Update

As means of an update, we were lifted off the ice today by Joe and Peter on skidoos. We are now sat back in Resolute Bay and licking our 'metaphoric' wounds. The easy decision today would have been to carry on, the hard decision was to say thats if for this year. We would both rather complete the journey (and we will complete both planned trips) with all our digits intact, than wear the loss of a digit as a macabre badge of honour.

Now is the time to recock our kit, take stock and start to replan. Our thanks again to both Joe and Peter for an interesting ride back and to Peter for his lesson on Polar Bears over coffee tonight. We must also thank Silas and Andrew for their help this morning in arranging the pick-up.

We will write more in the coming days.

Matt and Kev

Update - Arctic 3 Northern Exposure 0

We are currently static in our tent at last nights final location. After discussing our cold injuries we decided that with the storm expected to hit in a few days that the prudent decision would be to extract from the ice. We are currently sat waiting for 2 skidoos to come pick us up. There is no emergency and there are no issues with us other than some cold injury issues which we cannot afford to worsen but are being managed. The reason for skidoo over air is simply the cost and that we in a fit state to wait.

More to follow on the entire decision process when back in Resolute.

Day 5 - head back in the ice

Another late start after discussions about my fingers but after a number of chats with some very trusted agents and a massive reality check - we crashed camp and started skiing.

The high winds of the morning all but disappeared as we skied in cold conditions. The ice still isn't sliding and we have a lot of ground to make up - but we have time and the experience to know when it's time to just start pushing the hours and the miles! And there are a lot of miles in both of our legs!

The mornings are the worst getting out of warm bags into a cold tent and neither of us are spring chickens. This afternoon saw Kev manipulating my back so I could ski - may be there is a programme in it 'Physio on Ice'.

So to those of you we spoke to today, thank-you. Hard words but honest and we both know how lucky we are to be here!

Finally Gavin, I have managed no filming at all - think that I may get some done in the next few days but up to now this has been like a command appointment on steroids without a master events list or a debrief in a nice environment!

day 4

After yesterday's dramas, where I managed to get a cold injury on my little and ring finger of my left hand - which we have now recovered; today was better.

A slow start as we were both tired from a long night, we managed to cover some good distance. Kev was outstanding in forcing us to stop yesterday and it was a hard day for us both.

The ice is still rough and going hard but as we get further we will be skiing longer and harder.

Day 3

What could do wrong did go wrong - hence no movement. The weather, both temp and wind (which = next to no visibility) add to a major kit faff meant that we moved a few hundred meters and decided that we need to spend the day sorting stuff out. Everything has been rushed in the last few weeks and today it all conspired against us.

Everything is now sorted and normal skiing resumes tomorrow!

Day 2

The ice was worse today, broken and felt as if there was no glide. Although we did see an Arctic Fox, who ran past looking at us in amazement. We are both sore and slowly getting into our glide. We knew this first week would be hard, and although Kev is eating I am doing my normal and struggling with getting the rations eaten! But that will change when the body gets hungry, but I am not throwing rations away - yet. Kev is convinced I want Abs by the end of the trip!

The evening admin was slicker tonight and the tent still has 2 poles. You really couldn't have made up the issues last night - it almost became a real survival exercise!

As yet we are making no mileage towards the pole - that will start to happen in about 2 days time when we turn north and head away from Cornwallis Island. But our second nights camp is further than my third nights camp in 2011 ... which is good.

Now for dinner and charades .... I am amazed at what Kev does to keep us entertained!

Day 1

An emotional first day with good mileage although an epic putting up the tent. The 3 hoop tent is now a 2 hoop tent. Not much more to write, as we are still getting into a routine, but we are both well.

The blogs will increase as we hit a routine, but then reduce as we push for the pole in a few weeks time!

Matt and Kev

Time to start

At long last the weather has cleared and it is time to start. We will cross the start line and head out away from Resolute at 1500Z, out on to the ice and start to slowly head towards our finish at the Magnetic North Pole (1996 location). Our plan will be to update the blog with something daily, and our tracker will show our location every 4 hours.

As we start, all I can do is thank everyone for their support and hope that you continue to watch with interest!

We need to start

"Adventure means risking something, and its only when we are doing that, that we know what a splendid thing life is and how well it can be lived …." Gerboult

After another day spent sat waiting, and flicking through the TV channels finding anything to watch (reminiscent of being here 2 years ago); we have checked the weather charts, sort advice and read all the weather reports we can find.  It looks as if the storm will pass tomorrow, and tomorrow afternoon / evening will be clear with the weather looking good for the remainder of the week.  

As it currently stands we will leave tomorrow (Tues) at 0900L (1500Z), and make our way across the bay and around the headland where in the lee of the island we are hoping for some shelter.  We will then start the slow journey north.  Our plan is to be at Isachsen, which is NNE of Deer Bay for pick-up on the 2 Apr.

We will post a confirmatory blog in the morning and the plan on posting blogs every night using our Iridium phone and the Iridium Axcesspoint - but more on that later.  We will also plan to tweet a couple of times a day again using the Iridium phone.  But at the moment all we can do it wait.  The pulks are packed with have 29 days of food and we now just need to start ... but i have been here before and i know that this is only the start.  But i cannot wait to get out on the ice.

