6months till we set off again!

With only 6 months till the Arctic Pole expedition 2011 it's time to start on the fitness ! I've got a half marathon in a couple of weeks and then after that will focus my trainng back to the joys of tyre pulling! I've also now got a personal trainer (Zoe) who helps me once a week with a different range of excercises and makes me work that much harder than I do when i'm by myself!

We've had tonnes of new support recently and are now officially a recognised and approved expedition by the Royal Geographic Society which is tremendous and things feel like they are really starting to take off.....i'm starting to get excited again about the prospect of going back to the Arctic!

Ice Warrior Arctic Pole Expedition Update - Mid July

SCOTT POLAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SPRI) CONSIDER JOINT PRESS RELEASE TO ANNOUNCE THE RE-ESTABLISHED POSITION OF THE NORTHERN POLE OF INACCESSIBILITY.

Jim recently met with SPRI’s Director, Julian Dowdeswell. He’s very well-known and thought of in polar circles and was very positive when pushed to consider how SPRI might publically acknowledge the re-establishing and new position of The Northern Pole of Inaccessibility. The aim is to get them on board as a supporting body.

HRH PRINCESS ANNE VERY KINDLY AGREES TO BE THE EXPEDITION PATRON.

Team member Lee Howell (Chief Fire Officer for Devon and Somerset) very kindly wrote to HRH Princess Anne on our behalf with a view to asking her to be our expedition patron. I’m delighted to say she has agreed and will hopefully play an active role of some sort in the New Year. Ideally it would be fantastic if she were willing to officially open the London Ice Station.

THE MAYOR’S OFFICE CONSIDER HOSTING THE ICE STATION OUTSIDE CITY HALL.

Boris Johnson’s Office is currently reviewing the idea of hosting the London Ice Station (LIS) next to City Hall. This is a great position with high footfall and potential visitor traffic – should satisfy any sponsor in terms of exposure!

THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY CONSIDER GRANTING APPROVAL STATUS TO THE EXPEDITION.
Our Grant Application has gone through to RGS and we now await their verdict. Jim's concern is that they may view the expedition to be more about science than geography but he would argue that if climate change is not geography then what is? We anxiously await their verdict. It would be really nice to have them as a supporting organisation.

ICE WARRIOR APPROACHES THE MET OFFICE FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

Again through Lee Howell we are approaching the Met Office to come on board as official weather providers and to participate in the education side of the LIS.

RAY MOLONY JOINS ICE WARRIOR PROJECT AS EDUCATION OFFICER.
Jim is delighted to announce that highly experienced and respected educationalist, Ray Molony is joining Ice Warrior as Education Officer. This is fantastic. It has always been a real dream of his to have proper education materials for audiences to follow us and learn at the same time. We will be drawing up careful plans in the next few weeks in readiness for the Arctic Pole Expedition.
Past work of Ray’s can be viewed at www.discoveringthearctic.org.uk

BBC SCOTLAND CONSIDER TV DOCUMENTARY

The frustrations of trying to tie down a TV documentary were eased a little this week with a positive response being received from Executive Producer Neil McDonald at BBC Scotland. This would be good as they produced the excellent series “Coast”. Also in the wings and equally as good is the possibility of a BBC3 /Open University production.

ZAC GOLDSMITH KINDLY LENDS HIS SUPPORT

Way back last year sometime Jim gave a brief speech at Kingston University and found myself on the same panel as former editor of the Ecologist magazine, Zac Goldsmith. We are delighted to say that without any need to pester Zac has very kindly come on board as a supporter of the expedition and will help out wherever he can. Huge thanks, Zac. Message of support:
"Jim and his team are not only undertaking an extraordinary Great British endeavour in the true, traditional sense of the phrase, but they are doing it with genuine purpose. The data they’ll gather will deliver new evidence as to what is really happening and further our understanding of the sea-ice and its effect on climate change. I’m delighted to support them and wish them well.
Best wishes and best of luck!
Zac "

THE SEARCH FOR SPONSORS INTENSIFIES
With all the developments above we are getting into more corporations who can potentially sponsor the expedition. This is really good BUT we still need to open more doors and this is where everyone can help. Please, please if you know of any potentially interested corporation or philanthropists, do let me know as soon as you can and we’ll give them the opportunity to find out what it is all about.
Contact Jim directly on 01344 883861 or 0777 565 1471
Very best regards to all and thanks, as ever, for being a part of this huge endeavour.
Jim and the team – Ian, Ali, Lee, Dom, Simon

May 13 2010

So it's now approaching summer (not that you can tell from the english weather) and i'm surprised how fast time is passing by. All this years polar explorers are back at home after a few successful attempts including Dam and Amelia - congratulations to them for their unsupported, unresupplied trip to geographic North Pole and to previous team mates Lou and Ness on their successful last degree trip.
The ice is now melting fast, Ice camp Barneo has been dissassembled for another year and now everyone is off the ice it is the time for expedition logistics, planning and most importantly fundraising.

Due to the decrease in team mates we have more cash to find and as always this is a tough job so if anyone knows any companies who are keen to get behind us and support us along with our other great supporters please let me know!

Basic Fitness is ongoing - not quite the crazy training schedule yet for example my tyre-pulling is on hold till later in the year! however, i've been out running a bit and have the windsor half marathon in september which i think we are going to run as a team and in addition am trying to arrange a 3 peaks challenge as all these events help whilst also being a bit of a more sociable way to train.

Another Ice Warrior meeting is planned this saturday so hoepfully more news will follow! x

Updates - April 13th 2010

So I've been back now from the cold for 3 weeks and it's nice to be home. I am now concious of trying to stay fit for next years expedition as it'd be all too easy to sit back and spend the summer drinking Pimms and eating burgers in the sun - OK who am i kidding i still intend to do just that but have also signed up for the Windsor half marathon in september to keep me focussed and to ensure i do get on with some training. By september our 6 month intensive training schedule kicks in (not sure where i am supposed to find 3.5-6 hours a day to pull tyres and train in addition to having a job!!) so I figure by at least having done a half marathon my basic fitness should not have left me! - aggghhhhhh.

Also other news is that sadly our team is now down to 6 and i am the last remaining girl! Clare has had to pull out of the expedition in order to further her career - something we all understand but it's sad to have her leave the team.

We had a meeting Saturday morning to talk Logistics etc and plans for the next 8 months including where we can find another £200k to make the expedition bigger and better with regards to the science etc and the possibilities (more money means more flight options and therefore more potential to achieve greater things) - anyone with any spare cash please get in touch! We have some great sponsors behind us already including Unearthed, Lucozade, Vodafone, Accenture, and Benecol but are always on the look out for more.

I'm also daily tuning in to read the blog of Dan and Amelia - a couple from the UK who are doing an unsupported, unresupplied exped to the North Pole and are now tantalisingly close to their goal having covered 300 of the 412 mile journey...follow their progress here

And finally a picture to leave you with regarding life on the ice...this was Ann Daniels, Martin Hartley, Charlie Paton on April 11th when a lead openened up in the ice they had camped on at 86°38.17.7N, 85°08.17.8W under their tent!

