Shackleton Hut, Antarctica.

 

Monday, December 25. CHRISTMAS. - Lunch. Bar. 21.14. Rise 240 feet. The wind was strong last night and this morning; a light snowfall in the night; a good deal of drift, subsiding when we started, but still about a foot high. I thought it might have spoilt the surface, but for the first hour and a half we went along in fine style. Then we started up a rise, and to our annoyance found ourselves amongst crevasses once more - very hard, smooth névé between high ridges at the edge of crevasses, and therefore very difficult to get foothold to pull the sledges. Got our ski sticks out, which improved matters ,but we had to tack a good deal and several of us went half down. After half an hour of this I looked round and found the second sledge halted some way in rear - evidently someone had gone into a crevasse. We saw the rescue work going on, but had to wait half an hour for the party to come up, and got mighty cold. It appears that Lashly went down very suddenly, nearly dragging the crew with him. The sledge ran on

and jammed the span so that the Alpine rope had to be got out and used to pull Lashly to the surface again. Lashly says the crevasse was 50 feet deep and 8 feet across, in form U, showing that the word 'unfathomable' can rarely be applied. Lashly is 44 to-day and as hard as nails. His fall has not even disturbed his equanimity.

 

After topping the crevasse ridge we got on a better surface and came along fairly well, completing over 7 miles (geo.) just before 1 o'clock. We have risen nearly 250 feet this morning; the wind was strong and therefore trying, mainly because it held the sledge; it is a little lighter now.

 

Night. Camp No. 47. Bar. 21.18. T. -7°. I am so replete that I can scarcely write. After sundry luxuries, such as chocolate and raisins at lunch, we started off well, but soon got amongst crevasses, huge snowfields roadways running almost in our direction, and across hidden cracks into which we frequently fell. Passing for two miles or so along between two roadways, we came on a huge pit with raised sides. Is this a submerged mountain peak or a swirl in the stream? Getting clear of crevasses and on a slightly down grade, we came along at a swinging pace - splendid. I marched on till nearly 7.30, when we had covered 15 miles (geo.) (17 1/4 stat.). I knew that supper was to be a 'tightener,' and indeed it has been - so much that I must leave description till the morning.

 

Dead reckoning, Lat. 85° 50' S.; Long. 159° 8' 2'' E. Bar. 21.22.

 

Towards the end of the march we seemed to get into better condition; about us the surface rises and falls on the long slopes of vast mounds or undulations - no very definite system in their disposition. We camped half-way up a long slope.

 

In the middle of the afternoon we got another fine view of the land. The Dominion Range ends abruptly as observed, then come two straits and two other masses of land. Similarly north of the wild mountains is another strait and another mass of land. The various straits are undoubtedly overflows, and the masses of land mark the inner fringe of the exposed coastal mountains, the general direction of which seems about S.S.E., from which it appears that one could be much closer to the Pole on the Barrier by continuing on it to the S.S.E. We ought to know more of this when Evans' observations are plotted.

 

I must write a word of our supper last night. We had four courses. The first, pemmican, full whack, with slices of horse meat flavoured with onion and curry powder and thickened with biscuit; then an arrowroot, cocoa and biscuit hoosh sweetened; then a plum-pudding; then cocoa with raisins, and finally a dessert of caramels and ginger. After the feast it was difficult to move. Wilson and I couldn't finish our share of plum-pudding. We have all slept splendidly and feel thoroughly warm - such is the effect of full feeding.

Scott's Last Expedition Volume I by Captain R. F. Scott

 

 

What is it about winter, when the cold wind comes blowing through the cracks around the door, that brings on the craving for the sweet?

 

In 1916 Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition was threatened by disaster when their ship Endurance was crushed by the ice. Running low on food and fuel, they eventually hauled and sailed to Elephant Island in three lifeboats. Shackleton, selecting the best five sailors, set out in one 7 metre lifeboat, the James Caird, attempting to sail nearly 1300km to the remote Grytviken whaling station on South Georgia Island through some of the world’s roughest seas to raise a rescue. 129 days later Shackleton was able to break through the ice and rescue all of the crew who had been left behind, interrupting their lunch of boiled seal’s backbone.

 

The favourite topic of conversation amongst those waiting men was, not surprisingly, food, and usually the sweeter the better. A record of one discussion of most desired meals included Devonshire dumpling with cream, syrup pudding, marmalade pudding and Devonshire cream, porridge with sugar and cream, blackberry and apple tart with cream, apple pudding and cream, apple dumpling, Christmas pudding, and dough and syrup – with but one savory breakfaster holding out for scrambled eggs on toast.

 

For speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen.

For scientific discovery, give me Scott.

But when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.

Sir Edmund Hillary

 

So, feeling the need for a sweet, high energy food? Well here’s one to fit the bill that is also traditional Christmas fare in much of Italy. It was also supposedly used as a Medieval energy bar by the Crusaders - so it must be OK for those of us stuck in warmer climes.

 

 

Panforte of Siena

 

Unsalted butter for cake pan

1-1/2 cups whole raw hazelnuts and/or walnuts; roughly chopped

2/3 cup whole raw almonds; roughly chopped

1-3/4 cups diced mixed dried/candied fruits; figs, apricots, prunes, candied peel, etc

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp bittersweet cocoa powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup powdered sugar

 

Preheat an oven to 175C/350F.

Grease an 20cm/8in round cake pan with butter. Cut out a round of parchment paper to fit the pan bottom precisely and slip the paper into the pan. Set aside.

Spread the nuts in a shallow baking pan and place them in the preheated oven until they are lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 150C/300F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine fruits, spices, cocoa and flour and stir together with a wooden spoon.

Add the cooled nuts and stir to coat thoroughly with the flour mixture. Set aside.

In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together the granulated sugar and honey and then bring to a boil.

Cook the mixture until it registers 250F on a confectioner’s thermometer (hard-ball stage - when dropped into iced water a little of the syrup forms a hard ball when pressed between fingertips).

Immediately pour the sugar syrup into the dry ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are well coated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Lightly dampen your hands and press the mixture evenly and firmly into the pan. The cake should be about 1 inch thick.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

The cake will seem underdone at this point, but it will harden as it cools.

Cool completely in the pan and then tip out onto a platter.

Sieve the powdered sugar over the top just before serving.

For something different you can add a little cocoa powder and ground spice to the powdered sugar.

Will store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

 

Serve in narrow wedges with glass of good Asti Spumante.

 

Most Italian towns have a Mercato di Natale in the middle weeks of December where you can buy your decorations and gifts and stock up on sweets, panettone and panforte for the holidays.

 

In Italy the kindly old strega (witch) La Befana brings children presents on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, or, thanks to the Globalisation of Christmas, often now on Christmas Eve.

Having been urged by the Magi to follow the star and find the Christ Child she delayed in order to finish her work and, bringing her presents late, could not find him. So each year she tries again, but being again unable to find the Christ Child, she leaves her gifts for other children who have been good through the preceding year, recognising in them the spirit of the miraculous child.

 

 

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!