back to article Sacred islet Rockall defeats Brit adventurer

Brit adventurer Nick Hancock is returning to western Scotland after inclement weather thwarted his attempt to land on the sacred islet of Rockall. Hancock had intended to spend 60 days in a survival podule atop the Atlantic granite outcrop – some 480km off the west coast of Scotland – in aid of Help for Heroes. Speaking …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. hplasm
    Happy

    Britannia does rule the waves.

    But sometimes the waves win.

    1. lawndart

      Re: Britannia does rule the waves.

      But sometimes WE LET the waves win.

    2. LarsG

      I've been there, in the 1980's and believe me when I say the place is only fit for mad dogs and Englishmen.

      A 60 day stay? The man needs to be certified.

    3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: Britannia does rule the waves.

      "But sometimes the waves win."

      Wrong. ALWAYS the waves win. One can only attain a short term victory of sorts.

      Looking into my future crystal (or something), I foresee the man winning his Darwin Award.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    IIRC Neptune was the God of the Med and inland waterways. Oceanus was the God of the wilder seas beyond Rome's frontier. So it was Oceanus, not Neptune that preserved Rockal's dignity.

    Good luck with the next attempt to land though.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Podule podule podule podule podule

    Now I feel dirty.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yawn

    Recently been reading more and more about the overcrowding at Everest due to crowds of "me too" people.

    Also recently didnt Fienes try and go across the antartic in winter (really difficult) and fail.

    Now this dude wants to do this when the swell is worst and has failed.

    Why is everyone trying to do needlessly impossible things and failing? Maybe you all are not superman and should just do a fun run instead.

    1. Getriebe
      Flame

      Re: Yawn

      There is nothing 'me too' above the South Col, you cube dwelling prick.

      Its called challenging yourself, and many do fail - finding their edges

      On the swell, I once tried to get off a trawler in Tierra del Fuego to climb a cliff. Even a 1 meter swell makes it touch sphincter loosening. 8 meters I would go and drink coacoa.

      1. Heathroi
        Pint

        Re: Yawn

        8 meters??!?! feel seasick just thinking about it.

        (a pint, for the nerves)

      2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: Yawn

        Erm, a 1 meter swell would have me reconsidering my approach to the problem and even money, reconsidering the problem as a mental one.

        8 meters is right out.

        One meter can be attained, at some significant degree of risk, as one can easily mis-estimate. Eight meters requires airborne access and anchoring to the rock.

    2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: Yawn

      Blather.

      If I chose to do it, I would. As a proof of concept for all weather, all terrain habitats for emergency conditions or even space travel.

      One only need have a habitat three times larger than his joke of a pod, deliver it by air, anchor it solidly into the rock, have sufficient provisions and water recycling and an RTG for an energy source.

      Utterly workable, not difficult to engineer, but stupidly expensive.

      And unnecessary to prove out.

      Mark my words, if the idio-, erm, man continues, we'll eventually read about his acquiring his yearned for Darwin Award.

    3. rh587

      Re: Yawn

      Fiennes got frostbite and had to drop out, but the rest of the team are still plodding along. They've been posting some really rather spectacular photos to their blog and Twitter feed.

      One of the (many) science projects on The Coldest Journey trip is White Mars - looking at human performance in extreme conditions to understand how well (or not) humans will fare on Mars. There's also a variety of geophys studies, and one about the diversity of extremeophile bacteria down there.

      http://www.thecoldestjourney.org/

  5. goats in pajamas
    IT Angle

    Charity Aid

    If you look at pictures of Rockall and think thoughts along the lines of "I could pitch a tent on that bit" rather than "omg, it's an uninhabitable seagull's toilet" contacts us and we'll provide you with some nice people to talk to about all those troublesome thoughts in your head.

  6. Kevin Johnston

    I know it may be deemed cheating but could they not land him on the rock be helicopter? Maybe if that makes it too simple they could try landing by parachute....

    1. Mr Young

      Getting to Rockall

      I don't think Helicopters have the range for a 900km round trip. Cool devices though - one million parts flying in formation...

      1. Ian Johnston Silver badge
        FAIL

        Re: Getting to Rockall

        The Greenpeace team who stayed on Rockall landed by helicopter.

        1. SkippyBing

          Re: Getting to Rockall

          I'm fairly sure Greenpeace's helicopter started from a ship quite close to the rock rather than flying all the way from the UK.

          If people aren't giving you enough money to operate a helo capable boat then you'll need one with a 900km range, which is also quite expensive.

    2. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      Where's your sense of British history

      Clearly the proper way to land on Rockall is in a harness hanging beneath a Harrier.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Where's your sense of British history

        I was thinking circus cannon...

  7. jake Silver badge

    Kinda makes me smile, actually :-)

    This wannabe twatdangler is spending tens of thousands on Sweet Rockall.

  8. Stephen Channell
    Coat

    TheRockallTimes ?

    Time was when you'd read about this on TheRockallTimes, but the march of mega portals has driven these local publishers to focus on niche topics like IT to scrape a living. A once proud news site has fallen victim to cybersquatters and fine cotton Rockall apparel can only be found in vintage clothes (&strategy) boutiques or festering in the bottom of a journalists laundry basket. how could we let this happen?

  9. Winkypop Silver badge
    Trollface

    British seaside resorts

    I always suspected that British seaside resorts were a tad grim, but this is going too far.

  10. labourer

    Sacred? to whom?

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      To anyone who'e ever been there.

      1. labourer

        fair point!

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Next challenge

    Risking your life for charity is not the best way forward, how would help for heroes be feeling if he died in the attempt?

    1. Ralph B

      Re: Next challenge

      Maybe the charity is the beneficiary of his life insurance.

  12. ukgnome
    Unhappy

    8 Meters!!!

    For anyone that hasn't been to sea, and I don't mean a ferry to france....imagine if you can a terrace house made of water crashing into you on a near constant basis. Coupled with constant three directional motion.

    It's akin to waterboarding whilst on a spinny office chair.

  13. Martin
    Coat

    Why would anyone want to go?

    There's rockall there.

This topic is closed for new posts.