Loading summary
Transcript11 lines
- [00:00]
Mike Corey
Wondery subscribers can listen to against the Odds early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. A listener note against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research. The following episode contains depictions of violence and is not suitable for everyone. Please be advised, Belgrave Ninnis strikes a match, but it immediately goes out Even inside this sturdy canvas tent, the frigid Antarctic wind keeps finding its way in, making it impossible to light the stove. And no stove means no hot soup or tea. Ninnis cups his hands around a fresh match and strikes it, but this one blows out too. He sighs and tosses the match away, then looks over at his companions Xavier Mertz and Douglas Mawson. They're huddled in their reindeer sleeping bags. Anyone got a blowtorch? Mawson takes the lid off a food box. Well, gentlemen, looks like hardtack and chocolate for dinner again. Mertz, the Swiss alpine skier and forever optimist, gingerly tries a bite of chocolate. It's frozen solid, like everything else. Mawson gnaws on a piece of hardtack, a dry biscuit made flour, water and salt. He grimaces at the taste. Ninnis, though, can't bring himself to eat anything. He's so sick of uncooked rations he'd be happy to never see hardtack or chocolate ever again. And without a lit stove, they can't even melt ice to make drinking water. It's November 16, 1912. In the past week, the three men have made about 20 miles of progress on a journey that's supposed to cover 700 miles round trip, and for the past two days they've made no progress at all. Bad weather has kept them cooped up inside their tent, which is just wide enough for them to lay shoulder to shoulder. As he crawls into his sleeping bag, Ninnis wonders if they'll ever complete their journey. So far, they've spent half their time backtracking to avoid crevasses and sastrugi, hard ridges of ice carved by the wind. Their three unwieldy sledges keep tipping over, sending gears skittering across the snowpack. The landscape of Antarctica feels possibly vast and truly unmerciful. Two days ago, just when they thought conditions couldn't get any worse, they did. The wind gusts shot past 80 miles an hour. At times, it feels like the tent will blow away with them still in it. Ninnis closes his eyes for a moment. He's so thirsty and he feels faint from the lack of movement and nutrition and sleep. The dogs are suffering too. The 17 Huskies are curled up together outside in the snowstorm. Their fur protects them from the cold, but even they aren't built for conditions this brutal. A powerful gale strikes the tent. Mawson bolts up from his sleeping bag. Grab a pole. Each man grabs a tent pole and holds on for dear life, using their collective strength to hold the tent in place. As he hugs the tent pole, Ninnis looks over at the spent matches he tossed on the floor of the tent and fantasizes about a warm fire and a hot meal. He has no idea how long this storm will last, but if they can't get moving again and soon, they'll never complete this 700 mile journey.
- [03:49]
Unknown
This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Each Apple product, like the iPhone 16, is thoughtfully designed by skilled designers. The titanium Apple Card is no different. It's laser etched, has no numbers and it earns you daily cash on everything you buy, including 3% back on everything at Apple. Apply for Apple Card on your iPhone in minutes, subject to credit approval. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and more@applecard.com against the odds is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies to try it@progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.
