I did it…I bagged the Geographical North Pole!

Blimey, that was tougher than I thought, despite the extensive fitness/strength training and ice based training Ive been undertaking over the last 18/24 months. My sledge finally weighed in at 13 stones (85kg) when we started, including food, fuel, cooking stoves, pots and pans etc but it was the sea of pressure ridges and open water leads that will be embedded in my memory forever. We were dropped off by helicopter and I chuckled when I saw where the pilot had left us – thinking to myself, those Russians have a sense of humour, as I slipped, slid and hauled my sledge up the 5m pressure ridge in front of us – only to get to the top and as far as the eye could see, were waves of similar ridges, open water leads and chunks of ice stretched out in front of us. Our routine was set from day one, ski for 50 minutes, break for 10 mins then repeat for 8 – 9 hours each day (check out the videos on you tube to see the ice conditions). It wasn’t just the physical challenge though, it was also the toughest psychological challenge I have had to face, made all the more difficult as my Ipod charger decided it didnt like the -38 temperature and so I couldnt listen to music or the inspirational books I had downloaded and my guide could not speak English. Still, I am absolutely delighted to have been to the top of the world, camped at the North Pole and watched the Midnight Sun but I am pleased its over. More musings from a tired and emotional man to follow but thanks to everyone who has supported me in whatever way, it really made a difference.

we are off (nearly!)

This will be my last blog update before I head to the Pole as there is not much mobile phone reception or wifi on the top of the world (yet) so I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has sponsored or supported me in some way, shape or form. I am extremely fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to undertake this expedition and whilst I have personally invested a significant amount of time, money and perspiration in this venture, this would not have been possible without your support, so thank you again. There are always risks in such expeditions but I have done all I can to mitigate these to what I think is an acceptable level but I know from experience that you take on mother nature on her terms and no matter how hard I try, I can’t influence the wind direction, ice floe drift, ocean currents or where hungry polar bears might be but I am committed, prepared and ready for the challenge. We are on a small plane out on Tuesday morning to ‘ice station zebra’ as I’ve called the temporary ice station. We will be landing on one year old sea ice that has been flattened by small tractors parachuted in, guided in by free fall parachuters sent in as an advance party. As soon as we land, we will be airlifted to our start point and the journey will need to begin as we are starting a bit later than we would have hoped due to the poor weather conditions. The good thing is that as we are so high and are coming in from the Norwegian/Russian side, we will get an attempt at the pole this year – unlike those who are currently in northern Canada and who had hoped to reach the pole, most of these expeditions have been cancelled. All things being equal, we will get to bag the pole around the 20th/21st April, fingers crossed. I will be in touch as soon as I can. Thanks again. A bientot……

Yes, I have seen Prince Harry…

It was fantastic to meet Prince Harry and the Walking with Wounded guys on Friday night. Simon Daglish and Edward Parker set up the charity and if you want inspiration in the face of adversity, you can’t get better role models than these four young men. I’m immensely proud to be up here with them and in a small way, be part of their journey. I also have to pay tribute to Prince Harry, he doesn’t have to be here but he is providing visible support and helping to raise the profile immensely. Good for him. The weather has closed in and all flights north are delayed almost certainly until Tuesday. We are keen to get going but there is not much we can do, so we sit and wait for a weather window. I do feel for Richard Parks and Steve Williams as they have such a tight schedule and losing three days will be difficult for them but if anyone can achieve the 737 challenge, it is these two amazing people. I know how tough it is operating in this tough Arctic environment but these guys have got to do this as well as think about Everest too. I don’t envy them.

You must read this – what a challenge!