20th March 2010 - Return to Iqaluit

So we are back in Iqaluit after a fantastic 10 days training.I have an hour before i board my flight back to Ottowa so thought i'd write a quick entry to my blog. The scenery here is spectacular. Quite simply incredible. As Ian mentioned in his last entry the concept of tidal movement had completely escaped me when thinking of walking on a frozen sea/ocean. Perhaps i'd thought that tides just stopped happening when the water froze but here on Frobisher Bay we have had a crash course in understanding the dynamics of sea ice on a huge scale. Firstly it's important to point out that here in Frobisher Bay they have a tide of about 11.6metres which in itself is pretty huge. So out on the ice we would camp next to enormous sheer ice cliffs of several metres height when it is low tide and yet by morning when you come out of your tent the ice cliffs have gone and the sea ice looks flat as the entire bay, including the ice, tents and us have risen overnight by up to 6 or 7 metres. As a result there is as you can imagine a large amount of sheer zones and boulder ice which is caused by the rapid and dramatic movement. in addition we regularly were skiing over huge cracks in the pans of ice which are caused by the movement of the sea below and there is something incredibly nerve wracking about seeing the open water a few feet below the ice you are sleeping on! (don't mean to worry you Mum and dad!).
It's been great to experience some really cold temperatures and i have a few cold related injuries to an ear and my cheeks which reminds me of the importance of checking and double checking that all skin is covered at all times especially in the wind but it's also been reassuring to know that i can sleep in a tent at -30 degrees quite comfortably which is not something i ever thought i'd say!
I've al;so really enjoyed being part of a smaller team/group. The efficiency of camp life and hauling the sledges is far easier in a smaller group and theer is less time to get cold as it's easier to move as one unit. It's also possible for everyone to contibute to the team and to have a role or purpose which is something which helps the team dynamic to form.

Thsi morning i ventured out to help Matty McNair (very successful polar explorer - having reached north pole, south pole, first ever all woman team, fatsest ice kiting across greenland etc etce etc). We had dinner with her last night and she said she was taking her 14 dogs out with the sled this morning for a days sledding across the Bay and she invited me to help her harness up the dogs which was great. I am now covered in puppy drool but very happy having spent an hour playing with and photographing the dogs before helping to harness them up and set them off on their day out!!
Yet again I have missed family and friends - i have taken about 1000 photos and videos which you will all be subjected to overteh next few weeks.
Unfortunately my flight home from montreal has been caught up in the BA strike so i cant get back now till tuesday morning having flown from iqaluit to ottowa then to montreal then to chicago before finally back to london! but i'm looking forwarsd to seeing you all when i get back. Big polar hugs and kisses. ali x

18th March 2010 – Day 8 –by Ian Belcher

Well, here we are at the end of our final day of advanced polar training. After a beautifully still night littered with glimmering stars and stunning Aurora, we awoke to a complete change with the previous calm being replaced by a strong wind and cloudy sky. The wind added a certain bite to the temperature and we all felt the sting as we struck camp and headed into the wind toward Iqaluit. The plan for today was simple, walk to near Iqaluit, set up camp and explore the boulder ice. What has not been mentioned on previous dispatches, but what might have been deduced by the more nautical amongst you, is that the ice we are skiing on is influenced by the tidal flow of the sea it is sat upon. What this essentially means is that for the last eight days the ice has been going up and down in time with the incoming and outgoing tides. The effect of this is a sight to behold with towering walls of ice lining most of the coastline at low tide and broken ice boulder fields present at high tide – some of the boulders were much taller than the team members! It was these boulder fields we spent the day learning how to ski through both with and without a pulk. The reason for this training is that this type of boulder ice is quite prevalent on the Arctic Ocean so it is key that we know what to expect and how to negotiate it. This was a new experience for us all and certainly highlighted just how difficult travelling through sea ice can be. The training has now sadly come to an end and we are all safely housed in the Discovery Lodge in Iqaluit. It was an incredible experience that brought our competence levels and experience much closer to that of fully fledged Polar Explorers. Farewell for now and thank you for following our progress.

17th March 2010 – Day 7 – by Claire Mcaleer

After a rather chilly night last night the team were all up this morning by 6.00am and found it to be a beautiful morning with clear blue skies and a spectacular sunrise. So many of us chose to sit outside and eat our breakfast whilst enjoying the view. We packed up camp and set off skiing with our pulks behind us ready to tackle a full day of skiing aiming to cover at least 16km. Ali set a brisk pace and we soon got quite warm despite the low air temperature. After a brief stop at 10.00am for some nose bag food we pushed on another 2 hours stopping at 12.00pm for a well deserved break and with 9km already under our belts. On nearing Deception Reef Ian took over as pace setter and we turned northwards heading for Monument Island. On turning away from the sun and slightly more into the wind there was a noticeable bight to the air and we made sure our faces were suitably covered. After another break and having covered 12.5km Jim took over as pace setter and we continued onwards with the town of Iqaluit becoming clearer in the distance as we moved towards it. Just before the team reached Monument Island Jim decided it was time to play casualty to give us a bit of a challenge and broke away from the rest of the team, heading off in a random direction and throwing away his gloves and hat. It didn’t take us long to realise that this was something more than Jim’s usual crazy behaviour and the team set about dealing with the situation. Simon and Ian went to catch up with Jim and calm him down, while Lee sorted out the pulks and equipment, Ali made a hot drink and started the stove for warmth and Dom and I put up the tent for some shelter. It soon transpired that Jim had been hypoglycaemic and with a hot drink and some chocolate he was back to his usual self. Challenge completed. With one tent up the team decided to pitch camp just south of Monument Island. Having achieved our target distance and covered 16.5km today, we have just had the privilege of watching a spectacular sunset over the ice and with low temperatures again tonight are getting ready for a hot meal and then bed.

16th March 2010 – Day 6 – by Ali Kershaw

Having awoken at about 6.00am to wind and snow, it appeared that yesterday’s stormy forecast was finally materialising. As no one else seemed to be up and about camp I went back to my cosy sleeping bag and made a coffee. As the wind wasn’t showing any signs of disappearing we made the decision to wait it out and all stayed holed up in our tents. It’s good training for us to appreciate what it’s like to be tent bound during an Arctic storm. Firstly it’s difficult to stay warm as you can’t move around and generate heat, secondly it’s important not to over use the stoves, as it’s tempting to make another hot drink and fuel is a scarce commodity. Finally it’s the frustration; it’s not long before you’ve read your only book and rearranged your pockets and kit and there’s nothing else to do but chat with your tent buddy and wait it out. Thankfully we were only tent bound until about 3.00pm today as Lee, my tent buddy, had managed to sleep for 20 hours straight and as such had been rubbish entertainment! Finally at 3.00pm we set off for a few hours ski and managed to cover about 7km with the wind behind us, -25° and the sun over our shoulder. As the views were so spectacular various photos and videos were taken along the way and finally as the sun went down we again made camp in the middle of Frobisher Bay. Tonight feels quite cold, -40° with the wind chill so I am writing this in the tent and hope to wake tomorrow to a still and sunny day. Love to everyone back home from all of us.