- [04:43]
Mike Corey
From Wondery I'm Mike Corey and this is against the odds. In 1912, geologist Douglas Mawson arrived in Antarctica with teams of explorers to lead mission called the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Their goal was to investigate uncharted territory, mapping new terrain along the way. Mawson's team, the three man Far Eastern Party, would have the hardest trek. Aiming to travel 700 miles round trip in just three months. Mawson had experience exploring Antarctica, but his companions, British officer Belgrave Ninnis and Swiss skier Xavier Mertz were novices and as they plunged deeper into unexplored or terrain, they would soon face a crisis not even Mawson was prepared for. This is Episode two, the Far Eastern Party. Xavier Mertz pulls on the dogs lead, commanding them to slow down. Whoa guys, easy, easy. The dogs ease up, but not quickly enough and they pull his sledge up onto a sharpl angled Sastruki, one of the ice ridges scattered across the landscape. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just before the sledge is about to tip over, the dogs stop. He orders them to go left. Ha. Ha ha. The dogs pull the sledge back onto level ground, and Mertz breathes a sigh of relief. That was close. After three days stuck in the tent, they're finally on the move again. The storm lifted this morning, and they dug out their three sledges and resumed their jo. The going has been smooth at times, but often the dogs have lost their footing or the sledges have overturned crashes that have left the men bruised and battered. Each crash also means precious minutes wasted. Repacking the sledge, Mertz rubs a bruise on his shoulder and hears a shout from Mawson, who is 100 yards ahead. Mertz stops his sledge and runs to catch up, but as he approaches, Mawson waves him back. No, no, no. Wait, wait, wait. I'm on a snow bridge. Go back. Mertz stops and slowly backs up. A snow bridge is a clump of snow that has accumulated over a crevasse. Snow bridges are deceptive. They camouflage crevasses that are sometimes over a hundred feet deep. You never know how much weight they can bear, if any. And right now, Mawson's sledge is right at the edge of a broken one. Mertz carefully tiptoes forward to get a better look. The crevasse is at least 25ft wide and who knows how deep. The six dogs of Mawson sledge have already fallen in and are hanging over the hole. Luckily, they are attached to the sledge with leather harness traces, which are keeping them from falling deeper. The dogs are panicking, screaming and frantically moving around. Their struggles are slowly pulling the sledge closer to the edge. Mawson holds the dog's traces with one hand and the sledge with the other. Mertz wants to help, but doesn't want to risk getting too close to the edge of the crevasse. His added weight could cause another collapse. He watches as Mawson slowly backs up. He leans back and keeps his feet flat so that his toes don't break the snow bridge beneath his feet. He carefully takes two more steps back until he's on solid ice and not snow. Even with the sledge bearing some of the dog's weight, Mertz can't believe Mawson's strength. Ninnis joins Mawson, and together they pull the dogs back up to the surface. Luckily, the snow bridge doesn't collapse further. When the dogs are safe, Mertz hauls moss and sledge away from the crevasse. Ninnis tosses the dog some seal meat and the men take a short rest to calm their nerves. Sitting on the ice, Mertz wonders if they were better off stuck in the tent, or at least they were safe from falling into crevasses. Then, just when he feels like he's caught his breath, Mawson stands up. Break time's over. We'll have to backtrack to get around this crevasse. There is no time to wait here. Let's go. Mertz nods. He reluctantly hauls himself back to his feet. He knows his boss is right. They do have to get going again. It's mid afternoon on November 19, 1912, and Belgrave Ninnis takes off his goggles for the third time that day. He rubs them on his coat to remove a layer of condensation that clouds his vision. All the men wear round tinted goggles to reduce the glare from the sun, which can be blinding when it reflects off the snow. But when his breath fogs up the goggles, Ninnis can't see a thing. He decides to leave them off for a bit. A couple hours later, he rubs his right eye. It feels like a piece of sand has gotten stuck in it. He rubs it some more. The feeling doesn't go away. He blinks repeatedly as they cover more ground. But the feeling of sand in his eye only gets worse. Before long, his eyes are burning and he's struggling to see. Ninna stops the dogs. Easy. Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. He turns around to signal to his companions behind him, but all he sees are blurry shapes. His eyes are pouring out tears, but the tears don't help ease the sting. It's like his eyes are sunburned. He hears moss and run to his side. Hey. What is it, Ninus? It's my eyes. Okay. How. How long ago did you take off your goggles? I don't know. Maybe an hour. I. I warned you not to take off your goggles, especially this time of day. You've gone snow blind. Snow blindness is caused by the bright sun reflecting off the white snow into your corneas. It's temporary, but excruciatingly painful and until it clears up, Ninnis can't continue. Mawson and Mertz quickly put up the tent and drag Ninnis in. At this point, it's like bees are stinging his eyeballs. They lay him in his sleeping bag. He rubs his eyes with his fur lined gloves, but nothing helps the pain. Ninnis hears Mawson's voice. Alright, Ninnis, I'm going to open your eyelids and I'm going to put these little tablets on them. They're made of zinc sulfate and cocaine hydrochloride. Your tears will dissolve the tablets and then you'll feel better, but you'll have to stay still. Okay? Yeah. Okay. Ninnis feels Mawson lift his lids, then the uncomfortable