New website launched!

In between dragging tyres around and various other training regimes I've finally managed to complete the new website for this challenge.  It is online now at:

http://www.ArcticVirgin.info/

This site is now the main portal for all things related to this challenge, including my blog.

ArcticVirgin.info will be the main portal for all things, effective immediately.  This blog has been moved onto the new domain and is available by selecting the "Blog" menu from the sites navigation bar.  Subscriptions to this blog will automatically carry over onto the new blog so you don't need to do anything.

Thanks to everyone who has followed so far!  Things are really starting to get rolling now so I hope to retain you as a regular visitor to the new site as I add more exciting features!!

Andy - The Arctic Virgin

P.S.  If you have any issues with your RSS/Atom/Reader feeds subscription then you can access my feed again directly at http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArcticVirgin

MY FUNDRAISING PAGE IS ONLINE NOW!!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyInTheArctic

MY 1ST ARCTIC CROSSING for MARIE CURIE CANCER CARE, MIND & AGE UK

The 3 charities I will be raising money for are now finalised - Thank you to everyone who had input and voted on the 3rd charity to be included.  The charities are Marie Curie Cancer Care, Mind & Age UK, who will receive 50%, 30% and 20% respectively.

I have set myself an ambitious fundraising target of £3500.  It took some thought, but I am happy that this amount is proportionate to the challenge ahead of me and I hope that you will share that view.  Anything you may be able to contribute to help make this trip a success and for me to reach this target would be so gratefully received.  As daunted as I am by the ice cap crossing I am even more daunted by reaching this fundraising target, but in the spirit of this whole event I figured I should aim high and see where it takes me.

My fundraising page is here - http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyInTheArctic

Virgin Money Giving allows most common methods of payment including Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, Solo and PayPal.  To make a donation through their page takes just minutes and affords you all the secure protection you would expect from such a reputable company.  Donations from overseas are welcome.  Anyone who prefers to sponsor me 'offline' can contact me directly and I can make arrangements for that and just update my site to reflect the offline donations.  Any potential donors looking for further information can find it here.

Now the charities are set I have no more excuses and can get underway on reaching the target.  In my head, it also allows me to move on to the small matter of training.  That is, really getting the hours and weight of tyre pulling up (look out Swinley Forest!).  Then there is the cross country skiing to pick up (never been on skis before), familiarising myself with the weapons we'll need to carry (to guard against polar bears), getting navigational stuff down, getting ALL of the kit I need, reading everything I can about similar expeditions (so I have a slight insight to what is ahead) and many other things.  A few of these things I have started where I've been able to, and my expeditionary partner is putting all appropriate plans in place for everything else.  I will be blogging all significant progress in terms of kit arrival, training and also my mental state as this challenge builds.

Thanks all for reading and, again, for all and any support you provide.  It's gonna be a hell of a journey and it would be nice to have you along for the ride! :)

Andy Norman.

Please VOTE NOW to decide my 3rd and final charity!

PLEASE VOTE ON THE SURVEY OVER HERE!

Thank you so very much to everyone who has offered their support for me since I announced this trip a few weeks ago.

As requested, a few of you left suggestions for the 2nd and 3rd charities that I will be raising money for and I am very grateful for that.  It is from these suggestions that I have decided to select MIND as my 2nd charity.  They will be receiving 30% of all money raised.

This leaves just the one slot for my 3rd and final charity.  I have compiled the shortlist into a survey at the right of this blog and now require you to vote.

The charities in contention are:

The Prostate Cancer Charity - http://www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/

We provide vital support for anyone affected by prostate cancer: concerned and diagnosed men, their partners, friends and families.

We are working towards a world where lives are no longer limited by prostate cancer. To get there, we provide a broad range of services and fund a robust research programme as well as awareness raising and campaigning work at a national and local level.

Help for Heroes - http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ 

Help for Heroes raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded in the service of their country. We ask our supporters to “do their bit” to show these extraordinary young men and women that they are cared for by us. Over a million people have responded to date and millions of pounds have been raised to buy much needed services that will aid their recovery

The Royal British Legion - http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

The Royal British Legion is a UK charity that has been helping Service people past and present for 90 years, and although their needs have changed over that time the need for our work is as vital as ever.

We're committed to the welfare, interests and memory of the Service family - those who we feel have made a unique commitment to their country and deserve to be rewarded for that with long term care.

We are probably best-known for our role as the nation's custodian of Remembrance and for the Poppy Appeal, our annual fundraising campaign. But the Legion is not just about poppies in November, but caring for people all year round.

Age UK - http://www.ageuk.org.uk/

We believe that age needs respect. It needs kindness. Sometimes it needs help. Because there is strength in numbers, Age Concern and Help the Aged have joined forces to become Age UK – so that we can be here for everyone in later life.