15th March 2010 – Day 5 – by Simon Lewis

Last night brought the predicted wind and snow, so as a result we awoke to a rather hostile sounding environment. After a swift recce by Jim we decided to have a lie-in to see if the wind would abate. It did during the course of the morning and with Jim cheating by ringing for a forecast, we discovered stronger winds were predicted, gusting to 60 kilometres per hour so with a majority vote we elected to stay put, but with the requirement to realign the tents for a change in wind direction. Me and Dom moved our tent whilst Ian, Mini, Ali and Lee gassed for a few hours. No wind arrived but Jim made the call again only to discover the wind was due later. After a quick confab we decided to move the camp to an alternative bay and at 2pm we left on a swift several kilometre ski led skilfully by Ian. Having now put the tent up for the second time today we were treated to Ali having a semi naked snow bath as a late afternoon entertainment. Spirits in the camp are excellent, we have all benefited greatly from the additional skills Jim has imparted on us over the last few days. With the temperature hovering around a balmy -13C and a rather bland sounding chicken and rice dinner to finish off a stop/start kind of day, I sign off in advance of another potentially windy night.

14th March 2010 – Day 4 - by Lee Howell

Woke up around 6:20am and by 07:00hrs all were up, dressed and eagerly anticipating the day ahead, much relieved that our bear practice drill yesterday was not needed overnight. Phone calls home to say “happy Mother’s Day” were a great bridge back to reality and it was so nice to hear voices of loved ones, albeit briefly. After a brief period taking photos for our sponsors we put on skis and made tracks into a beautiful sunny day, sunglasses on for protection from the dazzling sun, warming up to a balmy -10C. We have selected our location for our cold water immersion and before our eyes a magnificent vista appeared of wonderful natural ice sculptures - the highlight of our training so far. Tension built within the team as we nervously anticipated the cold Arctic depths. Stripping off to our base layers we headed out to meet Jim who had a knowing look in his eyes and a rope around his arm ready to rescue us. Cameras ready, the moment had arrived, we skied onto the waters edge and into the ice cold water. It really is as cold as you imagine. Every one of us was pleased we had experienced something during our training that hopefully we won’t experience in reality on the ice. To celebrate Ali had bought some miniature alcohol bottles to make irish coffees that were quickly consumed and with warm clothes, some chocolate and a good team chat we were a happy team again. Jim found some open water leads and showed us how to cross them, then, given the snow and high winds forecasted for tomorrow, we made our tents storm proof and closed down for the night. A memorable day.

13th March 2010 – Day 3 – by Dom Larose

After a much warmer night, we awoke to the snow Jim described in the last dispatch. After a pleasant breakfast, hot blueberry and granola (tastes so good out here) and brief musing of what might be happening at home, the rugby sweepstake will have to get settled next week. We set about the day’s chores; our first training exercise included fanning out from our position to locate the best direction for a runway. On a real expedition we will get picked up by a twin otter aircraft on skis. As well as visibility, wind and precipitation concerns we need to ensure an obstruction free landing strip of about 1200 feet. Picking a strip with an ice boulder or a major crack would not be good and is not unknown. Having established our runway we then marked it out, exercise complete. Sadly no plane to whisk us away to a frothy latte appeared. We then made steady progress with Lee setting the pace and Claire navigating. We had our first experience of boulder ice and picking our way through, we also came across refrozen sea ice. Jim tested the ice with Lee, Claire and Simon following after which we quickly moved on and completed 7km before striking camp. As I write we are now near an area of open water so Jim will be able to complete our cold water immersion training tomorrow, all being well. I have been nervously anticipating this for years ever since my polar dreams began and it seems that I am not alone, in fact it could well be that Jim wants me out of the way for some peace and quiet from the volume of nervous questions about cold water immersions! On that note it appears that another snowy night awaits and so I will sign off with love to all expedition members, friends and family back home – goodnight.

12th February 2010 - Day 2 - by Jim McNeill

After a cold night we woke at 0600 and slowly but surely struck camp, with the team hoping to improve the process before we left at around 0900. Tea for 10 minutes and then adjusted ourselves, a few alternations to gear and skis and clothing, then on for an hour. After this break we talked about hypothermia with a view to having a full “walk through” scenario in the following 30 minutes. The team handled this very well. We continued southerly across the bay towards Hill Island. Quick chat about bear encounters and the rest of the day we spent travelling. It’s quite cold at -25 but fortunately no wind. Pitching camp we made special effort to ensure that it was wind proof. Good learning atmosphere and teams beginning to work very well. As night approached we could see the snow approaching and by morning had several inches of fluffy snow and so cold temperatures to match, in other words, in had warmed up considerably.

11th February 2010 -Day 1 - Jim McNeill

Got to Iqualuit at around 1400 and then Matty’s at around 1500. Went to work preparing to go out, packing pulks and sorting clothing and equipment. Eventually after a lovely cup of tea and quick demo of tents, which were new to the team, by Matty, we said our farewells and skied off into the night. With little light left we pitched camp not quite 9km from our start point. Coldish night.

.......and they're off.......(again!)

So we've spent the day buying food for nose bags, packing dehydrated meals, ice axes and electronic equipment (satellite phones/emergency beacons etc) and tomorrow we get up at 6am to fly to Iqaluit. The plan is to get off the aircraft and head straight out on to the ice once we've collected out pulks and some fuel so tonight is my last night in a warm bed for a while! Temperatures are currently looking to be -47 degrees C including windchill which is far colder than we have experienced so far so I have to be honest i'm nervous but at least now with some experience behind us there's slightly less trepidation than last time.
We will be making the usual daily updates so check out the link i left on the last blog entry for news of our adventures and i will write again personally in 10 days time when we return from the ice.
Love and hugs
Arctic Ali !

Arctic training - Stage 2!

Well it barely feels like i've got back and already i'm packed up and about to set off for the next phase of my arctic adventures.
This afternoon i fly out to Canada to Montreal where we then get a 4 hour flight connection up to Baffin Island to a place called Iqaluit - an Inuit town on the edge of Frobisher bay.
Then the next 2 and a half weeks will be spent hauling pulks across pack ice and enudring the cold once again - i checked the temperature yesterday and with windchill it was -47degrees C - am missing my warm bed already!

As before we will be sending back daily dispatches so you can read about how we are getting on with our training expedition but as i'm not sure whether they will be uploaded here it's worth looking at the following link for news of my progress!
Daily despatches


See you all in a few more weeks
lots of polar love!

Expedition - postponed till 2011

Unfortunately on Monday before flying back to the UK we were given the very disappointing news that due to the state of the Arctic ocean and the sea ice conditions not being safe enough the expedition has had to be postponed until 2011.


For full details please see the press release which went out yesterday.

Obviously the team was very disappointed and emotions were running high as it’s hard to feel so focussed on something for such a long time and to have it all change at the final moment. However, we are all looking at this as positively as we can – firstly this is not a failure but merely a rescheduling until a later time and secondly everything we have done so far has been a tremendous step forwards in our Polar training for example the kit we’ve bought (or that has been bought for me by friends and family) has still been used, will still be used on future training and will be used as part of the expedition in 2011 and the training we have done will remain with us and the next year will enable us to further develop what we have learnt and consolidate it in time for next year’s exped. It also gives us time to raise further sponsorship and awareness of our aims and goals and to further work to ensure the scientific data the expedition obtains is purposeful and worthwhile.