sensation of the tablets pressing onto his eyeballs. But the relief is almost immediate, like someone is washing away the coarse sand in his eyes. Mawson puts bandages over Ninnis eyes, wrapping them tight so that no light can sneak in. Ninnis grabs Mawson's arm. Boss, thank you. Will my eyes be okay? They'll heal quickly, my friend. Don't you worry. He hears Mert start the stove and prepare a hot meal. Ninnis lies in complete darkness in his sleeping bag and he smells the hoosh. A stew made from meat paste and water. He's grateful for his comrades and that they knew what to do to treat his eyes. From now on, he swears to himself, he will wear his goggles. Fogginess be damned. Douglas Mawson lifts binoculars to his eyes and aims them east. He sees a giant tongue of ice running north from the mainland, deep into the ocean. As he suspected and feared, they are less than a mile away from a giant glacier. It's been two days since Ninnis got snow blindness and his eyes have healed well. But now they face something far, far worse. Glaciers are notoriously dangerous for Antarctic explorers. They're like slow moving rivers of ice, and that constant movement means that they're riddled with crevasses and seracs, precarious towers of ice big enough to crush a man. But there's no going around this glacier. It's far too big. They have to cross it. Mawson signals the men and dogs to continue. Just as Mawson feared, the glacier is a maze of crevasses. Moving in a straight line is impossible. After a couple hours of zigzagging, Mawson sees that Ninnis and Mertz are exhausted. He calls out to them, let's stop for lunch. They pitch the tent to get a short break from the endless whipping wind. Mertz makes tea while Mawson ventures out with Ninnis to take photographs of several beautiful seracs. Then they return to the tent, with Ninnis just behind Mawson. Mawson hears a sharp crack and turns around to check on his companion. Ninnis head and arms are sticking out of the ground, but the rest of him is under it. He's fallen into a crevasse. Mawson kicks some snow with his boot to find the edge of the hole. Then he carefully leans over and pulls Ninnis out. When he looks into the crevasse, he can't even see the bottom. Had it been a bit wider, Ninnis would be a goner. They trace the length of the crevasse further. It goes directly under the tent. They pitched it right on top of the hidden deadly crack. There will be no time for tea after all. Instead, very carefully, they pack up the tent and they move on. Xavier Mertz plants his ski poles into the packed snow and pushes himself forward over a somewhat flat area of the glacier. He's enjoying the relatively pleasant 18 degree temperature and the gentle wind. You can almost imagine that he's cross country skiing back home in Switzerland. By now, the Far Eastern party has found a bit of a rhythm in their travel as well as a good system for moving the sledges. Mertz is in the lead on his skis, plotting the safest route. When he he sees something concerning, he signals to Mawson, who is second and manages two sledges that are tied together. Mawson then signals back to Ninnis, who takes the rear with the third sledge, which carries far more weight than the other two. The idea is that the extra weight will wear out the runners of the third sledge faster. Once they've used up enough of their food supply, they'll ditch the worn out sledge and keep the other two. Mertz pushes with his poles once more and then takes a quick break to look around him, searching again for his favorite dog, Ginger. The team has been struggling with the dogs for days. Two were injured and they had no choice but to shoot them. Another two have gone missing, including Ginger. She ran away a couple days ago and Mertz is still hopeful she'll return. But he doesn't see any sign of her, only the endless white expanse of the glacier in every direction. So he pushes on. They're behind schedule, only averaging about seven miles a day according to their sledge meter, a wheel attached to one of the sledges that measures distance. But Mertz agrees with Mawson that they should be able to get back on their desired pace soon and travel well over 10 miles per day. Their new system with Mertz Mertz skiing out front has sped things up. Plus they will be reducing their weight over time as they consume their food. Mertz digs his skis into the snow and comes to a stop. He sees something moving in the distance. At first it's just a dark blur, but as it comes closer, he sees it's a dog. He skis towards the dog and soon sees that it's Ginger, his favorite. He bends down to pet her as she wags her tail and barks excitedly. Hey girl, welcome back. I bet you were lonely. Come here, come here. Come on, let's get you some seal meat. As he leads Ginger back to the sledges, Mertz can't help but think that this is a sign of good things to come. The best candidates aren't scrolling job boards all day. They're busy being great at what they do. So how do successful businesses connect with top talent? They use Indeed. That's because Indeed doesn't just post your job, it gets it in front of the right people. Their Sponsored Job feature puts your listing exactly where qualified candidates will see it. Even if they're just casually exploring their options, the numbers speak for themselves. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs get 45% more applications than regular posts. And here's something remarkable. In the time it took to share that fact, about 23 people were hired through Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. Plus, there are no monthly subscriptions or long term contracts with Sponsored Jobs. You only pay for results and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com theodds just go to Indeed.com theodds right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.comtheodds Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire you need Indeed.