Encouragement for strangers in training

From now on if I ever see anyone training hard for anything I am always going to throw some encouraging words towards them!

When I'm in the middle of a tyre pulling session and things are hard it is a welcome distraction to have people show an interest and ask what I'm training for or to say well done for the obvious effort - and my effort probably is very obvious with my bright red face and sweat dripping freely off my nose!  I can even raise a smile for the 1 in 5 that tells me I have a flat tyre or that something has got caught on my backpack - I forgive you wannabe comedians as at least it stops me thinking about what I'm doing for a second.  Or as just happened today, cheers of very enthusiastic encouragement from a mixed group of mountain bikers as I was half way up a fairly steep hill.  I don't know if it was just the exhaustion but the cheers of support actually moved me.  Being a cynical Englishman raised in a country where it seems uncool to support each other I always suspect some of the shouts may be a little sarcastic for the 'nutter in the forest', but I use them for positive energy so I don't care either way.

Today was the first day I've gone out and trained with a lot of other people out - as it's Saturday afternoon - and I was really pleased by the general reaction of people.  I genuinely appreciated the support and it definitely helped get through some of the harder parts.  I even took 15 minutes off my last time over the rather hilly 5km, this time pulling 30kg of tyres in a time of 1hr 5mins.

I am not sure that always training up and down hills is the best method but the nearest space for me happens to be quite a lumpy bit of forest so it will do for now.  I will research a bit on the web to see what experienced adventurers advise.  I'll also try to gauge a consensus on the best type of terrain and also body positioning whilst pulling, in order that I best prepare for and mimic the pulling of the pulk on the ice cap.

So thank you good people of Bracknell and Swinley Forest for an enjoyable session today!

Nominate YOUR Charity!

For a month I'll be putting myself through extreme temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius and I thought I must use the leverage to raise some money through my wonderful friends and family  ...so that we can all help some great causes.

Marie Curie nurses care to terminally ill
patients in their own homes or hospices,
while offering support to their families.

The first charity I will be raising money for is Marie Curie Cancer Care.  My expeditioning partner has personally experienced the care and support that they offer through what must have been an unspeakably hard time.  I can't think of many groups who deserve to be supported more in order that they can continue their amazing work.  The fact that I would never be endeavoring on such a trip without his trust and faith in me makes this an even easier choice and seems an apt way to show my appreciation.

50% of all funds raised will be contributed to Marie Curie.

Charity 2 will be your choice,
receiving 30% of all funds raised.

Now, THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP!  30% of all funds raised and 20% of all funds raised will be going to two additional charities.  As of yet these two other charities have not been chosen and I would like your input on who should benefit.

Anyone can nominate an officially registered charity to fill one of these two remaining slots and be responsible for them receiving either 30% or 20% of all the funds that I raise!  All you have to do is to comment on this post with the name of the charity you are proposing.  If you would like to also provide an explanation as to what they do or provide a story as to how you have been involved with them then that would be wonderful.

All the charities that have been proposed by the end of next week (Friday 14th October) will be compiled into a survey which will then remain on this blog until the end of this month.  Here, every unique visitor will be able to vote on who they think should receive the 20% donation.  

Charity 3 will be selected from
amongst your suggestions.

Charity number 3 will be one of my choosing out of all of the suggestions that are received.  I will make every effort to educate myself on each nominated charity and will reach a final decision based on what I feel is most meaningful to me.

Please, please get involved in this and make your wishes known through the comments section below.  I  rarely call on the help of my friends and family in order to raise money for charity - and I'm still not (yet) - though I do want your input!

The three finalised charities will be announced through this blog on Tuesday 1st November.

Best Wishes,

Andy.

P.S.  You can also contribute towards making this expedition happen by clicking on any one of the promotions from my targeted advertisers.

2nd tyre pulling session - Heavy and hard

So previously I blogged that I wondered why more people didn't do tyre pulling as a general training exercise.  Well, I can tell you why they wouldn't do heavy tyre pulling:  IT'S HARD!

Despite thinking I would maintain the small weight for my second session and increase the time to 2 hours I opted to up the weight and attempt 2 hours anyway!  So this time I went out with 3 tyres dragging behind me, providing a weight of 50kg.  I started on a stretch of firetrack which had about 5 slopes (well you could barely call them hills, but they felt like mountains!).  Some of them steeper than others, all of them increasing the intensity to an incredibly high level.  I did one out and in lap with the 50kg and had to drop two tyres for the second leg, I was operating at the very peak of my capacity.  However, 10 metres in and my friend (who had joined me for some fitness and was pulling 15kg with two tyres herself) decided that she should have dropped one too.  So I had to take one off her and I was back up to two tyres, though only with a weight of 20kg this time.  This reduced load made all the difference and I whizzed up and back again the second time.