At this point i wish to say an enormous thank you again to my sponsors who have been understanding of the true nature of expedition life. In particular to Unearthed, Park Cameras and Lucozade Energy.

As we are now not going away as planned and people were fired up ready for a challenge we thought it unnecessary to waste the opportunity to still go away and work as a team and to further satisfy our need for adventure.

So....
On March 9th I will be flying out to Ottawa with members of the team and from there flying out to Baffin Island to a place called Iqaluit (an Inuit town) where we intend to spend another 10 days carrying out training on the frozen pack ice around Frobisher Bay.


View Larger Map

Currently temperatures there are around -35 degrees so it will give us another excellent chance to continue our training in an extreme and harsh environment, there are polar bears (perhaps I may get to see one this time!) for us to practise bear drills, there is miles of frozen sea ice to walk on and hopefully the right conditions for us to carry out the much anticipated cold water immersion training!!.

So as you can see my Arctic adventures for 2010 continue and in the true spirit of expedition and adventure these kind of trials and tribulations can only act to make us a stronger and more prepared team for the Arctic Pole expedition in 2011.


Ali

I'm back!

So i'm finally back in Englands green and pleasant land and it's great to be back!. I do miss the beautiful scenery and having been outdoors that i've had for the last month but I am stil enjoying the feeling of a warm bed, food that doesn't need rehydrating and a glass of wine (or two!) with friends.
Svalbard training in itself has been an incredible experience filled with highs and lows tough bits funny bits, cold bits etc but my overall feeling is one very much that I want to pursue this crazy adventure of mine and to walk across the arctic ocean as part of this expedition.
I have lots of photos which will be avilable soon on my photo section of the website but i've uploaded a couple here.....








I have more news to come so watch this space for a new post to follow.....

Day 12 - Adventdalen Valley – by Claire Mcaleer

N78 11 34
E16 03 18

Distance travelled 12.1km

Well here we are at our last campsite on the penultimate day of our training expedition. It definitely seems like we are coming back to civilisation now. Having not been able to see any light at night other than starlight for the previous few days, tonight we can see the lights of Longyearbyen in the distance and even the mine that had become clear at the start of our expedition is now behind us, seen as an orange glow halfway up the mountain.

Marcus is leader today and decided on a relaxed style of leadership which apparently makes miracles work as even myself and Yolanda had our tents down and our pulks packed ready to go ahead of schedule. It snowed during the night so we all woke with a nice dusting of snow on our tents this morning and the skies continue to be overcast all day today such that even after the day got lighter our surroundings were distinctly grey and eerie still.

These conditions make it difficult to judge the contrast of the terrain ahead but as usual we ploughed ahead at a steady pace led by Ali our navigator at the front. Over the last 10 days we have definitely become more skilled at pulling our pulks at a steady pace and today while skiing next to Ali and looking back at the rest of our team skiing in formation I felt really proud of what we have achieved.

As the valley opened up on the route home we had our closest encounter yet of several caribou. It was at this point that Howard had decided to delay our progress home by getting us to simulate skiing in whiteout conditions by tying up to together in our lines and staying close to the person ahead of you. The caribou watched for a while before heading off uninterested and we continued to experiment with ways of tying ourselves together.

The grey conditions also made distance perception rather tricky today and it was slightly bewildering to find that although we could see the spot we were heading for quite early on in the day it never seemed to get any closer until a few hours later all of a sudden we arrived.

We have reached the road back to town now and decided to make camp next to an old disused building which would once have been used when the mining industry here was more active. Simon has built a Taj Mahal style luxury snow latrine to celebrate our last night camping.

Tomorrow we will trek the last 7km back to the guesthouse where I’m sure there will be lots of queues for the showers where we can all get ourselves properly clean. I think everyone’s looking forward to getting back for a nice meal that is not rehydrated and a warm bed with no bear watch to wake up for. The mood of the team is buoyant, we’ve all learned a lot and I think it’s safe to say that we have all enjoyed ourselves and worked well together.

In case this is the last diary entry I’d like to say a few ‘thank yous’ to our staff, Howard, Em and Mary for keeping us safe and happy and to the rest of the team who have shared this experience with me, thanks for being such a great bunch of people and here’s to many more years of adventure and exploration.

Day 11 - Adventdalen Valley (under Trango and/or Marmot) – by Ness Lindsay

N78 11 09.8
E16 16 26.7

Distance travelled 10.9k - average speed 2.9km per hour

From the dulcet tones of Lee snoring to the very cross and assertive wake up, or rather get up, call from Simon at 7am for our planned early 9am departure (I’m sure Simon enjoyed it a bit too much!) At least it had been a mild night, so getting up wasn’t too painful and with Lee as leader, leading from the top, it was already a big day. After a brief waking, a few friendly reminders from Howard about hygiene and shovels and final dashes to the loo, we were off just after 9.30am – our earliest departure to date.

After a couple of kilometres heading right and west up the valley and some animal spotting, it was to be decided whether it was an Arctic fox, wolf or caribou, Howard called us to a halt for a little hauling exercise. An hour and a half later, all pulks pulled to the top to with some over excited crevasse kit use. Howard then told us about a simpler and quicker way of getting up the slope. A lunch time bothy stop at the top and we were off again to find a spot to belay us down to the valley floor again. After a brief discussion, each team were sent off over the edge, some more briefly than others! Unfortunately there was a small omission of bringing down Howard’s skis and an ice axe - sorry Howard, we promise to make it up to you! With us quickly descending and Phil and Mark back navigating in front, we caught up some ks before finding camp for the night just after 5pm, having had time to add our own impromptu assault course down a slope and various freestyle methods of getting down it with the pulks at our heels, most involved getting acquainted with the snow!

The camp routine is getting slicker, more designer loos were erected, I never knew there were so many different ranges! It’s been a very mild night and it’s strange to be in sight of the lights of the coalmines and orange hue of Longyearbyen in the distance again. I’ll miss the starry skies, night-time lightshows, frozen snowy white valleys and hills. At last for me it’s time for an early bear watch then bed. It’s hard to believe there is only one more night on our snowy mattress and with our tent partners, what will I do without hot blackcurrant drinks made by Lee every morning? Oh well, I’ve got 20 hours to decide what my last rehydrated meal of this mini expedition will be – oh the dilemmas! Good night and sleep well all. p.s. Lee’s leadership tip of today “The leader is only as good as the people around him.”

Day 10 – Adventdalen Valley – by Ali Kershaw

N78 11 29
E16 30 37

Distance travelled yesterday 10k. Getting up for bear watch is never a great feeling when you climb out of your toasty sleeping bag, but once you are out and a hot drink in hand it never feels too bad and last night’s shift was particularly enjoyable, as not only was the sky littered with more stars than I have ever seen but Dom and I were treated to two hours of nature’s very own lightshow with constant green dancing auroras which filled the sky. The two hours spent staring into space on reflection were probably not our most diligent bear watch to date but certainly one of the most enjoyable

Today has been another great day with clear skies most of the day and spectacular views around us. We packed up as usual and set off at Dom’s request, who is leader today and I think everyone was very pleased to get moving after last night, as it had been the coldest night we spent here so far.