- [18:38]
Unknown
Everyone deserves access to quality mental health care, but finding the right therapist can be challenging. That's where RULA comes in. Rula is revolutionizing telehealth by making professional therapy both accessible and affordable. With rula, you're not just getting any therapist, you're matched with a licensed professional who fits your specific needs and preferences. With a network of over 15,000 therapists and psychiatrists nationwide, you'll find the perfect match. What sets Rula apart is their commitment to your journey. They're with you every step of the way, from finding your therapist to scheduling appointments and monitoring your progress. And the best part? Rula accepts most major insurance plans with an average copay of just $15 per session. Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or just need someone to talk to, Rula makes it easy to get started. Answer a few questions about what's important to you, and you could be meeting a therapist as soon as the next. Thousands have already trusted RULA to support them on their journey toward improved mental health and overall well being. Head over to rula.comtheodds to get started today. That's R U L A.comtheodds to take the first step towards better mental health Today you deserve quality care from someone who cares.
- [19:56]
Mike Corey
Xavier Mertz scooches his reindeer hide sleeping bag closer to Belgrave Ninus hoping to warm up. But it's no use. None of them have much body heat to share. Two days ago, on December 6, a storm with winds up to 60 mph hit them. They have been stuck in the tent ever since, again unable to light the stove for tea or for warm food. Both of Mertz's companions have been suffering from from vivid dreams for the past few hours. As they try to rest in this freezing tent over the howling wind, Mertz hears Ninnis reciting dog commands in his sleep. Then slowly, Ninnis opens his eyes. He looks dazed for a moment, like he can't quite remember where he is. Then he sees Mertz watching him and he smiles, sheepish. Oh, Xavier. I was talking in my sleep again, wasn't I? Yeah, yeah you were. But it's all right. Tell me, how are your fingers feeling? Ninnis takes his hands out of his gloves and shows them to Mertz. They look horrible. Two of his fingers are blackened from frostbite, but Ninnis doesn't seem overly bothered. He takes out his book and starts reading. Mawson allowed each man to bring just one book on their journey. They were luxuries given their strict weight limits, but have helped the men's spirits. Mertz chose an edition of Sherlock Holmes stories. By now he's read it so many times he has passages memorized, even though his English is average at best. He looks over at Mawson, who is suffering as much as Ninnis. His lower lip has swollen and burst, making it painful to eat. Mawson also has nerve pain, pain on the left side of his face, and winces in agony at even the smallest touch. They made pretty good progress in the beginning of December with double digit mileage three days in a row. At this rate, they could conceivably reach their 350 mile goal and still get back to Cape Denison by January 15th. That's their deadline to meet their supply ship, the Aurora. If they can get back in time, they'll be able to sail to Australia and return to civilization. If they don't, they'll be stuck at Cape Denison for another winter. Mawson enjoys when Mertz recites passages from Sherlock Holmes aloud from memory, so Mertz decides to try to cheer him up. He conjures up some lines from a Study in scarlet. My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work. I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession. Mawson chuckles, but his injured lip doesn't allow him to laugh fully. Mertz is the best off of the three, but even he feels weakened and stiff after days of lying in a cramped tent. He's also bored to tears. With nothing better to do, he keeps reciting Sherlock Holmes passages until his comrades fall asleep. Mertz hopes that they wake up in better shape. He hopes the weather will break soon, if they're lucky. This is the lowest point for the Far Eastern Party, and there's nowhere to go from here but up. Belgrave Ninnis removes a box of biscuits from his sledge and carries it over to a pile of supplies resting in the snow. It hurts to carry the box. It hurts to do almost anything. He feels the ache of the cold and the ceaseless exhaustion, but really, it's the throb of his frostbitten fingers that's getting to him. Two of them had clearly gotten infected and swollen to a ludicrous size. So earlier this morning, he asked Mawson to slice them open, then bandaged the wounds. The pain was outrageous, but at least the swelling went down and now he can bend his fingers again. Still, though, they hurt. He walks back to his sledge and grabs another box. Today, December 12th, they're abandoning the