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There's someone I'd like you to meet. His name's Bunny Fuchs.
He's a geologist and a polar explorer
and, uh, has a proposition for you.
Antarctica. It is my intention to drive a fleet of vehicles
across this last frontier.
- A journey of 2000 miles. - And I'd be doing what?
Ed, it's quite an honour.
I would be away for two whole summers and an Antarctic winter.
How are you gonna cope?
- Now, this is not your show, Ed. It's Bunny's. - Of course.
You're making a mistake, Bunny. The press will make a huge fuss of him.
- He'll hog all the publicity. - Relax.
If you don't mind, Ed, we're in the middle of a planning meeting.
- Nobody told me. - Oh, that is correct.
No one told you because the meeting doesn't concern you.
... a tractor and a tractor driving across the South Pole.
Another world for the South Pole is Antarctica.
And I know someone
who's about to drive a tractor in Antarctica right now.
- Peter, can you tell me who that person might be? - My dad.
Your dad is. What's your dad's name?
- Edmund Hillary. - Edmund Hillary. That's quite right.
And this is where Edmund Hillary is at the moment, right now.
What did Edmund Hillary do? How do we know that name?
He climbed the biggest mountain in the whole world.
He did. The biggest mountain.
Who knows the name of the biggest mountain?
- Mt Everest. - Mt Everest. He's a very very clever man.
It was Peter's first day at infant school today, Ed.
You would have been so proud of him.
He wasn't the least bit nervous.
I took some pictures of him. He looked so handsome.
He was very proud of you.
Talked all about Mt Everest, tractors and the South Pole.
So lovely.
We up and running yet?
Like clockwork, as of two hours ago.
Who would you like to talk to first?
You should probably inform Bunny that we've finished construction.
Tell him Scott Base will be fully operational shortly. Thanks, Peter.
Oh, talk about coincidence.
We, uh, just this minute put the finishing touches on our hut.
Hey, Bunny. Ed's got Scott Base up and running.
Anything you wanna say to him?
Snap.
That's all? "Snap"?
That about covers it.
Bunny says, "Snap."
- What was that? - Yeah, that's all he said. "Snap."
Bunny says, "Snap."
Bloody strange world down here, Whizz. Good blokes, though.
Surprised we haven't all gone insane
living inside each other's pockets.
Eight months now.
We got the base finished.
Now we're more or less sitting around on our bums,
waiting to set up the supply depot for Bunny's trip across Antarctica.
Speak to George most days.
He's 2000 miles away, trapped with Bunny Fuchs.
I can only imagine how much that'll be driving him mad.
Yeah?
Oh, OK, yep, sure. Just, uh,
tell Bunny I'll turn the music down to the appropriate level.
- No, you're all right. Matron's called a meeting. - Huh.
God save the Queen.
Well, enough jollity.
- That's nice, that. - Back to work. Thank you.
Life's pretty dull for me down here at the moment.
Just feel like I'm becoming an office worker,
which is the last thing I'd want to be.
The only real thing that interests me
is jumping in one of those tractors
and driving all the way to the pole.
They won't let me do that.
That, at least, would count for something.
I'm not looking forward to sitting around
twiddling my thumbs for a whole winter
before we lay Bunny's depots.
Well, don't wait, then. Get it out of the way now
and then you can work on other things.
You know, that's not a silly idea.
You're not just a pretty face, are you?
Jesus. You're not gonna hog the phone all night long, are ya?
I have to go, Whizz.
OK.
Hey, I love you to bits.
It's an orchestral hit, but you can sing along if you want, Ellis.
Gentlemen, take a look at these.
Not more bloody plans.
It's a sleeper cabin, comfortable for a long trip.
Devil makes work for idle hands.
Going camping?
How would you like the finish? Blonde oak or native timber?
Hmm. Blonde oak.
As well as the planned depot at 300 miles,
we need another two: one at 480 and one at 700.
So, where are we gonna put the depot at 300, George?
Right here. Top of the Skelton. It's not too steep.
A Sno-Cat could get down it, no problem.
Bob, I want you and Harry to take a team of dogs and check it out.
I thought we weren't doing depot surveys until next spring.
I'm not gonna spend the next six months fretting about this.
I want the Skelton checked out before the onset of winter.
That's a heck of a long way, Ed.
I don't know if we'll have enough time to get there and back
before we lose the sun.
Then forget about the return journey.
John, you can fly in and pick 'em up.