With Mary and Mark setting a perfect pace for the group we climbed our way back up the valley we had passed through yesterday and sadly it’s time for us to head for home. I say sadly because the last few days have given everyone the chance to really see some beautiful scenery and I know many of us would have liked the chance to go further up the valley. However we were hampered at the beginning of our expedition by the bad weather and so last night’s camp will be our furthest for this trip

I think everyone enjoyed today’s walk, with perhaps the exception of poor Yolanda who wasn’t feeling great but battled on like the true team player she is and I know that everyone hopes the clear weather we have had for the last two days continues.

At about 4pm we started looking for a suitable stop to make camp and as we were looking we came to a stop where we could make out the movements of a large animal ahead, we lost sight of it in the darkness which was quite eerie put proceeded to prepare ourselves with flares at the ready and although we don’t know if it was a bear I for one will be slightly more nervous on bear watch tonight which will be from 3-5am. We’ve made camp and the usual hustle and bustle of camp can be heard from everyone sat in their tents. Stoves are roaring away heating water for dinner, drinks and water bottles; ice axes are chipping away to make room for ice screws and guy ropes; people are chatting, reading, or writing diaries and the occasional yell for a shovel or water can be heard.

So what have I learnt whilst I’ve been here? Well lots! But some thoughts I have for now are - I’ve learnt that I hate the wet cold ice on my sleeping bag in the morning, I’ve learnt I love walking through the spectacular scenery we are surrounded by, I’ve learnt I’m a lot happier in my own company when skiing single file than I thought I’d be. I’ve learnt that I miss daylight, I’ve learnt that I hate getting up for bear watch but I’ve learnt that I love the time on bear watch to appreciate my surroundings in silence whilst everyone else sleeps. I’ve learnt that if I spill my food and I can just wait for it to freeze and flick it off, I’ve learnt that dehydrated ration packs are a commodity that can be traded. I’ve learnt how much I miss Charlie, friends and family but most of all I’ve learnt that for me surviving in the cold is going to be a challenge but one that I’m keep to pursue. To me this has been the last big stepping stone on a 2 year plan of getting to the point where I can undertake a polar journey, although I know that it will be tough, I’m looking forward to the next step of my Arctic adventure.

Day 9 - Eskerdalen Valley - by Louise Cameron

N78 12 46
E16 54 55

Distance travelled yesterday - 10.7km | Temperature -22°Centigrade

This is what it’s all about! Today, Day 9, was magical, really great! My excellently efficient tent mate Simon was team leader and more than rose to the challenge. He had us all in the meeting room (our big tent) by 9am, fed, watered, flasks filled and pulks packed for the morning greeting. An hour or so later we had tents down, were harnessed up and moving out, with Nessy (navigator) heading the charge and Simon leading from behind.

It was with mixed emotions that we left camp, as realisation dawned that a week today we will be back home and at our desks. Of course we can’t wait to see loved ones and friends (who are more and more in our thoughts as the days go by) and return to creature comforts (steak, red wine, showers, baths, beer and pizza, seem to be the most vocally missed!) As it was such an incredibly beautiful morning we also savoured the moment as we realised how special it is to be here.

At last the eternal twilight/night is lifting; we woke to a vast expanse of light blue from a cloud scattered sky and were teased by the suggestion of a sun behind a distant mountain. Which, combined with a nose dive in temperatures, (none of our thermometers seemed to work but this morning was noticeably colder with a bite in the air) and another good dusting of light powder snow last night, meant that we were all eager to get on the move and were in high spirits.

Nessy kicked out of camp at quite a pace, turning right (heading East) back into the valley. Adventdalen stretched out before us in all her magnificence – a rolling white wilderness of low mountains either side and a long, snaking, wide frozen river ahead and behind. Watching the group walking down the valley in parallel lines was an impressive and endearing sight; we are beginning to feel like the Ice Warriors we all hoped we might become.

Some six hours later we had made good ground passing through the Brentskaret and into the Eskerdalen Valley heading towards Sassendalen. We are beginning to work quite efficiently as a team now and only stopped for three short water, loo, and nosebag breaks today.

At 4pm having covered almost 11k at a speed averaging 2.7k an hour (it sounds slow but it really isn’t – on skis and the pulling part was uphill). We stopped to camp behind a pingo (knoll) and shelter from the wind. Already night was closing in and we needed head torches again.

Now it is 9pm and camp is quite apart from the crunch of bear watch feet outside. Skidoo tracks and an old mountain hut are the only signs of life out here along with reindeer trails.

After I’ve had my 4 hour turn under a galaxy of stars I’m going to snuggle down in my sleeping bag and bid goodnight. I’m going to fall asleep dreaming of my boys and hoping that tomorrow will bring another day like today…

Thank you Jim, Howard, Em, Mary and TEAM!

Day 8 – Adventdalen Valley – by Phil Thompson

N78 11 16
E16 34 02

Distance travelled yesterday was 7.5km. An uncertain start to this morning as the weather changed through the night from still to blowy and then snowfall and then back again.

We were concerned the weather would not be good enough to allow us to continue on our route, however after waiting for the weather to settle the day remained as expected so the group took two 5 minute stops though the day as we pulled our pulks through the Adventdalen Valley delta floor. The highpoints of the day were glimpses of blue sky. The sun itself won’t be seen until the 18th February. The lowlight reflects off the snow causing strange and unusual formations, so much so that we debated whether a cloud was the northern lights or not. We had a great opportunity for building complex snow holes into the bank to outdo each other and impress the neighbours who were a bunch of reindeers. The team is settling into a routine with bear watches through the night. Administration around camp is improving. Setting up camp is straight forward although getting the job done is still slow but as we are working to the same pace we all finish more or less together. Last night we broke camp and a mistake was made when a stove fell on a Jerry Can soaking my sleeping bay, bivvy and most of my kit in petrol. We tried our best to keep my sleeping system working but today I found my lunch has been permeated by the fuel. That could make me very ill in the night or hopefully just give me a bad headache. Just bad luck!

Day 7 - by Yolanda Nunez

N78 10 67.8
E16 14 59.8

We have experienced problems receiving Yolanda's dispatch - we will update as soon as possible.

Day 6 – Adventdalen Valley - by Marcus Liddiard

Today we escaped! We finally managed to leave the vicinity of Longyearbyne town and venture out into the wilderness, much to the relief of all the team.

The dawn broke with slightly cloudy skies, but with no wind so we were able to safely break camp and head off. To make the process slightly easier we had arranged with our local “fixer” called John to transport the pulks as far as possible by road and then we skied to that same point to pick up the pulks and pitch camp. We are now camping at approximately 8km from Longyearbyne town and have not quite been able to escape civilisation as on the mountain ridge behind us there is a large coalmine and there are a few local cabins scattered around. The large coalmine looks a bit like a bond villain’s lair with a couple of large radio telescopes. Our journey here was made alongside the road which is not very inspiring but it was great to get some distance on skis under our belts and everyone seemed to cope very well (although it will be interesting to see how achy we are in the morning!) The plan is to progress up the Adventdalen Valley before heading up one of the valleys which join this one. However, this completely depends upon the weather.