third sledge. Its runners have almost worn through and they've eaten enough food that they can divide what's left between the two remaining sledges. The Far Eastern Party has now traveled 295 miles in 33 days. If they really push, they can still have time to turn around at 350 miles and make it back to Cape Denison by January 15th. Along the way, they've made some major discoveries. They're the first to identify and cross two major glaciers. Glaciers. They've proven that the nearly 300 miles they've crossed is solid land and not a series of large islands as some earlier explorers had theorized. They've also discovered and documented new Antarctic peaks and new capes along the coast. In Ninnis's eyes, the expedition has undoubtedly been a success. Ninnis unloads the last supplies from his sledge, careful not to put weight on his two sliced up fingers. While he works, Mertz and Mawson pack up the other two sledges. Their plan is for Mertz to continue charting a course out in front on his skis Keeping an eye out for hidden crevasses, Mawson decided to take the most dangerous position in the middle. His sledge will be loaded with the least essential supplies. Since he'll bear the greatest risk of falling into a crevasse that Mertz doesn't see, Ninnis will bring up the rear with the last sledge. As third in line, he should be able to follow the safe path behind Mertz and then behind Mawson. And since his sledge will be the least likely to fall into a crevasse, they are packing it with the most important supplies, like the tent and the food for both dogs and humans. At least that's the theory. But Ninnis isn't totally sold on the plan. When he's unloaded the last box from his old cold sledge, he pulls Mawson aside. Hey, boss, listen, are we really going to put all our eggs in just one basket? Why not at least split some of the food up, just to be on the safe side? But Mawson shakes his head. No, no, no. This is the best strategy. If anyone is going to fall into a crevasse, it'll be me and my sledge. They continue packing the two sledges. Ninnis picks up a load of extra clothing and a broken spade and and tosses them to the side. He wonders if anyone will ever find these items again. They want to reduce the weight as much as possible, and these things are no longer necessary. After all, they're only a month or so away from finishing their trip. Douglas Mawson writes in his diary as he sits on his sledge pulled by six huskies. The wind is so calm and the terrain so smooth that he's able to write and only half pay attention to the dogs. He notes in ink how much easier the journey has gotten the past couple days. It's 12:30 in the afternoon on December 14th and they are now coasting to their 350 mile goal. Mertz is 30 yards ahead, charting a path on his skis and clearly enjoying the calm conditions. He's singing a German tune at the top of his lungs in his typical happy go, lucky way. Mawson turns around and sees Ninnis not far behind with the second sledge, following Mawson's lead, guiding his dogs to follow the trail of the first sledge. Mertz stops singing and Mawson looks up. He sees Mertz a hundred yards ahead, holding up a ski pole pointed to the right. It's a signal they use to indicate that Mertz has just passed over a partially hidden Crevasse. In this case, one that widens to their right. That means Mawson and Ninnis should angle their sledges left away from the crevasse. If they follow Mertz's path, the snow bridge that supported his much lighter weight could collapse under the sledges. Now it's Mawson's job to warn Ninnis. He turns back and shouts, crevasse. They've done it a hundred times already and have the routine down. Mawson sees Ninnis get off his sledge to guide the dogs more carefully. Meanwhile, Mawson angles his sledge to take a direct path over the crevasse, which is safer than traveling diagonally. He passes over without any issue. He's about to go back to his diary when he hears a slight whine from one of Ninnis dogs. He doesn't think much of it, but when he looks up, Mertz has stopped again. He's staring behind Mawson. Mawson turns around and sees nothing. Not Ninnis, his dogs or his sledge. They vanished. He signals his dogs to stop. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. He gets off his sledge and retraces its tracks. He slows down to see the tracks leading right into a hole in the ice. A big hole, at least 10ft wide. On the other side of the hole are two sets of tracks. It's his own sledges and Ninnis's. His heart races and he drops to his knees. He carefully looks over the edge and down into the crevasse, but all he sees is darkness. He listens hard, but he does not hear a response. Mertz soon joins him at the edge of the crevasse. They bend forward and they call together. They shout and they shout at the top of their lungs, but nobody calls back. Belgrave Ninnis is simply gone.