- You can do that, can't you? - Well, if they set up a homing beacon,
put up a windsock and marked out a surface
where I could land safely, I guess I could.
- But do you think that that's... - Then it's settled.
When you reach the plateau, give us a bell,
and we'll come in and get you.
- Thanks, George. - Great stuff.
So, my next question...
You beauties! I knew you could do it.
Congratulations on the mighty effort, guys.
- Thanks, Ed. - How's the plateau ice?
OK. Not too rough.
Good. Well, put the kettle on.
Plane's on its way. Is there anything you need?
Clean socks and underpants wouldn't go amiss.
The ones I'm wearing will have to be burnt.
You'll love the Skelton, Ed.
It's long and smooth, not too badly crevassed, with a gentle gradient.
The dogs didn't find it too difficult.
Do you think a tractor could do it?
A tractor?
Yeah. Do you think a tractor could get up the Skelton
and then all the way to the pole?
What do you think, Harry?
Could a tractor get up the Skelton and handle the plateau ice?
I think it could be done,
at a push, with the right man behind the wheel.
We think so, at a push.
Well, thanks again, guys. Put up a windsock, mark out the runway.
We'll see you back here shortly. Over.
What are you up to, Ed?
So, George, you'll be coming down the Skelton now.
You'll be crossing the Ross Ice Shelf to McMurdo.
It's a considerably longer route,
and you guys have established the South Ice, which is no mean feat.
Congratulations. What's the route like?
Um, we're not sure yet.
Not sure?
No. We didn't use vehicles. We flew everything up.
But you have test-driven the Sno-Cats, right?
N... not as such, no. They're still in their crates.
Let me get this straight.
Next summer you're pioneering a route to the South Ice,
a journey of over 250 miles,
over unproven ground in untried vehicles?
That's a fair summation, yes.
It's perpetual night here at the moment, Whizz.
Everyone's going stir-crazy, especially me.
Can't wait to see the sun again, get outside.
We're sort of stuck here, really.
If it wasn't the lack of daylight holding us back,
it would be the bureaucracy back in Wellington.
I'd like to see them stuck out here in an igloo for a winter.
I sent my plans for the pole through to Wellington,
and they pretty much vetoed all of them.
They definitely don't want me to try to get to the pole.
I was supposed to be in charge of this side of things,
and they don't want me to do anything without consulting Bunny first.
You should talk to Bunny, Ed. Not cos they're ordering you to
but because it's the right thing to do.
Hold on a second, Whizz.
Sorry, Ed. You can wrap your laughing gear around that, mate.
Now cheer up, ya grumpy bugger.
What are you guys up to down there?
It's a winter solstice party. It's...
It's just an excuse for a booze-up, really.
Talk to Bunny. You owe him that.
OK, Whizz.
Bunny.
Bunny? Yoo-hoo.
Yoo-hoo, Bunny. Tybalt!
This is precisely why I banned all music except for Sunday mornings.
Bunny. Sorry to interrupt, Bunny.
I've got Hillary on the line. He wants a quick word.
We may need an interpreter, George.
- Hello, Ed. - Hello, Bunny.
We have depot 300, and I want to put two extra.
One at 480 and one at 700. What do you think of that?
Two extra depots? Is that strictly necessary?
You might be overstretching yourselves.
Cheers.
Well, D-700 is just a suggestion, Bunny, that's all.
We don't have to lay it.
It's your call.
- Drop depot, uh, D-480... - Bunny. Bunny. Tybalt.
Drop depot D-480, and we'll discuss the possibility of D-700 later.
That's sound advice, Bunny. We'll do that.
- Yoo-hoo! - Once you're en route,
you'll have a better idea of how much fuel the Sno-Cats are using.
Yes, I've done the calculations,
and I'm comfortable with the fuel stocks we will be hauling.
Stock D-480, and leave it at that. Over.
Cable the Ross Sea Committee.
Tell them the Bunny wants us to lay D-480,
and he'll make a decision about D-700 when he's en route.
He didn't actually say that.
He's going across unknown terrain in untried vehicles.
He can't possibly know how much fuel he's gonna use.
It's my job to make sure he doesn't get stranded on the plateau.
And while you're at it, tell the Pinstripe Brigade in Wellington
that I've shelved all plans to go to the pole.
Have you?
We're here!
This tractor's on its last legs. Gearbox and steering are rooted.
I don't know how much longer I can keep it going.
Good man. Do your best.
We had some problems coming up the Skelton.