The forecast tomorrow is for strong winds and snow which could stop us in our tracks. Hopefully it will be wrong and we will make some progress. It will be great to get to a place where we can see no artificial lights and are not interrupted by snowmobiles.

Day 5 - Longyear Glacier - by Lee Howell

A day of extremes in terms of temperature and weather conditions. A completely still, beautiful night, the full moon clearly visible in the dark blue sky. The only sound being the crunch of our feet on crispy snow and our breath entering the frosty air from our warm bodies. A few hours later we were in the middle of the wildest storm we could imagine. Tents buckled and bowed under the sheer force of the wind and shook until they seemed as though they could be shredded at any second. An experience of nature, beautiful but dangerous, how I love this place and the opportunity to experience the task upon us. From a practical perspective today was one of consolidation. The strong winds meant we could not risk damaging the tents by taking them down and moving on, so in typical polar exploration fashion we waited and waited for the wind to die down; no chance. It was only after we had made contingency plans for tomorrow that the winds began to fade away. Time for more cross-country skiing practice in the dark and preparing our camp routine for our third night out. It is incredible just how reassuring it is to see the cooking stoves splutter into life and provide the heat needed to boil water for rehydrating our meals and hot drinks, which has psychological as well as practical benefits. There is also a real sense of independence which comes from being self-sufficient. Everything we have and need is packed into our pulks and moved physically from place to place. We have yet to experience the isolation that comes with travelling long distances in single file but this will come, I’m sure. Our commitment to sponsors, friends and family spurs us on, along with our polar dreams and aspirations, which whilst are different for each of the team members we are as one in our desire to get as much from this training in order to prepare us for the challenge ahead.

Day 3 - by Dom Larose

Despite high winds, we headed out this morning for the first time with fully laden pulks. The high winds / low temperature combination meant some challenges in preventing frostbite on faces, and the first kilometre or so featured many headgear adjustments!

With significant food on board, the pulks were noticeably heavier too which meant skill was required on downhill and effort uphill. A group of 15 people is also hard to pace but Marcus did a sterling job! After a while we got better at moving at a constant pace to stay warm.

After 3½ hours we reached the far end of Longyearbyen, the wind was howling so we erected the emergency shelter and had a brew and some food. We lost a Thermorest to the wind – not something we want to repeat and was a good lesson learnt. Whilst taking a break, we decided to go back to town and see how the conditions changed.

Some of us took the opportunity of last minute purchases – gloves for some, camp seats for others, boot liners for me. We then hauled our pulks all the way back to the Hostel, at which point the wind died down somewhat. The majority decided to head to the glacier to make camp, so off we went.

And so FINALLY! We made camp, pitched tents, storm proofed the tents, melted snow and prepared food. Camp making is very lengthy and we are still learning to speed this up, but it all makes us appreciate the dehydrated food more and keeps us warm.

The mood in camp is good – relief, anticipation and excitement rolled into one, now that we have got going after so many false starts. It is now 23.30 local time and I am on bear watch in 3.5hrs time so will go to sleep now and look forward to another day of adventures unknown tomorrow.

Day 2 - Svalbard Guesthouse 102 – by Lou Cameron

N78° 12.069’
E015° 35.295

9am - Temperatures have dropped slightly to -2 degrees and there’s a good dusting of snow so we’re heading out which is a decision that has been welcomed by all. Due to high winds (41-50 knots/10m per second) the team vote was to head for a ski this morning and pitch camp later, hopefully in the snow! All feeling a bit sluggish with “bricks” in our stomachs after our first morning of monstrous rat pack porridge, but I’m sure these portions will be much appreciated when out on the ice in -30C burning thousands of calories. Jim says he burns up to 8.5k on expedition a day so our 3.5k daily expedition allowance may seem a lot now but it won’t then.

12.15pm - Just back from a great ski practising up and downhill techniques ( “the herringbone” and “the grind”). Temperatures dropped to -6 and later to -11C but with the wind force which literally blew us over at points and along at great speed at others, it’s -20 with windchill (which dropped to -32 later). We’re now tucking into much appreciated coffee and nosebags with our wet gear tucked on the radiators. What a treat to be able to dry kit out. Our learning this morning was that you might feel seriously hot when working hard and burning up quite a sweat in your jacket but exposed skin might be cold and numb without you realising – ie cheeks. We girls have nearly all returned with frozen wind-chapped cheekbones just below the eye! It’s easy to see how you could get frostbite at -40C without knowing it. A neck gaiter (“buff”) is a must in these conditions.

3pm - After a debrief we’ve decided to hold off setting up camp today due to ferociously high winds (force 6-9) for fear of shredding tents, as these are the tents we’ll be taking on expedition with us. There was general frustration at still not being able to get out but once we all ventured outside for an emergency bivvy team exercise we respected Howard’s and Jim’s decisions… Think it’s fair to say none of us would want to pitch a tent while it’s blowing such a hooley.

5pm - Back inside, de-kitted and back to the meeting room for a talk and video session demonstration how and when to use the pen flares and Verry gun, and establishing camp rotas (bear watch, leader, navigator, diary writer). Staying in again tonight.

Day 1 – by Ian Belcher

Hi All,

Daily dispatches from the expedition will now be posted by members of the team. These will be replicated on this blog in stead of Ali's personal blogs. So please stay tuned to hear more about the expedition as we follow their progress.

25 January 2010 – Day 1 – Ian Belcher
N78° 12.069'
E015° 35.295'

Here we are in Svalbard on day one of our training expedition. We have spent the last two weeks learning all of the skills required to survive in Arctic conditions and are thoroughly prepared to give it a go for real (under supervision of course!). Unfortunately the weather has been pretty poor today (Too warm at +2 degrees C and heavy rain) so we have not ventured out. The mood of the team is mixed, on the one hand we understand that the weather cannot be helped and it would be foolish to venture out in these conditions (limited or no training benefit and the potential of ruining some very expensive equipment) but on the other hand we are all very eager to use the skills we have learnt and prepare ourselves for the immense challenge we have ahead of us. The weather is set to improve tomorrow so we are optimistic that we can get the skis out and commence the journey through the Advendalen valley to the coast. Tonight we will eat our dehydrated meals in the guest house, which is not the way it is meant to be but such is life in the world of expeditions!

Day 12 of training - final day before training expedition

So today is the last day of training before we set off tomorrow on our training expedition. First of all this morning we went out on our ski's (without pulks) to get some much needed practise in!
It was acually really good fun doing cross country skiing but for those of us who are used to downhill it takes a bit of getting used to. We are all pretty good on the flat, but any kind of slope (bearing in mind you will usually have a pulk behind you) is pretty tricky to deal with.