- [29:44]
Unknown
With summer in full swing. Don't waste money on pieces you'll only wear once or just for one season. That's where Quince comes in. Their clothes are timeless, feel luxurious, look elevated, and the quality is way beyond what you'd expect for the price. It's the kind of wardrobe upgrade that just clicks. Think 100% European linen tops starting at $30. Washable silk dresses and shirts and soft cotton sweaters. Versatile warm weather pieces you'll reach for again and again. The best part, everything with Quince is half the cost of similar brands. I picked up the featherless, quilted long puffer jacket from Quince. It's lightweight, incredibly well made, and a steal compared to similar luxury outerwear I've been using it for the cooler summer nights and plan to bring it on breezy mountain getaways. Give your summer closet an upgrade with quince. Go to quince.com theodds for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N C-E.com theodds to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com theodds Space meets Spark in the 2026 Ioniq 9, Hyundai's first three row electric SUV. Room for the crew and gear plus even the dog gets a seat. The Ioniq 9 rear wheel drive S trim gets up to an EPA estimated 335 miles on a full charge. Actual range will vary. Plus you get a 10 year 100,000 mile hybrid electric, limited battery warranty and 150 miles of range with 15 minutes of charge when using a 350 kilowatt DC ultra fast charger and CCS adapter. Actual charge time may vary. Learn more at HyundaiUSA.com, call 562-314-4603 for complete details.
- [31:42]
Mike Corey
Douglas Mawson lies on his stomach, leaning over the hard edge of the crevasse. For the past few minutes they have alternated shouting into the crevasse while roped to one of the sledges for extra safety, but so far they've got nothing to show for it. Ninus is either dead or fell so deep that they cannot hear him. This is Mawson's worst nightmare. He takes a break and Mertz takes over the shouting. Ninnis. Ninnis. Ninnis. Mertz stops. I hear something. Now Mawson hears it too. A dog yelping. But far below, Mawson peers through a pair of binoculars into the darkness, trying to pinpoint the source of the yelps. Finally, he sees it. A small ledge deep down in the crevasse. On it are two dogs. One of them is completely still. It must be dead. The other is alive but is barely moving. They measure the depth of the ledge where the dogs lie by dropping a fishing line. It's about 150ft down. That's far deeper than any length of ropes they could string together. And Ninnis, if he's alive, is even deeper out of both sight and sound. For the next three hours they continue to shout down into the hole. Eventually, the injured dog dies on the ice shelf below. After that, all they hear are their own echoes. Finally, Mawson and Mertz go and sit by their last remaining sledge. After what feels like a Very long time. Mawson utters the words he's been dreading. This is dead, my friend. Mawson watches Mertz slowly accept it. He nods his head. Yeah, I know. You're right. He's dead. Or at least so far out of reach that rescue was is impossible. Let's hope the fall killed him. On top of losing their friend, they've also lost their six strongest dogs, their tent, all of their dogs, food, nearly all of their own food, and much of their survival gear, including Mertz's weatherproof clothes. They're at least 35 days of sledging from Cape Denison. But they only have 10 days worth of rations for themselves and none for the remaining huskies. With the dogs howling in the background, the men hold a burial service for Belgrave Ninnis at 9pm they each give a reading. Mawson in English and Mertz in German. But they can't linger. Mawson calculates that they have traveled 315 miles from Cape Denison. They are 35 miles short of their initial goal. Goal. But now they have a new goal. Survive. Mawson turns to Mertz. We have to turn around right now. We have to find the supplies we dumped when we consolidated the sledges. There may be something useful there. More layers of clothing at least. Then we have to figure out what we can use for a tent. We'll be dead men without one. Mertz just nods. Mawson puts his arm around Mercury Mertz, whose always positive attitude seems to finally have hit its breaking point. It's around 24 miles to the supply dump and we can't afford to rest. We'll be traveling all night. Mawson watches as Mertz walks over to his skis and puts them on. Without saying a single word, Mawson gets on the one remaining sledge. There are