Headwinds coming off the plateau were pretty fierce.
- How are you guys going? - Well, the weather's appalling.
10 days of blizzards like you wouldn't believe.
Come on. Heated cabs, upholstered seats, windscreen wipers...
You're not getting any sympathy from us.
Um, we haven't left yet.
We're still at Shackleton's.
We're just, um, waiting for the weather to clear.
Well, if he's waiting for a heatwaves
he's gonna be waiting a bloody long time.
Will do. OK, thanks, Ed. Cheery.
They haven't left.
All right, chaps.
Let's make ourselves scarce.
- All right, Bunny. - And remember...
No fraternising with the natives.
I'm worried about Jim and Murray, Ed.
Keeping our vehicles going is a huge job.
They're only getting a few hours' sleep a day.
They're absolutely buggered.
We could really do with another mechanic.
I'll put a bloody ad in the paper, shall I?
I know I gave my word that I wouldn't go to the South Pole,
but if I'm honest with myself, that's what I want to do.
Turning into bloody Captain Ahab chasing Moby Dick.
That's why I'm driving everybody so hard.
Have you heard from Bunny lately?
Not a peep. Can't raise him.
Complete radio silence.
The hell is he up to?
Could just be atmospheric conditions.
Well, if we can't consult with him,
then we'll push on to D-700 in the meantime.
Jesus!
Bloody hell.
- You all right, Jim? - Jesus, Ed.
I'm all right.
Well, back up and follow in our tracks.
Peter and I will go ahead and check the route.
One here!
How are things back at base, John?
Is everyone behaving themselves?
You want the honest truth?
Some of the boys have heard you wanna get to the pole.
Say it was never part of the original plan.
Bunny getting hopelessly bogged down
was never part of the original plan.
Thanks, Peter.
If we were to travel further south and things were to turn to custard,
could you fly in and rescue us?
Jesus, Ed.
I'm right at the end of the Beaver's operating range now.
Not possible.
Sorry. You'd be well and truly on your own.
Look, I better be heading back while the weather holds.
I've got three more loads of fuel to fly in.
I'll see you in a few days, weather permitting.
Thanks, John. Safe flight.
I'm good. How are you? What's happening?
Well, I talked to Peter about going further south,
and he didn't seem to mind.
Seemed bloody keen on the idea, actually.
How do Murray and Jim feel about that? Shh.
You know what those two are like. Mechanics, always gloomy.
- Can't say they're thrilled, but they'll get used to it. - Just don't force them, Ed.
Me force someone? Don't worry, I won't.
Can we have a word, Ed?
- What's wrong? - Jim and I have been thinking about this,
and we have serious reservations about going to the pole.
Do you, now?
It's another 500 miles at high altitude.
God knows what our fuel consumption would be.
And your sextant is crook. If we're out by just a few degrees,
we'll miss the pole by hundreds of miles.
We'll be goners.
The generators at Scott Base need regular check-ups and servicing.
I really should be heading back for them.
To be perfectly frank, Ed, I think this whole exercise
is a bit underhand and unsavoury.
So you want to piss off and leave us in the lurch?
Now come on, Ed, that's not fair.
Nobody is leaving anyone in the lurch.
We've done what we said we'd do.
We've laid the depots. We've marked the trail.
We should all just go back to Scott Base now like originally planned.
Well, I'm gonna carry on, alone, if I have to.
- I'll come with you. - Without mechanics? That's crazy.
You can chicken out if you want to. We leave in an hour.
Yes?
- It's me. - Bunny. Thank God.
Where the hell are you?
Whitehall, the papers, the BBC, everyone is asking.
They're calling it a race to the pole, and you're losing.
You know that, don't you?
It's not a race, Eleanor.
And that's precisely why I've stopped giving away our position,
to put an end to this nonsense.
Hey, Ed. Ed.
- It's the Ross Sea Committee. - What do those bastards want?
So as not to damage
the tremendous goodwill this venture has built up
between Great Britain and NZ, we insist you return immediately to D-700
and wait there for Fuchs.
Wait for Bunny to show up? No, that's not an option.
What are we gonna do?
Cable Bunny. Tell him we'll hold our journey south for 24 hours
while we wait for him to advise us
on how best to assist the crossing party.
- What if he says go back? - Well, he better be quick about it.
Ed has halted his journey for 24 hours
and is awaiting my advice on how he can assist the crossing party.
Don't believe a word of that, Bunny.