Unfortunately, we only lasted an hour this time and both decided we should call it a night as we'd gone too heavy to early.  The nights are getting colder and it would have been a typical time to pull a muscle or similar had I pushed it through to another hour.  Time for some rest, rehydration and some recovery provided my Maximuscle!

Next time: 2 hours, 30kg!!  I shall report back.

TYRE PULLING in Swinley Forest

HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM MY FIRST TYRE PULLING SESSION I AM WONDERING WHY MORE PEOPLE DON'T JUST DO THIS FOR FUN!  What a fantastic way to get a full body workout.  At least it would be if I had some ski poles to aid me in order to bring the arms and shoulders into play (something to scour ebay for shortly).

For those who may not know tyre pulling seems to be the staple training for Arctic expeditioners.  It apparently mimics closely the motion of pulling your pulk (which is the Scandinavian sled I will be pulling with my equipment on).  The recommendation is that you can pull up to 1.5x your bodyweight.  I am currently 95KG and my body weight is rising so I could potentially pull over 150KG, though I think we are aiming to pull no more 120KG each.

I picked a selection of old tyres up from Bracknell Tyre & Battery.  Most tyre places will be greatful for you taking their rubbish away, though you may want to just check with them first prior to helping yourself!

I don't have a harness at the moment but fortunately I had an old metal cable lying around which served as an easy way to secure the tyres to me.  Firstly I just tied the tyres together at one end, then the other end to me.  In order to spread the load a bit I wore an old rucksack and tied the cable to that.  This worked perfectly well for me and I was please to have a free rig ready for use now so I can start getting some time pulling under my belt and begin to progress the weight.

Onto weight, I began with two tyres weighing just under 30KG.  I was thinking that would probably be very light but as much as I dare test my makeshift harness with.  As it turns out I think the harness is capable of carrying plenty more - at least until I can get a proper harness - and the weight was plenty for my first time!  I ended up walking the firetrack in my local forest.  By the time I got out it was 8pm and pitch black (ah the great British summer months!).  My good friend offered to walk with me this first time out and the company was appreciated though I will soon have to get used to being alone in the forest in the dark, cold winter months as the training hours required increase.  It is fairly strange (dare I say scary) being in the forest, not only alone when it is dark but also when you are pulling a weight behind you which makes loads of noise and alerts everyone to your presence - who knows what's lurking in the trees, especially as the forest I train in contains the notorious high security broadmoor psychiatric hospital! :)

We ended up walking for 45 minutes taking in a long slope up to begin and a short sharp climb midway through.  The steeper pitch certainly got my heart rate up and I the sweat was pouring off me - which could potentially be a problem in the Arctic - but it was a very enjoyable bit of training and I look forward to getting out again very soon.

The next time out will be for a length of time - probably 2 hours, just to allow the body to start familiarising itself with it, probably with the same weight.  I would like to think that very shortly after that I will begin targeting specific distances and with double the weight, all the time keeping in mind a rough target of pulling 120kg for 40km a day when in the Arctic.

I am now going to rehydrate, refuel and rest all the time whilst musing a world where more people really do tyre pull as a means of training.  I imagine a Dickensian style Christmas scene where instead of lots of people ice skating they are all tyre pulling.  What a great way to train!

My suitability for this undertaking

Being active in the outdoors.  Fun but a far cry from what
lies ahead I'm sure.

AND SO, with a phone call due today to kick-off our undertaking I thought it would be good to first explain a bit more about me and why I am the right man for this adventure (though I can think of far more reasons why I am not right for it, at least on paper!)

I'm 32 years of age and I suspect by a lot of peoples measures I have done nothing exceptional in my life.  I say that as I would consider the undertaking of crossing an Arctic icecap as exceptional - so why this and why now?  Well I have perhaps taken a little longer than most to mature and find the confidence required to begin living the life I want (without being dependant on the support of others).  I had already started this process of re-engineering what I am and have spent the last couple of years gradually living a life alternative to that which I did through my twenties.  I no longer smoke or drink as often as I did, I have begun indulging my true passions again having neglected them for so long in favour of socialising or working (or being run down from one of these two) and the biggest single change was to leave a 9-to-5 job I'd long lost my passion for.

So why an Arctic Crossing?  Well, my friend - who has just introduced me to my expedition buddy - had spent a lot of time listening to me wax lyrical about life and it's beauties: the adventures, the wonder of nature and how frustrated I was that I hadn't had full access to such things growing up and how hard I thought it was to seek such opportunities as an adult without either a foot in the door, knowing the right people or simply having lots of money.  She also often found me with my head in the National Geographic musing a life so privileged that you got to see amazing nature at its best, better still be able to capture it with photography and share some of that experience (one of the passions I have recently taken up for the first time as an adult is photography).  So I guess she got bored of listening to me and thought she could kill three birds with one stone - Do me a favour by introducing me to her friend, possibly help her friend by giving him a team mate to call on for trips and most importantly shut me up for a bit!