six dogs left, their weakest huskies. And with all the dog food gone, Mawson cannot give them a single thing to eat. They're already starving. But Mawson calls for the dogs to move and move fast for their lives. Xavier Mertz pulls a dog harness over his shoulder shoulders and tightens the straps around his torso. Beside him, Douglas Mawson adjusts his own harness. They exchange a knot. Then, in unison, they start moving forward. Together, they are hauling the heavy sledge behind them. But Mertz has grown far weaker than Mawson. Each step is agony on his deteriorating body. The harness chafes his skin. The wind whips him like an insult. And yet he knows he must go on. He looks down at Ginger his favorite of all the dogs, and now the only one left. The dogs have perished one by one, without food. Ginger has hardly any fat on her anymore, a shell of the husky she once was. Still, she helps them pull and Mertz strokes her fur. Good job, girl. Good job. It's the morning of December 28, 1912. Two weeks since Ninnis fell into a crevasse and disappeared forever. Mertz's weatherproof outerwear was lost in Ninnis fall and now he is always wet and cold. Not only that, but Mertz and Mawson have barely eaten half of their normal rations since then, and yet they've had to work twice as hard over the past two weeks. Their dogs grew weaker and weaker one after another, until they couldn't haul all the dog food. Fell down into the crevasse with Minnis, and out of desperation, Mertz and Mawson fed them worn out fur mittens, reindeer boots and some spare rawhide straps. But with how hard the huskies were working, it was not even close to enough. When they got too weak, the men had to put them down, then butcher them for meat. Now Ginger is the only one left, and Mertz knows that her time is coming. They've made incredible Progress the past two weeks, traveling more than 160 miles, according to Mawson's calculations. But they're still another 150 miles from Cape Denison, and they're growing weaker by the day. After Ninnis fell, they found only a few pounds of food that happened to be on Mawson's sledge or in his pockets. Some chocolate, some raisins, meat paste, biscuits and cocoa. In addition to a lack of food, they're doing more and more of the hauling themselves as more of the dogs have died. They can barely sleep in the makeshift tent they put together from a spare tent cover, and that tent is held together with Mertz's skis and two old sledge runners. It's so small, they can barely both lie down inside at the same time. And because there's no floor when they turn the stove on, the ice melts beneath them, creating a slushy puddle. Mertz shudders as he hauls, knowing that his beloved friend will likely be his next meal. And almost on cue, Ginger stops moving. She falls into a heap on the ground. Mertz and Mawson lift her up onto the sledge, her bony chest barely moving up and down. They pull her for three miles to the next spot where they'll camp and rest. Along the way, Mertz remembers first meeting Ginger on the Aurora and all the days he spent with her at sea and at Cape Denison. When they reach a spot to camp, they set up the makeshift tent. Then Mawson approaches Mertz with a grave face. Someone has to do it. Mertz shakes his head. I can't. Mawson nods. They've long ago discarded the rifle to keep weight low. Mertz feels an intense sense of shame as his hunger fights his love for the husky. He turns his back as Mawson snaps the dog's neck. Douglas Mawson lifts Xavier Mertz up from his sleeping bag and helps him into his clothes. They're still wet from the night before. They're always wet. He helps Mertz dress and then feeds him a bit of hot cocoa and a biscuit. Then he breaks down the tent and packs everything in the sledge. He then puts Mertz into one harness and himself into another. Then they begin to pull the the sledge. It's 7am on January 6, 1913, a week since Mawson had to kill their last dog, Ginger. The new year has come and gone and things look bleak. Both men are weak and tired from eating less than a pound of rations per day, not even half of what they consume daily before losing most of their food supply. Pulling a sled, sledge and 25 mile per hour wind is beyond difficult in normal times, but now there aren't even any huskies to help. Every inch of Mawson's body aches and his belly never stops begging for food. Mertz is even worse off than Mawson. His sunny optimism has long since deserted him. His beard is patchy and his skin around it is red and raw. And when he takes off his