Supporting Epilepsy Action Blog

Training in Switzerland

This last week a few of the team including me went went out to Switzerland with a sledge and harness, hiring cross country skis to practice pulling the sledge across snow and ice.  It's far different to pulling a sledge across the sand (or tyres for that matter!) and also gave us a chance to practice the skis, which even for experienced downhill skiers is not as easy as it looks.

The Fischer Crown skis have a toe-only binding so the heel lifts up, allowing a walking motion, and the skis have grooves in the bottom which allow them to slide forward but "bite" the snow as you pull pack.  We practiced on the flat, building up weight in the sledge and then trying up and downhill - needless to say we all spent some time on our arses!  However by the end of the first day we were all feeling pretty confident.

We stayed in the beautiful village of Wengen, pulling the sledge up and down the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Stechleberg and back.  It was a great few days and thanks especially to the Downhill Only Ski Club in Wengen - 50 of their members attended a talk I gave on the Baffin Island Expedition (April 2008), in their fantastic new club room.

Polar Bears

One of the biggest threats we will face in the Arctic is Polar Bears.

Also known by their scientific name “Ursus Maritimus” or the “sea bear”, there are estimated to be around 20-25,000 in the world, exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere and populating mainly USA (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland (Denmark) and Norway.  Around 90% are estimated to be in the Canadian Arctic.

They are perfectly adapted to the harsh cold environments, with  layers of blubber up to 4.5 inches thick, two layers of fur, small ears and tails to prevent heat loss, special bumps on their feet to prevent slipping on ice, powerful claws to catch seals and a nose that can detect prey miles away.

Polar Bears are more likely to suffer from heat exhaustion than the cold, and although they can move very fast, with so much insulation cannot run over long distances.

Polar Bears are at the top of the food chain, keeping seal populations in check as their principle source of food, although they have been noted hunting anything from arctic foxes through to beluga whales.

Polar Bears do not hibernate in the true sense of the word, although pregnant females will enter a den to give birth in November/December, remaining in the den until March/April, after which of course she will need to feed to replace the weight loss of birth and nursing.  Cubs will stay with their mothers up to 2-3 years until they can hunt for themselves.

Polar Bears measure up to 3 meters tall and weigh up to an average 1,700 pounds (121 stones).

Our route will take us up the East Coast of Bathurst Island – past the aptly named “Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area” – right through their annual migration.

Our small arsenal of counter measures starts with common sense and “prevention” rather than “cure”.  Polar Bears are known not to like large groups of humans, and with 12 in the team we’ll be sticking close together in known Polar Bear areas.  Polar Bears are more likely to approach us out of curiosity or the scent of food than with hostile intent, and basic admin when securing camp, cooking and sealing all food and food-waste will be part of our daily routine.

We also have shotguns (with bangers, rubber bullets and proper shells as a last resort), trip flares and bangers for putting around the camp at night, and “bear spray” (not as stupid as it sounds – a polar bear may poke his head inside the tent while cooking).

On Baffin Island we were giving a good briefing on how to deal with Polar Bears, and the useful advice included "don't run" and "don't look a Polar Bear in the eyes"!  We all want to see Polar Bears while we're out there, but not that close!

Last Training Weekend

On a wet Friday evening we congregated in the Pelican pub just south of Ogmore, in the aftermath of the snow which covered much of Southern Wales, now melted on the frozen ground causing fields to swamp, rivers to burst their banks and even cattle grids to overflow.  It was this that greeted us on our last training weekend before we leave the UK at the end of March.  From now on when we meet for a weekend we’ll be doing the long, painstaking task of checking, packing and rechecking all the equipment we’ll be taking with us.

This weekend was simply to revolve around tents, stoves and sledges on the Saturday, a team dinner on the Saturday night and on Sunday a long walk – a good opportunity to get to know the team better and discuss any queries and concerns.

After getting soaked in torrential downpours on the Saturday morning however, and with most of our tents, sledges and stoves covered in wet sand from Ogmore’s sand dunes – a perfect environment to practice pulling sledges on the many other occasions I’ve been down here - we decamped back to the pub to dry out, and took the opportunity to piece together all the maps which chart our anticipated route to the Magnetic North Pole.

Camping in our groups on Saturday night was a good opportunity to go through the routines which will become our daily lives, although thankfully we won’t have wet mud to contend with!  It was also an opportunity for those who haven’t done similar Expeditions before, to discover what it’s like cooking and sleeping, while packed in like sardines, with 4 to a tent!

On Sunday the sun dried us out and we got back to the skills training which will become essential to our success – understanding importantly the MSR stove which will be our lifeline for all heating, water and most of our food.  The other essential components on which our success will depend are our shelters - tents were put up, taken down and put up again, taking it in turns in our teams of 4 to make sure each person knows how they operate, and the weak points to look out for.

Although there is a lot of detailed planning and organisation behind these Expeditions, fundamentally their success comes down largely to the basic elements of survival – water, food, shelter and warmth.  A solo Expedition to the Geographic North failed last year after just 2 days – sending £250,000 down the drain – because two plastic pressure stove-valves costing £60 failed in the cold.  These are the realities of Arctic exploration and our success will depend on our diligent attention to the small details which keep us watered, fed, warm and sheltered from the wind.

Just Giving page is now Live for the Magnetic North Pole Expedition, leaving the UK at the end of March 2010!

Please visit www.justgiving.com/SteveGoesPolar2010.

100% of the costs for my place on the Expedition is being met by myself, so 100% of your donation will go straight to this indespensible charity.

Thank you for your donations.

Please email us if you want to be kept up to date with the training and preparation in these last few months.