He's trying to beat you to the pole.
Can't you see that?
Get off the radio right now, call him back
and tell him he has to return to D-700 and do it now.
What do you think, George?
Uh, well...
I don't like saying this because Ed's a mate, but on Everest,
when Ed got to an obstacle that he couldn't go around,
he'd just smash straight through it,
regardless of the consequences.
That's Ed, but that's how he got to the top.
Hmm.
I'll call him, then.
I'd say sooner rather than later.
This is crossing party to support party. Come in. Over.
Crossing party to support party. Come in. Over.
I've been trying for hours. Nothing.
No! Now what?
Bugger it. Out of gas.
Keep it pumping, mate.
Nah, that's it.
It's the altitude. We're burning too much fuel.
How serious is it?
Well, put it this way:
we're halfway to the pole and we've used two thirds of our fuel.
We're gonna have to lose some load to reduce our weight.
Jesus.
Let's get rid of as much as we can.
Those gas canisters, this rope, all these boxes...
Everything. Spare parts. Let's get rid of it.
What if the tractors break down?
Then we'll walk.
I thought we had a strict policy of no hitchhikers.
You threw our tent away, remember?
Ed.
To conserve fuel, abandon journey to pole.
abandon journey to pole. Fuchs.
Too late, Bunny. Too late.
Today Sir Edmund Hillary confirmed
what many people have long suspected.
Sir Edmund, who is leading a convoy
of humble farm tractors across the Polar Plateau,
has released a press statement announcing that,
God willing and crevasses permitting,
he is hell-bent on the pole.
It's the bloody pole, Peter!
I knew we'd make it.
Mum!
Coming, darling.
- Oh! Who is it? - Dad.
- Hi, Ed. - I'm here.
I know!
The Prime Minister rang me to pass on his congratulations.
He says you've made NZ very proud.
You know, you've made us pretty proud too.
Would you like to talk to your son?
- Yes, please. - Here we go.
- Where are you? - I'm at the South Pole.
- He's at the South Pole. - He's in the South Pole?!
Where in the South Pole?
- I'm at the very bottom of the South Pole. - Are there penguins?
No, Peter. There's no penguins here just yet.
This morning I received a cable from Hillary...
informing me that he had reached the pole.
Not only that, but he holds concerns about our rate of progress.
He fears that we may not reach McMurdo until it freezes over.
He has suggested that once we reach the pole, we stop...
and complete the journey next summer.
Now, I know Ed means well.
But there can be no question of us
abandoning the journey at this stage.
I know we'll be late,
but Scott didn't reach the pole until the 18th of January.
Not the best name to drop.
Sir Edmund Hillary's advice to Dr Fuchs
that he should abandon his trans-Antarctic crossing
of the South Pole has raised the ire of Fleet Street,
Whitehall and Wellington.
A number of newspaper editorials here and overseas
accuse Sir Edmund of attention-seeking,
disloyalty and disrespect.
Papers are saying horrible things about you. How are you coping?
Well, nobody's shot me yet.
Though no doubt volunteers are lining up to do the job.
Press are coming in from all over the globe. They're sniffing blood.
It's all getting rather wearisome.
My new nickname down here's "the Abominable Showman".
Though nobody will say it to my face.
Right, lads. The world's press will be watching.
Let's put on a good show.
And remember, no looting.
Ah, damn fine to see you again, Ed.
Good to see you too, Bunny.
- Hold the handshake. Lovely. Thank you. - Have you met George Dufek?
Lovely to meet you, Admiral. Thank you so much for putting us up.
Delighted to have you here.
- We've got hot coffee and doughnuts waiting inside. - Wonderful.
- George. - Hello, Ed.
You made it.
- What do you think? - Nice hat.
How do you feel about Hillary winning the race to the South Pole?
Yes, well, I'm very grateful to Ed
for proving and marking the trip to the South Pole.
Very decent of him.
Mm, this is just the first point in the trans-Antarctica journey.
I thought of, uh, taking a different route here,
but then I would have missed out on a hot coffee and doughnuts.
Ed has very kindly offered to ride with me
in the Sno-Cat for the second leg of the journey.
Uh, he'll be nipping at my heels along the way.
George says we'll be knocking two weeks of the entire trip,
so that is fabulous news.
I'm looking forward to sharing a cabin with Ed again.
And we'll be sure to catch up
on all the adventures we've had on our journey across Antarctica.
Gentlemen. To a job well done!
