cold?