Last night I met two truly inspirational people, Richard Parks and Steve Williams, who are doing an amazing challenge. Richard is a former Welsh Rugby International and is up here doing the North Pole element of his 7 month race to climb the highest mountain on each of the world’s continents and venture to the Geographical North and South Poles (he did the South Pole in December). What a challenge and test of strength, endurance and technical skills. Richard has been joined by double Olympic gold medal winning rower Steve Williams for the North Pole and Everest element of the challenge. In Athens 2004, along side Sir Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Ed Coode, Steve had an epic battle with the Canadians, who were as determined to win as the British. After 2000 meters the British prevailed on the finish line getting their boat in front to win by the narrowest of margins, just 0.08 of a second. Both Richard and Steve are incredibly modest about their achievements and quite unassuming characters. I wish them all the very best for the North Pole and Everest. Richard then has Denali and Elbrus left to do. He has already completed South Pole, Mount Vinson, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro and Castenez Pyramid. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the world’s greatest living explorer, plans to climb the final Summit with Richard – Mt. Elbrus in Russia. If you want true inspiration, follow Richard on www.737challenge.com Outstanding.

The most northerly ? in the world…

The most northerly ? in the world…

I arrived at an extraordinarily large aircraft hangar at Spitsbergen airport this morning along with other skiers heading out later this week. It was a hive of activity, teams had formed and relationships were beginning to be built. Sledges were being packed and rations allocated. Quite what KAWKA MUHYMKA, BEKOH, or PYKOHT is I don’t know, there are some blueberries on the packaging of one portion and another looks like a pack of bacon but I just don’t know. I will have to remember that old adage, if you a hungry, you will eat it….My guide, Victor, is Russian (notice the theme emerging here) and does not speak much English – although to be fair, my Russian is not that good either! However, I am relived to be spending the time on the ice with Luke and Ivan who are both Belgians but speak perfect English. Ivan was trained in Siberia and Greenland whilst Luke has just come back from a South Pole Expedition. I think I’m in good company. Most of the day was spent preparing sledges, checking food and making sure clothing was packed for the North Pole expedition although we did get a chance in that time honoured fashion to do some male bonding over a few beers in Svalbar, the coolest place in Spitsbergen. I still haven’t seen Prince Harry yet in what must be the smallest town in the world but I did see Ben Fogle in a coffee shop this afternoon. He was passing the time of day with a couple of people I met last night at the briefing in the SAS Polar Hotel and seems to be a great chap. He is someone who understands the pressures and rewards that only a north or south pole can offer. His ‘Pole to Pole’ BBC documentary shows in vivid colour, how tough the polar environment can be. If it can break someone as determined as James Cracknell (Ben’s skiing companion), it must be respected. Its good to see him out here. It is a small group of us, less than 30 people, who will get to the pole in 2011 (including guides who go time and time again) and to put it into context, over 300 people ascent Mount Everest each year so it is still a real achievement. Last night, I met Victor Byorsky who is a legend in the polar fraternity as well as someone else who is well respected in his own right, Doug Stoop. I ended the day with a shopping spree; energy drinks, another flask and a brush – who said it’s not exciting this far north – and am now heading out for a welcome meal at Huset, the most northerly ‘restaurant’ in the world. Just as well I got some money out of the most northerly ATM in the world (do you think they are over playing the geography a bit?). As they say in Russian….Nyet rest for the wicked…

We wait…we prepare…we hope!

Today was one of those wonderful days you will recall from your from childhood where time slowed and every minute felt like an hour. I slept in as it was a luxurious day of self enforced rest, not through injury thankfully but through necessity as the extreme weather has slightly delayed the Russians who are building the temporary landing strip that will accommodate the aircraft taking me and the lucky few who will realise their polar dreams in 2011. Given that the aircraft I will be flying in on will be separated from the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean, by just a few inches of ice, I’m happy for them to take their time and get it right! It is not as though I have nothing to do, I’m surrounded by exciting opportunities such as polar bear tracking, dog sledding, ice fishing and skidoo tours of the island but I have come here with the single purpose of bagging the geographic north pole and as interesting as all these other things are, they are just distractions. I know from my previous experience on the ice just how tough this will be and I’m not underestimating this in any way which is probably a good thing. This will be longer than I’ve ever been on the ice for in one stint, pushing more miles per day than I’ve done before with people I don’t know, who speak a language I don’t understand. But the challenge is precisely why I am here. If it was easy, I wouldn’t be doing it….

Observations from ‘up north’ – no sign of Prince Harry (yet).

Observations from ‘up north’ – no sign of Prince Harry (yet).