Hey, Whizz.
When I was younger, I used to go solo climbing quite a bit.
If I couldn't find anyone to go with, it didn't matter.
But in all the adventures, I realised the biggest feat is comradeship,
which is also one of the best reasons to do any adventure...
to make friends and keep them.
Seems I forgot it on this one.
I'm not an icon. I don't wanna be a Sir. I don't want a medal.
I just like the adventure.
But the adventures come with strings attached now.
I wonder what the next one will be.
I can't think of anyone better qualified to lead our expedition
to find the Himalayan yeti,
the Abominable Snowman.
This guy is as hard as nails.
You don't get to the top of Everest
or drive a tractor to the South Pole
being a goddam pantywaist.
Doesn't mean we're giving him a blank cheque, though.
Send him in.
They'll see you now, sir.
Thank you.
I read your proposal.
It's very interesting.
So it's something you might consider?
Yeah, I'll give it a whirl.
That's fantastic news.
I'm so pleased.
Which brings us to the sort of question of money.
Sir Edmund, can I ask you how much expedition members normally earn?
Nothing, as such.
But their return flights and all meals
and accommodation on the expedition itself are paid for.
And I have to warn you gentlemen:
in my experience, they are big eaters.
World Book Encyclopedia will pay for all airfares to and from Nepal.
Any money spent on purchasing climbing gear,
boots and clothing for the expedition will be fully reimbursed.
Expedition members will be on the payroll
as soon as they leave their homes
until the moment they step back through their front door.
They thought of everything, Whizz.
They're providing full insurance cover
against illness, accident and death.
- That's spooky. I don't think I wanna know that. - And look at this.
- Phyll, look at this. - Look what they gave me.
- Oh, lovely! - Well, the last one
was certainly past its prime, wasn't it?
Yeah, it looks great.
You know who I wanna take with me?
- Who? - Some of the old Everest crew.
George, Charles Evans if he's free.
I'm gonna be away for four months, Whizz.
And there's not a lot of money in it.
You don't mind?
You love Nepal. You'll get a book out of it.
The last one sold really well.
I know we've only just put them to bed,
but I think that Peter would love to see his father.
- Oh, Mum... - I'll go have a chat.
Peter! Go on, give me a hug.
Come on, boy. It's good to see you. Oh, it's good to see you.
See, these are called the yeti.
And this is what Daddy's gonna go and try and find in the mountains.
Why do they have squiggly toenails?
Well, that's because they don't cut them often enough. Look at them.
And why do they have a lion mane?
Well, because it's very cold up in the mountains,
so he has to have a lot of long hair to keep his neck warm
so he doesn't catch a cold.
You know, like you sometimes wear a hat.
Why do they have sharp teeth?
Well, sometimes, if they slip over on the ice,
they need to grip with something.
So they can use their teeth to sink into the ice and hold on.
Be careful, Dad.
I will.
The Sherpas, now, they think they're real.
So that's why they put them in all their pictures, see? Like this.
His Holiness is saying he hasn't seen a yeti.
But many nights, he yeti hearing.
Many morning, yeti footprints finding.
We need proof, Ed. Something I can show the board.
Something we can put on display.
Mingma, can you ask His Holiness if he has any yeti relics for sale?
You cannot get anywhere else in the world.
Very important for the monastery.
Very sad to leave.
OK. Um...
Tuchi-chi, Burra Sahib. Tuchi-chi.
Tuchi. Thank you.
When you forget about mountain climbing for a second,
when you actually pay attention,
boy, this is a pretty harsh and medieval place.
This is where American bucks need to be spent.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
Mingma, why...
No yeti hear? No yeti tracks?
No yeti noise?
Yeti smart. Yeti good eyesight having.
Yeti hiding when Sahib coming.
Yeti good nose having.
- Sahib big smell having. - You saying a big smell?
Mingma. There's something that's been bothering me.
If there was one thing we could do for your people, what would it be?
Our people having eye, no seeing.
People need education.
A school building, Burra Sahib. A school building.
- You all right, Ed? - I just have a splitting headache.
- Namaste, Burra Sahib. - Namaste.
Bed tea bringing.
Yeah, come on, Ed. Wakey, wakey. Rise and shine.
Ed? Hey.
Ed? Oi.
Ed.
Bloody hell. OK, we need to get him down now.
We need to get him down right now. Mingma, go get Evans.
- Uh, a... and get the oxygen. Quick, please. Quick. - Yes.
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