On January 17th, 1912, the words of Robert Falcon Scott – Great God, this is a terrible place – as he looked closely at the area surrounding the South Pole,  were more prophetic than he could ever have known.

Two days before, January 15, Scott and his party had got to within 30 miles of their target, having suffered terrible hardships in their battle southwards, as relayed in the journal written by Scott.

His only fear, which would prove to be well-founded, was that the Norwegian flag might be flying there on their arrival, robbing them of the honour of being first on the scene, this plaudit claimed by Roald Amundsen, his team first humans to reach the Pole a month earlier; on December 16.

Scott and companions found a black flag, tied to a sledge bearer close by which were the remains of the Norwegian camp, all bitterly disappointed to have been beaten, and in dread of a return journey that would be incredibly taxing.

On January 17, having indeed reached the Pole they found Amundsen tent, inside which was, ironically, note to Scott requesting that he convey a letter to King Haakon of Norway, in case Admunsen failed to get back in one piece.  After some soul-searching, and with heavy hearts, they began the trek back to base camp, but things went disastrously wrong.

Of his four companions in the team, Edgar Evans was the largest men, needing more nutrition but forced to share equal rations, and soon began to get weaker, his declining state noted with alarm in the journal.

It was less than a month into their trek that he fell far back, and when recovered was found, shockingly, on his knees, clothing disarranged, hands frostbitten and  uncovered. He was in a very distressed state and passed away that evening.

Within two weeks of that Titus Oates had such severe frostbite in his feet that he was barely able to walk, and feared that he was holding them back. The four men left men were so weak that Wilson, team doctor, acting on orders from Scott, gave out opium doses, ensuring that each man could end their own life, if so inclined.

On March 16th, Oates, sick to death of pain and suffering, famously told the others that he was just going outside and might be some time, before stepping out into the raging blizzard outside, never to be seen again.

Only a couple of days later, the three companions left were, unknown to themselves only around ten miles from their destination, but it might have been ten thousand. The weather turned into a total white-out, and long-lasting that they would never leave the tent alive.

Where Scott found the energy to draft a series of letters heaven only knows, but that to his wife, urging her to install a love of natural history in his infant son Peter led to the future Sir Peter Scott co-founding the World Wildlife Fund and himself  founding the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

The final, March 28th entry in Scott’s journal is perhaps the most poignant  – Had we lived I should have a tale to tell of the endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. – followed by -It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more – R. Scott – For God’s sake look after our people. This was a true tale of courage in adversity, and these men will never be forgotten.

You are able to choose your activity, the country you wish to do your challenge in, the degree of difficulty level and when you are able to complete this challenge, you also select the charity you wish to raise funds for.  There are currently challenges in more than 30 countries across the world; these include Asia, The Caribbean, Europe and the Americas, among others. The charity challenge organizers, which consist of persons who have already undertaken these challenges;  take on the responsibility of working out the details of the challenge, the duration of the challenge, providing you with different options for the payment of the airfare, what portion, if any, is funded by the charity of your choice and the amount of departures annually.

The organizers also assist in making persons achieve their fund-raising goals, ensure, and assist in getting persons fit before departure, and they also provide support while you’re on the challenge. They provide information on the country, itinerary, travel tips, health notes, and notes re: high altitude, insurance, medical coverage, fitness support and many more.

The types of activities are many and varied, and it depends on the individual and their stamina level.  Charity challenge offers many ways in which you can enjoy yourself while contributing to a worthwhile cause. The activities go beyond physical challenge, it includes the experience of different cultures, it also enables you to interact with others, assisting with those who live in squalid conditions, and it allows you to see and feel the reaction to the positive impact you, along with others have made in the lives of these people.

Most of these community projects help to contribute to the economy of the country where the challenge is taking place, it assists in the  completion of  community projects, undertaken by the volunteers, and  to both inject funds into, and physically contribute to the infrastructure of the communities, and the countries as a whole. Usually in countries where there are natural disasters, there is a definite need for charitable donations, in other instances; it is to assist with community projects, feeding those who live in squalor or less than favorable conditions.  Persons who have undertaken a charity challenge are secure in the knowledge that they have made the world a better place for someone less fortunate, as there is no greater joy, for some, than knowing that you have contributed to the advancement and upliftment of another human being less fortunate than yourself.

For the underage kids, the chip would be an alcohol-activated GPS tracker, which would tell officials where the person is. The chip would also, upon alcohol consumption, violently shock the person for a few seconds. The person would not have a pleasant experience, and have a punishment handed to them by the law, eventually taking away their desire for alcohol. This chip would never be removed from them, so they could not drink any alcohol even when they are of age.

For the people who sell alcohol to the minors, they would also get an additional punishment. While being operated on to get the chip, their ID would be replaced with a special ID that shows they can not buy any more alcohol. If they do manage to get alcohol, though, they would be operated on again, but this time have a tattoo placed on their forehead showing what they have done, and they would be paralyzed from their neck down. This will make sure they can never sell or buy alcohol again, and effectively decrease the amount of alcohol sellers.

If the person selling alcohol to minors owns or works in a store, they will have a different punishment. They would not get any chip, but they would automatically be paralyzed and tattooed. They would also be taken out of the store, and be forced to watch it being burned down. If any person is injured or an apartment or house is burned down, the accused will have his home burned down and suffer the same injury as the innocent person. They will also have to pay for insurance, any operations that may occur, and then be arrested for arson without a trial or any chance of parole.

Anybody that is under 21 and does not drink, and anybody who does not let minors have alcohol, is obviously excluded from this rule. For following the law, they get to see other people being publicly humiliated and tortured. This will discourage people to drink underage and also discourage people from selling to minors.