As someone who lives near the south coast of Devon, I probably couldn’t get much further north from the UK than Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Devon has wonderful sandy beaches, palm trees gently swaying in the breeze and hoards of people in the summer. Spitsbergen has none of these and is so far above the tree line that green is only really seen covering the brightly painted houses that characterise the small former coal mining town. I say Spitsbergen has very few people here….usually there are only researchers, students, some polar travellers and a handful of residents. However, it all seems very different today as I seem to have landed with the worlds paparazzi all trying to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry who also arrived today from Oslo. The photographers have done their research though….they are covering up their cameras so that the lens doesn’t get covered in rime – or it may be they are trying to look inconspicuous so that they can get the shot they dream of. Either way, they still stand out like a sore thumb. If it brings Prince Harry publicity for the Walking with Wounded Charity, great, but it must be a strain living under such an intense spotlight all the time. I hope my Fire Fighters Charity logo on my jacket gets into a shot somewhere as they do such amazing work too without the recognition they deserve. Soldiers and Fire fighters risk their lives protecting the public and our freedom in different ways and both have my utmost respect and admiration. I would love to ski with them for a while as I truly respect what they stand for having come from a military family but I also have an appreciation of how hard it is on expedition without having lost limbs and it is tough believe me. Doing the same thing with prosthetics is really quite remarkable….. Both expeditions (mine and theirs) are leaving from the temporary ice station created by the Russians so let’s see. I should be used to the cold after spending a month up here last year and two weeks on Baffin Island in northern Canada, pulling sledges, skiing and camping in arguably the most inhospitable environment in the world. We also had quite a spell of it in the UK in the winter which helped. Despite this experience, it never ceases to amaze me just how quickly you get cold at minus 21. Nature has this way of luring you into a false sense of security then punches you in the face with a fist of cold. In all honesty though, there is nowhere in the world I would rather be right now than here in the high Arctic. This environment is so brutal, so stark and so fierce that you have to respect it. At the same time the light is so pure and colours so vivid that it surrounds you in a blanket of warmth, beauty and wonder. I arrived here today to acclimatise ahead of the North Pole expedition Im embarking on to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity who do so much for injured Fire Fighters. I thought I would head down into town and write this note with a steaming coffee and warm chocolate brownie in tow. The walk down allowed me to try out the thermal properties of a new pair of gloves which I had hoped would provide some warmth as well as the sense of feeling needed to pitch tents and make general repairs to kit and clothing around camp. It is always a trade off between these two qualities and these gloves provide plenty of grip and feeling but my fingers were really cold in less than 10 minutes and it’s only minus 21 at the moment. Not a good sign. I think they will be consigned to the bin. Just as well I have five other pairs of gloves – you can’t have too many you know. I still need to get my snack bags ready (the chocolate, salami, cheese and nuts) that keep me going in between meals each day so I had better get on with it. Who knows, I might bump into someone famous doing the same at the local ‘supermarket’. Now that would be a story….

I’m Off!

I’m off! I write this in Stockholm preparing to travel to Oslo, Tromso then to Longyearbyen tomorrow morning. Flight up later in the week after a few day acclimatising, followed by a helicopter drop off at about 88 degrees north before finally getting on the ice again. I’m in good company, Prince Harry is arriving at Longyearbyen tomorrow, supporting ‘walking with wounded’, a number of military amputees who are doing a similar expedition also from the Russian side. They are amazing and I would be honoured to meet up with them (on the ice hopefully or in a bar perhaps?!). I will try and keep everyone updated on www.leadingfromthetop.co.uk but thanks again for your support. It means so much to me and the Fire fighters Charity. A bientot…..

My Hero – Sir Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton was a British explorer of the Antarctic in the early 1900′s. He is best remembered for his expedition from 1914-1916 in the HMS Endurance. During this journey, his ship got stuck in the ice near the Antarctic continent. He and his 27 men then survived 19 months before they were rescued. Shackleton organized the rescue personally after he made an 800 mile open-ocean journey in a life-boat to the inhabitated island of South Georgia. He then returned on the rescue mission to the desolate Elephant Island where he had left the majority of his crew under the care of his Executive Officer.