As we were practising skiing it was also the most light we've seen. This period of light happens at the middle of the day and lasts at the moment for about 40 minutes. This essentially is the only light we get but it's increasing each day and it illuminates our surroundings and makes up realise what we are really surrounded by!
See the photos below which are the same mountain taken at midday and an hour or so later... it's nuts!
After our skiing extravaganza we went and bought our food for our nose bags.....normally the concept of £150 of chocolate, nuts and sweets would be appealing but looking at what we will live off for the next 2 weeks is actually a bit depressing!My nose bag is dried cured meat, dried fish, cheese cubes, chocolate (lots), nuts, dried fruit (apricots, papaya, banana chips) and liquorice. I only hope in my absence Charlie has learnt to cook as i'm going to be craving fresh meals when i get home!

Also this afternoon some of the team have been to the range to practise using the bear flares and the berry pistol and Ian has been using the rifle to get some practise in before we go out into polar bear territory.
See below for a clip of Emma using the berry pistol which we will use to shoot a flare to scare the bear off to a suitably safe distance...



Tonight we are going to plan our expedition route through the valleys of Adventdalen, and Sassendalen and to plan how long it should take us to travel. Considering we are travelling with fully laden pulks (approx 75kg) and through some tough terrain i don't imagine our pace will be fast but on expedition we would look to travel at least 10 miles a day for the 30 days we are on ice so we will try during this training expedition to reach distances as close to this as we are able.

So this is my last blog to you all until i return in 2 weeks time. Whilst we are out on expedition we will have a chance to write a team daily dispatch about our progress and how we are doing as a team which will be sent via satellite phone. This will hopefully appear here each day so you can still follow my adventure but if for any reason this doesn't work please check the ice warrior website for further news.

Thank you to everyone for all your support and for following my adventure it's great to know you are all joining me from home! I miss you all heaps and can't wait to see you all but am enjoying this step of my arctic journey. I know the next 2 weeks will be tough and cold but am also sure it will be a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

See you in a couple of weeks.!

Big hugs to you all..
Mum, Dad, Bev, Andy, Ali, Adi, Gemma, Jonsey, Jen, Porter, Mike, Corinne, Nick, Amy, Sara P, Sara H, Cocky, Charlie - girl, and of course Charlie. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Day 11 of training

This morning we went through how to set up your sleeping bag vapour barrier liner and bivi bag as this is crucially important if you have any chance of staying warm at night! It's actually really hard work and by the time you've wriggled in and made sure all your electrical equipment is in with you (so it doesn't freeze) and tightened the collars arond your neck and the toggles you feel not only exhausted but incredibly claustrophobic - only your eyes aren't visible as everything else has to be covered up to avoid frostbite whilst you sleep. I never realised that going to bed would be such a mission!
We then got told who we are to be sharing a tent with on our training expedition and i have been paired with Dom so we both then made sure that between us in our pulks we had a tent, ice axe, shovel, stove and pan and we are also in charge of keeping the satellite phone batteries warm so these need to be in our pockets next to our bodies at all times.

Once we'd packed the pulks up with team kit we then headed out for a photo shoot! There is a journalist here from Sweden who is covering our training and wanted to get some good photos of us all as a team before we set off tomorrow so we went and had a photo session. I'm trying to get hold of copies of the pictures so will post them here if i am successful later......

We then got given out our food for the next 13 days - rehydrated breakfast and dinner packs...see below! (our food weighs lot and i'm already concerned how heavy the pulk is going to be to pull!)Packing your gear for the pulk takes a lot of planning and thinking - i now have a "spares and repairs bag" a "down clothing" bag a "medical" bag (Thanks Julie) and a "camp bag". This camp bag contains my sleeping bags, head torch, food for one night and one morning, my eating utensils and mug(thank you cocky, steve, ben and dylan) and my camp booties (thanks charlie girl!).

After the kit was all packed up we went through a practise route planning excercise using maps and gps. We havent yet had our training expedition route confirmed yet but will no doubt go through that tomorrow.
Am starting to feel very excited but also quite scared. It's one thing to train in all these individual tasks but to now put them all together in the middle of the arctic is quiet a daunting concept. In some ways i can't wait to just get out there on our training expedition and do what we've been thinking of doing for so long but on the other hand i am scared of how physically exhausting this will be. The same things that i love about being here are also the things that worry me. I love the feeling of being in the middle of nature and surrounded by such incredible scenery in a part of the world very few get to see but then this remoteness and the sheer scale of what we are doing and where we are can occasionally lead to doubt and worry instead of excitement. My overall emotion right now though is definately a sense of excitemnet and a spirit of adventure x

p.s(Don't worry mum and dad i'm very safe - honest!!)

Day 10 of training

Slightly different day today but exciting in a very dfferent way. Finally after 2 weeks of cancelled flights and airport closures our ski's made it here so we spent the day drilling holes for our bindings and attaching them to our skis. See below for the team sweatshop!

We also took a full kit inventory so that we all know exactly what kit we will all have out on the ice next week. Anything incomplete or damaged was repaired and any misisng kit such as guy ropes or snow pegs was bought............ we also bought enough fuel for the training expedition and started to consider what we would like in our nose bags!
We did intend this evening to have another lecture about the science we could contribute to whilst on the ice but at 5pm we were invited by a man who is one of the most eminent retired scientists in the area to visit him at his house to discuss his experiences in the arctic, antarctic and himalyas regarding climate change (he's a meteorologist) and we have spent a wonderful evening listening to a very interesting man who has spent years exploring the places we will soon get to experience first hand.

Day 9 of training

Great day again today. We got packed up and went out each with our own pulks and in teams of 3. I was grouped up with Lou and Dom as they will most likely be on my leg out on the ice so it’s good to work together.
We walked in our single lines up through the valley where we’d been the last few days and this time made a more permanent camp. Essentially we set up the way we will on expedition with the main large tent in the middle and 2 of the small tents each side of the large one and all the tents properly secured with ice screws which are bored into the ice. This allows us to have a larger group tent which we can all fit in (although it’s quite cosy!!) and some 2 man tents for sleeping as out here we are such a big group. It’s not clear yet which tents we will be taking on expedition so it’s good that we are learning to use the different ones so that we should be comfortable with them all by the time we set off. We also got 4 of the stoves going straight away to get some snow melting for drinks and had someone on polar bear watch!
Whilst melting snow it was very apparent to us that it’s much lighter today than it has been for the last 10 days I’ve attached a picture below and you can see the light from longyearbyen in the distance but you can get an idea of the scenery and mountains.The other thin that astounds me here is the snowflakes – every single one looks perfect like you imagine a snowflake to look. I tried to take a picture of them on my glove (bit tricky as they keep blowing away) but if you look about 2-3 cm above the date stamp on this picture and left a bit you will see what i mean – they almost look artificial they are so perfect – will try and get a better picture over the next few days as i learn to use my camera!We had some lunch and then had a group chat in the big tent about some general camp basics and tent etiquette!. At night we will get in our tents and get the stoves going inside and will bring inside our camp bag which will contain only the items we need over night. This way there is no need to leave the tent again. Our sleeping bags etc will be covered with the ground sheet at the side of the tent until it’s time for bed because as you breathe and the stove boils water the vapour will freeze to the roof of the tent and will then fall as snow inside the tent so you need to keep your kit dry as long as possible so we will be sat on the snow.
When we sleep we will sleep in a vapour barrier liner which prevents the heat from your body forming condensation and this condensation entering your down sleeping bag and forming ice crystals which will then compromise its thermal properties. You then sleep in your down sleeping bag and put that inside a bivi bag to prevent the external water etc from the roof of the tent and the floor entering your sleeping bag. Using this 3 bag system gives you the best chance of staying warm although it is a bit of an art to learn how to sleep without moving apparently! You also need to pull the drawstring completely over your head and face to avoid getting frostbite on your face during the night.
We also had a discussion about practicalities and hygiene, as simple tasks like going to the toilet are not easy! It’s important not to bare any skin unnecessarily so devices such as She-Wee’s for girls which allow us to go to the toilet like men are used! We also discussed other issues regarding waste which i’m not going to go into in this blog but if anyone really is curious perhaps that’s a conversation over a large drink when i’m back home in the warm!

