20 years ago, a team of four Australian SAS guys, attempted to be the third climbing party ever to summit Mawson’s Peak, otherwise known as Big Ben - Australia’s only active volcano on the sub Antarctic Heard Island- 3,500 south-west of Australia. 20 years later we got the climbing party back together to make this episode. Stu and Matt are still serving SAS officers and Robb Clifton is now in a senior role at Australian Antarctic Division.
In 1998-99, the SAS had supported anti-poaching activities in the Southern Ocean. As a result, Austral Fisheries were sympathetic to taking an SAS team south to Heard Island.
The team put ashore at Atlas Cove on the 1st of January 2000 after nearly a month at sea on the 88 metre Fishing Trawler, SOUTHERN CHAMPION. The team worked in the Ship’s fish factory through the incredibly challenging Southern Ocean.
On the very first night at Heard Island the team realised how difficult this was going to be …. And it only got worse! They got a lot of things terribly wrong. And Mother Nature was never going to be helpful.
But sometimes fate does (and will) smile.
It’s a great story of adventure. Facing challenges and accepting fate. Homicidal desires to summit but the need to calculate the risks.
And of course, the indefatigable and enduring nature of mateship.
Intelligence Summary (INTSUM)
More About Heard Island
http://heardisland.antarctica.gov.au/about
More About Fishing in the Southern Ocean
https://www.australfisheries.com.au/fishing-operations/southern-ocean
Music
As always music by The Externals. Hear more of The Externals on Spotify.
Contact Us
debrief@unforgiving60.com
www.unforgiving60.com
Also check out the Unforgiving60 playlist on Spotify. A collection of our guests 'power songs' : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cjO1k0evBeP2nFxX83Akp?si=n6dyi9h1Tamsqc7TAVNmjg
S5E8 – Riana Crehan ‘Suffers Well’; From Supercars to SAS Australia
S5E7 – MAJGEN Justin “Jake” Ellwood DSC AM CSC – On Running (an Army Division, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority….and in general!)
S5E6 – Dr. Luana Main – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of stress and (over)training
@RV31 - Reconciliation, Travel and Reflections on Guests
S5E5 – Rachel Vickery “Don’t Fix Broken – Create Awesome”
S5E4– Creativity Builds Resilience: Artists in Foxholes @fova.org.au
S5E3– Ian Prior: How Professional Athletes Stay In the Arena
S5E2– Dr Rob Barbour: SAS Doctor Out of Africa
S5E1B – Jaz Diab – Special Forces Nuclear Scientist, Nerd and Mum! Part B
S5E1A – Jaz Diab: Special Forces Nuclear Scientist, Nerd and Mum! Part A
@RV30 – The Season 5 Kick Off
Season 5- We are (ALL) back on the cans
Season 5 - And We're Back!
Special Episode- Vale Tim Robertson: Forever the Chronic Overachiever
@RV29 – Events and Reflections: The Year in Review
S4E21- Ben and Tim on the Golds Gym Podcast
S4E20 – Senator David Van – Politics and Conflict, at home and abroad
S4E19 – Brad McIlroy: Beyond the Bali Bombing
S4E18 – Associate Professor Justine Gatt: Providing a COMPAS to navigate wellbeing and resilience
S4E17 – Life in Bloom: Sam and Cam Bloom on Life, Adversity, Growth and Love
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