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish explorer who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery Expedition, 1901-04, from which he was sent home early on health grounds. Determined to make amends for this perceived personal failure, he returned to Antarctica in 1907 as leader of the Nimrod Expedition. In January 1909 he and three companions made a southern march which established a record Farthest South latitude at 88°23′S, 97 geographical miles (114 statute miles, 190 km) from the South Pole, by far the closest convergence in exploration history up to that time. For this achievement, Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII on his return home.

After the race to the South Pole ended in 1912 with Roald Amundsen’s conquest, Shackleton turned his attention to what he said was the one remaining great object of Antarctic journeying?the crossing of the continent from sea to sea, via the pole. To this end he made preparations for what became the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914?17. Disaster struck this expedition when its ship, Endurance, was trapped in pack ice and slowly crushed, before the shore parties could be landed. There followed a sequence of exploits, and an ultimate escape with no lives lost, that would eventually assure Shackleton’s heroic status, although this was not immediately evident. In 1921 he went back to the Antarctic with the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition, intending to carry out a programme of scientific and survey activities. Before the expedition could begin this work Shackleton died of a heart attack while his ship, Quest, was moored in South Georgia. At his wife’s request he was buried there.

Away from his expeditions, Shackleton’s life was generally restless and unfulfilled. In his search for rapid pathways to wealth and security he launched many business ventures and other money-making schemes, none of which prospered. His financial affairs were generally muddled; when he died he was heavily in debt. On his death he was lauded in the press, but was thereafter largely forgotten, while the heroic reputation of his rival Scott was sustained for many decades. At the end of the 20th century Shackleton was “rediscovered”, and rapidly became a cult figure, a role model for leadership as one who, in extreme circumstances, kept his team together to accomplish a survival story which polar historian Stephanie Barczewski describes as “incredible”.

Timeline
December 5, 1914 – Ernest Shackleton and 27 crewmen depart the South Atlantic island of South Georgia on the HMS Endurance. They planned to make the first overland trek of Antarctic continent.
January 18, 1915 – The ice floe traps the Endurance within view of their intended landing site.
October 27, 1915 – The Endurance is crushed by ice movement and the ship sinks. All crewmembers survive. They move to the ice to live in tents and under overturned life boats.
April 9, 1916 – 3 lifeboats, carrying all 28 men, depart the ice floe for Elephant Island – an uninhabited South Atlantic island.
April 24, 1916 – The James Caird, a 23′ lifeboat, sets sail from Elephant Island to South Georgia with Shackleton and 5 crew members aboard to seek rescue. This will be an 800 mile, open-ocean journey.
May 10, 1916 – The James Caird lands on South Georgia Island at an uninhabited spot directly opposite the whaling station where they had intended to land.
May 20, 1916 – Shackleton and 2 crew members complete a 36-hour trek over mountains and ice from their landing point to the whaling station.
August 30, 1916 – Shackleton returns to Elephant Island with the help of the Chilean government to rescue all men left behind.

EVERYONE survived this ordeal.
(Credit to Squidoo and Wikipedia)

A day in the life of a Polar Traveller!!

A number of people have asked what a typical day was on expedition so I thought I would try and outline how it was for me. Read this sitting in front of a freezer (typically set at minus 19) with the door open to get a sense of the cold.

Turn on the head torch. Unzip the outer bivvy bag (which covers the sleeping bag). Unzip the sleeping bag (which covers the vapour barrier). Unzip the vapour barrier which stops moisture seeping into the sleeping bag. All of these zips are around your eyes as they need to cover almost all of your face. No time to feel claustrophobic here!

You are already fully clothed (you generally change clothes once every 7-10 days if you are lucky!) but need to put on additional layers of fleece tops, down trousers, down jacket and down mitts to keep you warm around camp.

Pull out your felt liners for your boots from within your sleeping bag and force into the boots. These need to be kept warm next to your body overnight to prevent the moisture in them freezing. With boots and down layers on, put a hat on and venture out of the tent. Feel the force of the cold air sting your exposed flesh and freeze the hair in your nostrils and cover up your face.