goggles, Mawson can see how gray and sunken Mertz's eyes have become. As they haul, their weak legs cause them to slip and lose their balance again and again. After his third fall in almost as many minutes, Mawson groans in frustration. When he picks himself up, Mertz is standing still. My. My mind goes forward, but my legs. My legs stay here. Mawson is sympathetic, but he knows that stopping is not an option. Xavier, we must keep moving. They've already spent three of the past four days in the tent so Mertz could rest. They're still at least 100 miles from Cape Denison, and they have to move faster, not. Not slower, or risk running out of food altogether. Mawson puts his arm around Mertz. I know, my friend, but our lives are at stake. We must walk while we can. But Mertz just stands there, mumbling words Mawson can't understand. The man is delirious. Here, get on the sled, Xavier. You can rest for a while. Then perhaps you'll feel like walking again. Yeah? Mawson helps his friend lie down on the sledge. He covers him with the sleeping bags and notes how Mertz shivers, how his breaths are shallow. It takes all of Mawson's energy to haul the sledge alone, especially with Mertz's added weight. The harness cuts through his clothes into his skin. Mawson is afraid of slipping and breaking an ankle, which would surely be his end. So he gets down on all fours and crawls forward like an animal. Mawson hauls three miles this way, and then he can't crawl another inch. He stops and sets up the tent and the stove. He carries Mertz inside. Come. Yeah, yeah. Let's have some hot cocoa, my friend. By now, Mertz has trouble keeping food down and he refuses to eat any more dog meat. He says that it's been making him sick. Mawson tries to give him some hot cocoa, but he vomits it right back up. In a sudden moment of clarity, Mertz tells Mawson what he'd like to do when they reach the Aurora, the ship that they last saw nearly a year ago. I'd love to make an omelet box. A penguin egg omelet. Mawson smiles. Of course, Savior, yes. Everyone knows you make the best penguin egg omelets. Mawson holds Mertz as he falls asleep, then turns to his diary and writes, things are in a most serious state for both of us. I cannot leave Mertz here, but his heart seems to have gone. And if he cannot go on eight or 10 miles a day, then we are surely doomed.
- [44:49]
Unknown
If you like, against the odds, you can binge all episodes early and ad free right now by joining Wondery in.
- [44:55]
Mike Corey
The Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
- [44:57]
Unknown
Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey@wondry.com.
- [45:05]
Mike Corey
Survey this is the second episode of our three part series alone in Antarctica. A quick note about our scenes. In most cases, we can't exactly know what was said, but everything is based on historical research. If you'd like to learn more about this event, we recommend the book Alone on the Ice by David Roberts, Mawson's Will by Leonard Bickle, and the Home of the Blizzard by Douglas Mawson. I'm your host, Mike Corey. Shawn Raviv wrote this episode. Our editor is Steve Fennessy Sound design by Joe Richardson Audio engineer is Sergio Enriquez Original theme music by Scott Velasquez and 2K for Freeze N Sync Fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry Produced by Emily Frank Frost Managing producer is Desi Blaylock Senior managing producer is Callum Plews Senior producer is Andy Herman Executive producers are Jenny Lauer, Beckman, Stephanie, Jens Marshall, Louie and Aaron o' Flaherty. For Wondery behind the closed doors of government offices and military compounds, there are hidden stories and buried secrets from the darkest corners of history. From COVID experiences, experiments pushing the boundaries of science to operations so secretive they were barely whispered about. Each week on Redacted Declassified Mysteries, we pull back the curtain on These hidden histories, 100% true and verifiable stories that expose the shadowy underbelly of power. Consider Operation Paperclip, where former Nazi scientists were brought to America after World War II not as prisoners but as assets to advance US intelligence during the Cold War. These aren't just old conspiracy theories they're thoroughly investigated accounts that reveal the uncomfortable truths still shaping our world today. The stories are real. The secrets are shocking. Follow Declassified Mysteries on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Redacted early and ad free right now on Wondery.