So why would I enjoy this trip?

• I am always walking, running or cycling out in the natural world somewhere.
• I have always been in awe of nature (a walk in the woods with me is never just a walk in the woods but a lesson in how to muse how fantastic everything is!)
• I am keen to increase my cold weather experience (so far it runs as far as a snowboarding trip in the Spring and snowfall in Surrey!)
• An opportunity to experience first hand the kind of scenes I have to date only been able to admire in magazines and on TV.
• As I've grown older and pushed my outdoor pursuits a farther I have become very aware of the importance of having solid outdoor first aid experience and I am very keen to increase this to a be a field medic.

I am very (very, very, very) aware of many reasons as to why I might not enjoy the trip: frostbite, exhaustion, extreme cold, polar bear attacks, psychological dysfunction, inability and lack of confidence etc.

And what makes me suitable?

• I am fit, young(ish), active and strong
• I naturally find navigation easy and enjoy it
• I have played rugby for years at a competitive level so have experience of physical hard work, determination, team work etc
• I have on/off been training for a half Ironman then Ironman event (as my first two triathlons) and so I was beginning to get a good understanding of and improve my ability in endurance feats
• I believe I have a strong mind and psychology - this is one of the things I am most interested in testing
• My heart is in this - I have no interest (well, very little) in the glory or bragging rights of such an expedition, just the desire to indulge in what I feel makes me tick as the person I am

I was going to cover what makes me unsuitable for this but I think that could go on for a long time.  I think all I can do is be aware of my shortfalls without letting them drag me down and work hard to improve these areas - and be grateful that I have been introduced to an explorer who can see the potential in people, or at least who is happy to take an apprentice for a month.  Cheers Roan!

I do have in the back of my mind that this is the kind of feat that no matter how well versed I might be prior to arriving in Greenland, nothing will substitute for good old experience and at some point that is going to cost me in pain, sweat, blood and tears I'm sure.  Hopefully though, none of those will cost me too much and in anyway which is irrecoverable.

Here's to healthy optimism and stretching yourself a bit more each day.

Cheers!

Andy.

P.S.  I considered including in this 'suitability' post details about my financial suitability (or complete lack of).  However, I don't feel I should shroud things with talk of money.  Perhaps I will go into detail at sometime in the future if there is interest from people to know such things.

THE EXPEDITION

To cross the Greenland Ice Cap, east to west.

Operating as part of a two man team we will be covering approximately 700 unsupported, unassisted kilometres.

As this is my first Arctic trip - indeed it will be my first ever cold weather expedition - we are allowing ourselves up to one month to complete the journey.  A month cross country skiing with nothing to look at except a distant white horizon (if we're lucky) or a blizzard of snow (if we're not).

We will begin in March 2012, by taking a flight out of London to the east of Greenland, via Iceland.  From there we will wait for the right conditions and availability to take our heli lift to the ice cap.

Once we are safely on the ice cap we will wave goodbye the the helicopter and will not see much of any civilisation again until we have safely crossed the ice cap possibly a month later.

Arriving on the west coast of Greenland we will no doubt share a beer and a few tales, then hop back on a flight home via Iceland again.  My birthday will be on the 20th April so it will be a nice present to myself and my family if I'm back home for then with a nice new string to my bow :)

It all sounds so simple.  It's just the month in the middle that I think might be a challenge.

Could I really get involved in an Arctic Expedition? Apparently, YES!

On Tuesday this week (9th August 2011) I was introduced by a friend of mine to one of their oldest school friends.  This meeting had been talked about for 6 months but due to busy schedules has only just happened.  You see the person I was meeting tends to be quite busy on extreme cold weather expeditions.  The reason for the meeting was that this mutual friend believed that he would be just the sort of person to offer me the kind of adventure that I've always craved.

So to the topic at hand and what I thought may be a tentative sounding out exercise by both of us.  I could not have been more wrong and what was soon laid out in front of me was a very simple proposal.  This guy wants to cross the Greenland ice cap (again) in spring 2012 and if I'm keen to be on the team then I'm in.  The team as I write is just the two of us, though another pair may be added as I write this.

Apart from my very genuine concerns around the dangers of such a trip this was really quite a simple decision for me to arrive at.  The dangers are real as are my fears, however, a lifetime of desiring adventure meant that anything other than an assertive "yes" would leave me full of regret.  A huge debt of gratitude must go to my mutual friend as it was her recommendation that I would be a good person for the trip that carried so much weight with my now expedition teammate.

I have a huge learning curve ahead of me and it's already begun with the significant challenge of raising funds for the trip.  However, I feel my mindset is right at the moment and if I can stay positive, open and enthusiastic I think there's a very real chance that I could be updating this blog in 9 months as one of the few people lucky enough to have crossed the Greenland ice cap unsupported and unassisted.