Onward to the Polar Regions--Ken Chen's Tranquil Expeditions

On April 17, 2000, the skies over the North Pole were clear and cloudless, offering excellent visibility. Ken Chen grasped his GPS receiver and checked his position. Then, he drove into the North Pole the flag of the Republic of China, stood at attention facing his nation's flag, and gave a formal scout's salute.

Polar weather is extremely volatile, and Chen and the other members of the expedition could have their stay at the pole cut short at anytime. The expedition members, hailing from various countries of the world, posed on a white expanse of snow snapping pictures and planting their national flags. But in less than half an hour, the calm weather changed drastically. A violent wind blew in laden with snow. The Russian pilot, experienced in polar transportation and supply, decided to withdraw immediately. On hearing the shouts of the other crewmembers the groups that were dispersed around the pole taking photos raced toward the helicopter. At the urgent orders of the pilot, Chen and the bulky fellows crammed into the cabin of the helicopter, each finding a seat wherever possible. The sudden rise of the fierce winds blew away the joy and gratification of the polar conquest. In the deep freeze, -35oC and swirling with snow, the skin of the fuselage creaked, and the rotor slowly picked up speed, giving off a heavy throb in the thin air.

More trouble followed. As soon as the helicopter had lifted off, a thud was heard and it was back on the ground. The spirits of all those on board sank as well. "After a couple minutes, the helicopter lifted off again, but again fell back to the ground," Chen recalls. "Those still gabbing in the cabin fell completely silent. I myself felt my whole body tense up."

A year earlier, an expedition on the same route was caught in a blizzard. Two people lost their lives and were buried within the polar ice cap. Memories of the deaths floated about the copter's cabin, but the expedition members could do nothing but pray.

"After a few long minutes, as the blizzard was growing stronger, the helicopter lifted off for the third time," Chen recalls. "Inching a sliver off the ground, the helicopter finally lifted off at an angle." Every time he remembers the incident, Chen describes the "inside of his knees tingling."

On his own

Chen's experience with outdoor activities is bountiful. He is certified for flight, water activities, rock climbing, yachting, and radio operation. He is also a seasoned scoutmaster. This lover of outdoor activities began his adventurous life early on and has faced dangers both large and small. Yet, when the chance to visit the North Pole arrived, Chen hesitated.

The risks at the polar regions were so great that insurance companies considered them off-limits and refused to provide coverage. Chen, still excited to make the trip, signed a waiver requested by the explorers' group along with the rest of the team members. It stated that because the weather was highly volatile in the polar region the group would not be responsible for equipment malfunctions or transportation problems. Nor would the group guarantee that the expedition would make it to the North Pole. Moreover-and this might be the most trying part-the expedition would not be responsible for rescue operations. The team would need to board 16 planes to get from Taipei to the polar region and back. If anything went wrong on the way, the Russian military transport hired to bring the expedition to the North Pole would not be responsible for rescuing the team.

The North Pole, the South Pole, Mt. Everest, and other tough nuts to crack have always been the ultimate targets for explorers. In the past 200 years, countless adventurers have found only icy graves after struggling to reach the North Pole. In recent years, as technology has advanced, polar expeditions have increased in number, but those who have reached the North Pole still number less than 3,000. Polar expeditions have also slowly begun to diversify, and now include polar diving, crossing the polar icecap by snowmobile, and making the journey on foot. Because of the tremendous difficulties and enormous costs, as well as the fact that currently only the Russian military has experience living in the polar region and can carry out rescue operations, North Pole expeditions are still considered the real deal when it comes to exploring.

"I tricked my wife," recalls Chen, a devout Protestant. "I hid the content of the waiver." And just like that, Chen and one other Taiwanese expedition member, Cheng Yu-li, boarded a plane in Taipei and headed for Russia to join more than 40 others to constitute the six-nation expedition team-a rare collection of individuals with widely varying life experiences.

Father, husband, and scout

After the North Pole expedition, Chen visited the South Pole in 2002, becoming one of the few Taiwanese explorers who have traveled to both poles. Chen has also left his footprints in the Amazon River Basin, the Gobi Desert, and other spots.

"Exploring is not the same as adventure," emphasizes long-time scoutmaster Ken Chen. "First you have to assess all the risks. If you make sure you have adequate information, then by calculating the risk factors you can reduce the dangers of exploration to a minimum."

When Chen was in primary school, he joined the Boy Scouts, and then grew up with the organization, acquiring skills for accurately calculating and assessing the dangers of outdoor activities. "Exploration is a scientific endeavor," he says. Aside from fostering personal courage, the ability to conquer fear, and other valuable characteristics, exploring can refine the skills needed for various outdoor activities and help foster discipline and self-improvement. "As a result, I can pass on the techniques I have learned to even more people. This is the main purpose of exploration," Chen stresses.

Under Chen's influence, his wife and 12-year-old son also became passionate about exploring. However, after the 2002 South Pole expedition, when Chen excitedly unfurled a map of Antarctica and showed his son the route he planned to take on a snowmobile across the South Pole on his next trip, his son replied in all seriousness, "Dad, you've accomplished enough already."

"I couldn't bring myself to tell my wife about the waiver that I had signed until two days before I set out on the expedition," says Chen. "My wife's sense of dread gave me a deep feeling of guilt," he says, even though his wife accepted the situation in the end and the preparations to set out proceeded smoothly.

"Exploration involves more than the explorer alone," Chen says with a conviction born of experience.

No regrets

As a child, Chen fell in love with Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, and other adventure stories. He dreamed of the day when he would board a magnificent ship and set out in search of treasure. "The copy of Treasure Island on my bookshelf is falling apart from reading it so many times in my lifetime," he says smiling.

"From the first time I dreamed of visiting the North Pole until I set out, about 16 years passed by," he says. After realizing this long-held ambition, Chen plans to spend more time with his son.

When will he go on another expedition?

"I'll wait until my son grows a little older," he replies. Perhaps.