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Cherwell Star: Victoria Thwaites

In 1909, explorer, naturalist, philanthropist, soldier and art collector Robert Sterling Clark planned an epic voyage of 3700 miles across China’s northern regions. However, a combination of the murder of his interpreter, the slight distraction of the Boxer Rebellion and the constant potential for imminent robbery made the completion of this impossible.

Clark, an interesting fellow, went on to found an internationally significant art collection, (the Clark Art Institute near Boston) and breed racehorses, but his journey is recorded both in text and in photographs in ‘Through Shen-kan: the account of the Clark expedition in northern China 1908-9′.

And thus, in 2009, to celebrate the centennial of the Clark expedition, a troupe from the Oxford University Exploration Club set out to recreate the route, (thankfully with the aid of modern transportation). Victoria Thwaites, human scientist, redoubtable voyager and ‘medical officer’ was one of them seeking to emulate Clark’s mix of gung-ho and scientific observation.

“The journey itself, (no longer limited to pack mules and porters), was a fantastic experience”. Threading their way along the Yellow River and following the same route that Clark and his compatriots took, (deduced from photographs in his manuscript with the help of the Chinese guide companies in Shanghai), in a plethora of vehicles meant that Victoria and her fellow travelers saw a dimension of China that other tourists certainly missed; aided by having Robert Sterling Clark as a constant, slightly acerbic traveling companion.

“Traveling through China and the Tibetan hinterland in the midst of Olympic fever was also fascinating”, says Victoria, whose course of study allowed her to use the expedition as a means of observing China and its ethnic groups post-Cultural Revolution. These regions of northern China were far from the traditional tourist routes; the sight of a red-haired Westerner, or indeed any Caucasian, was enough to draw crowds of fascinated onlookers and multiple photographs.

However, despite warm welcomes into homes and the incredible friendliness of the people, there were periods of trial. “A particularly interesting moment was traveling through the ruins of an earthquake-shattered Chengdu on a crowded minibus, just before another tremor struck”, related Victoria in a typically relaxed fashion.

This is not the end for Victoria’s exploratory urge; “I’m planning on doing something properly adventurous next year; kayaking in the Himalayas seems like a pretty good idea”. What with Victoria plotting the conquering of the known world, it seems reassuring to know that Ranulph Fiennes has a nascent successor.

 

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