Finally this evening we’ve had a presentation about sea ice and the science we can really get into whilst out on expedition and the value this data will have for understanding the effects of climate change and how it will be used.

Day 8 of training

Woke up this morning to the most incredible blizzard! Really gusting wind and buckets and buckets of snow!
We spent the morning talking through snow types and avalanche type risks as after seeing the 4 yesterday in such close proximity there is concerns with all the fresh snow that avalanches will be very prevalent whilst training for the next few days and it’s important we understand the basic dynamics of the snow we are walking on. Essentially we have a layer of thick compressed snow with a layer of ice on top and then a foot of fresh powder snow so this slab layer could just shear off and slide and as our training here is in valleys between mountains it is obviously something we are aware of. After our avalanche chat we had a brief medical talk form Mary (team medic) regarding frostbite and frost nip and how to recognise the signs. The basic take home points from this are that if your fingers are cold and hurting but you can still feel them you don’t need to worry but the pain is an indication that you should consider getting them warm!! To some extent you will have painful fingers each day depending on what you are doing as there is a huge difference between walking or moving and standing still even for a minute. However, if after your fingers go cold you lose feeling and they start to look waxy or solid then this is the start of frostbite and it is imperative a shelter is set up and the hands are warmed up.
We then went out with our pulks and just walked out and up the valley to set up the tents and to try and start the stoves in the wind. It is much harder when conditions are so windy as every part of the tent has to be attached to the pulks with karabiners to ensure it doesn’t blow away and even lifting the tent into position takes at least twice as many people to ensure it goes up safely without risk of breaking poles.
The temperatures today are noticeably colder (-25C) as the wind chill really does have an impact. Today is the first day i have had my face completely covered whilst walking into the wind as it really did bite. I also now fully appreciate the impact that fur makes on your hood. It makes a microclimate around your face and really protects your face from the wind. It’s also a matter of seconds before your hands get cold so doing anything takes a long time as you have to keep your big mitts on and fiddling with tent poles, pegs and clips is really tricky.
This evening we have had a big chat about the state of the sea ice. We now have our last 3 team members with us one of whom is a specialist in sea ice mechanics. There is an element of concern at present that the state of the sea ice is not ideal for our trip and we are monitoring the satellite images of the arctic ocean daily to keep abreast of how the sea ice is forming and in particular keeping an eye on a few big open leads of water which we hope will close up over the next few weeks. If there is ever an indication of climate change (the focus of our expedition) the current state of the sea ice so far into winter is a true reflection of damage we are doing to our planet.

Day 7 of training

Today has been the most enjoyable day so far. We spent the morning going through some basic rope-work which we have done before just to be sure we understand when to use certain knots in different situations such as for tightening guy ropes on tents, attaching pulks and ice axes for keeping tents held down in the winds and knots for crevasse rescue kits and pulling people out of water or for roping up when on thin ice. After that we had a refresher session on how to use the stoves and how to take them apart and repair them and clean them. It’s very apparent out here that your stove is one of your most critical pieces of equipment as without this you simply can’t survive. The water you need to consume each day has to be melted and you have no food without water as your food is all sachets which need to be rehydrated so it’s therefore vital that you not only look after your stove properly but that you fully understand every little part and how it works in case you need to repair it if something goes wrong. I really enjoyed taking the stoves apart and fixing them which is probably because i already appreciate that when you’re cold tired and hungry how much that stove will become your friend! In addition to your food and drink it also provides a much appreciated level of warmth inside your tent at the end of the day and first thing in the morning.

After going through these things we paired up so that we had a tent and stove between two and got ready to go out with our pulks. I paired up with mini (Claire) which was great as she is on the same leg of the expedition as me (leg 2) and it’s nice to work together as not only is she great fun but it feels like we are achieving more by practising as we will be doing the same routines in less than 2 months time on real expedition.

We pulled the pulks up through a valley with mountains on each side of us and the scenery was spectacular – it’s such a shame it’s too dark to show you quite how incredible it is but now that our eye’s have adjusted to the dark it’s amazing how much you can see but the camera doesn’t do it justice.

This photo is the closest thing i can find to mountain scenes and light in the sky!....

We walked past three recent avalanches which have happened in the last few days with the bad weather and then stopped in a basin to set up camp.

See avalanche...

We all worked in our pairs and first of all got the stoves going with a big pan on to melt snow. The stove got going with no problems using our flints to light them and we had been taught that instead of just snow you have to add a small amount of your water that you’ve saved from the day before in order to melt the snow without burning the pan (strange to think frozen water can burn?!?)

We then got the tent up and storm proofed before enjoying a nice hot cup of hot chocolate – although it’s probably a good time to point out that at the temperatures here it takes nearly an hour to melt enough water for a good drink each and on average each night we will be melting snow for 4 hours each night just to get enough water for dinner and to fill flasks.

Some photos of today...

It was a really enjoyable day with beautiful fluffy snow-flakes and no wind so despite being colder than the last few days it felt so much more warm and comfortable.

Day 6 of training

Very short blog for you today as we have had a day off training and a day of admin and logistics. Essentially it's been a day of sewing - the amount of kit modification is incredible. Whether it's adding pull cords to zips to make it easier when wearing mittens or covering all metal in duck tape to prevent it freezing against your skin it seems everyone at some point is sewing! also a day of additional sponsorship leads to follow and ensuring we are fulfilling our obligations to sponsors with respect to radio interviews etc.
We also unfortunately still have 3 team mates missing as the airport has been closed all day so no-one can get here.

One snippet of information that we did find out today is that at the end of january there is a big party here to celebrate the "return of the sun" - unfortunately it's not quite what we thought!! - it'll still be dark all day but we may be lucky enough to see a faint glow on the horizon for 20 minutes at midday!

Have also just heard that the local people of Longyearbyen have been reading my blog (in addition to other team members) as they have a link to expedition blog wesbites that mention Svalbard so hello to them all from me!

Anyway will write more tomorrow when we have more news to report.....keep your messages and comments coming in as it's lovely to receive messages from you all.

p.s Cocky we will be plotting our expedition route in the next few days so details will soon follow! x