Every day starts the same. The first priority is to get the stove lit. Melting snow takes an awfully long time and the sooner you get the process going, the sooner you have boiling water. You don’t have to go far to collect the snow! Fill the pan with hot water from your flask to get the process going then add snow. Compress the fuel bottle to pressurise it and spark the petrol once it fills the flame spreader. Let the water boil.
Whilst the water is coming to the boil, start to get sleeping bags etc out of the tent. Compress the sleeping bag and put into waterproof bag. Pick up your trekking gloves and hat, both of which have frozen overnight and place on the top of pan on the stove to ‘defrost’. Brush teeth with the cleanest snow you can find – mind those fillings!! Be sociable around camp. Check others are feeling ok and offer to help. Team working is essential as everyone has good and bad days in this extreme environment.

Start to break down the tent, being careful not to damage it through carelessness. Its a long way to the nearest shop and a bit too cold to sleep under the stars! Put the kit away in your sledge. Everything has a place and personal administration is essential, space is limited.
Hopefully by now, the water has boiled. Open the dehydrated ration pack for breakfast (typically 800 calories and porridge of some sort, with raisins if you are lucky) and dont put in too much water . Eat and pretend it tastes nice. It is the only hot meal, well warm anyway, you will have for 12 hours. Clean spoons and pack away. Refill the fuel bottle, put the stove away in the sledge near the top as it will be the first thing you need when you stop. Fill flasks with hot water and check the time to leave. Get your ‘nosebag’ ready. My favourite was a combination of M&Ms, dried fruit and wine gums.

At the appointed hour of leaving and not before, otherwise you will get very cold very quickly, take off your down jackets/trousers and gloves and put on the damp gloves/hat that you have defrosted over the stove and your windproof jacket and trousers. Your hat/gloves will dry with body warmth generated once you start working. Put on your sledge harness. Skis are next and clip your sledge into the harness. Ready to go.

Each day was variable in terms of distance covered, largely depending on surface conditions. I found there were three main types. 1) Ice, with a dusting of snow. Great for pulling the sledge as it moves easily on ice. Tricky on skis as there is little grip. 2) Deep snow. Great for skiing as the weight of ones body is displaced along the length of the 2m ski but difficult for pulling the sledge and my favourite 3) Ice, with a good covering of snow. Great for skis and sledge.

Constant GPS reading and check points (a hut here, a junction of glacial paths there). Check calls to base to record current position and report on progress.
Stop every 60-90 minutes for 10 mins depending on the morale/strength of group. When really cold, put up a ‘bothie’ shelter – a thin piece of fabric that gives protection from the wind – drink hot water from flask and eat snacks from the nosebag. For me, savoury in the morning and sweet in the afternoon. Keep eyes open for polar bears and possible points of weak ice. Avoid both!

At the end of the day, a cross made by ski poles from the expedition leader was the very welcome signal to those in the following line to make camp. First task is to get the stove going. More boiling water required for supper! Then tents up. All in a line, spaced a few metres apart to ensure polar bears do not feel enclosed in the event that they wander into camp and with space for them to run away (hopefully!). Down jacket, trousers and gloves on. Eat supper.

Team meeting, recap on day. Plan route for following day. Confirm location of bear flares (used to scare him away), rifle (in case he gets too close!), radios, satellite phone, emergency location beacon and crevasse rescue kit. Read out diary entry for the day before. Tell jokes/stories. Allocate teams for bear watch – a two hour waking watch walking around camp keeping eyes peeled whilst listening to colleagues snoring away.

At last, time for bed. Run around camp, press ups and silly dancing. Last chance to get warm before bed. Brush teeth. Escape into the tent. Down kit off. Boots off. Liners out and placed in the vapour barrier. Check for blisters. Treat. Wet wipe wash. Batteries next to the body to keep them warm. Reading, diary or MP3 player – depending on how hard we pushed that day. Squeeze into vapour barrier. Put vapour barrier into sleeping bag. Put sleeping bag into Bivvy bag. Hat on. Head torch off. Say good night to everyone back home. Zip up vapour barrier. Zip up sleeping bag. Zip up bivvy bag. Out in seconds…Same time tomorrow?!