Kev - we wait

We woke this morning after a broken night's sleep to find the blizzard warning still in force, the storm has not blown itself out and is forecast to subside tomorrow morning.  Matt has made the decision to go tomorrow; we will get a foot hold in the bay and then head north.  It has left us with a day less for travelling, which adds to the pressure of what we are about to undertake as if things were not challenging enough.  We have our pick up on the 2 Apr so it's a case of working back from that date and covering the mileage. 

We went up to the CO-OP store in Resolute this morning to talk to the hotel manager and let him know our plans. The blizzard snow had drifted over the last couple of days, the fine grains even managing to get through a small gap in the porch way door of the store.  With the visibility extremely poor at times due to the wind and spindrift we found ourselves walking into snow drifts that we cannot see.  The gusts of wind that we encounter on the short journey back to the hotel reminded us of the wind-chill that will be brutal when we undertake the long ski marches ahead of us. 

We are going to strip out some rations this afternoon from the pulks, we will now need one day less. Tomorrow is now our focus and we know what we have to do.  But now it's a case of getting as much rest as we can and wait.

 

Weather Update

"Luck and strength go together.  When you get lucky you have the strength to follow through; you also have to have the strength to wait for the luck." Mario Puzo

We were due to start the ski today; however the blizzard which has engulfed Resolute for the past 36hrs and was due to clear late last night still rages on.  Having spoken with various weather experts, the weather is improving and the blizzard is almost gone.  However, the issue remains the high winds which is continuing to blow snow everywhere and is reducing visibility to about 400m.  

The weather charts show that the winds will die down later today and although still predicted to be gusting tomorrow, the conditions should be better to allow us to start.  But with the winds blowing from the east, once we get into the lee side of Cornwallis Island conditions will be far more sheltered - but that is at least a 2 day ski away.

Although Hannibal said "Chance favours only those who know how to court her", and i have been in this position before with the weather.  Whilst i want to start, and i know that Kev just wants to get on the ice; the sensible decision is to wait for the storm to fully break and allow ourselves a few days of fair weather to get into routine.  The preparation for the trip has been rushed because of external work issues, and maybe this delay will be a blessing as it will allow us both to take stock - i know i need to.

So with memories of 2 years ago, another delay.  But it is having to make these decisions which reinforces why trips like this and adventure training in general is so good for the Armed Forces; it reinforces decision making and accountability for your own actions!  However, it does mean that i have to spend more time in the Co-Op Hotel, which with my stay record needs to adopt a frequent stayer programme! 

Kev's thoughts before we leave Resolute

It is coming up to the end of Sunday evening here at Resolute with the storm finally exhausting itself. For us it has been another busy day, this morning we ventured out to visit the airport. Only to find that the road was blocked by drifting snow and the spindrift making the visibility extremely poor. The only option for us was to turn around and find our way back, which turned into an 'epic' with us finishing the 2 mile journey 45 minutes later with Matt having got us stuck in 2 snow drifts. But the best bit was Matt telling me what to do from the comfort of the warm wagon, as i ran around attempting to dig us out ... rank apparently does have its perks even up here! I feel sorry for the guys on 4 FP Wg! However the wind was gusting between 40 – 80 Km/Hr and combined with the -24 temperature ensured a high wind chill. But it also reinforced the importance, in high winds of keeping covered up. It's a timely reminder of how the conditions in this place can change very quickly and be utterly brutal.

Once we had returned to our accommodation we concentrated on packing the pulks. We are taking 2 each for this trip, with the rear pulk holding 20 days of rations, extra fuel and spare ski poles and other bits of equipment that we won't need immediately. Once we packed the secondary pulks we placed them outside so that the perishable food stuffs within them could stay frozen.

We then concentrated on packing the primary pulks. Within these are our first ten days of rations, stove and fuel, sleeping bags and roll mats, tent, electrical equipment, and our own spare clothing. All essential items in this hostile environment.

Finally for this journey we have our day sacks, these contain warm outer layers for halts, flasks, spare gloves and hats and for me the shotgun, this is for self-defence from Polar Bears and will be used in emergencies only. We have discussed the bears, and will use all other means before we have to use the shotgun.

We have finished an excellent evening dinner and are now finalising our last preparation. It's up at 7 am for the last 2 hours of packing and final preparation. This time tomorrow night we will be hunkered down in Resolute Bay, me boiling water on the stove to prepare of food for our dehydrated rations, whilst Matt is outside sorting the pulks and tent outer. I will then be filling flasks and also Nalgene bottles. Once we have cooked and eaten we will then cool the tent down before then bringing in the sleeping bags to minimise condensation. We then begin the whole process in reverse the next morning with packing of equipment and then boiling water for food and drinks for the next day. I don't think I will sleep well tonight, it reminds me very much of the thoughts and trepidations prior to the night before a large military parachuting descent. I will be glad when we can get started.

The blizzard and an inevitable delay

A blizzard hit Resolute early this morning which essentially saw the hamlet shut down. Winds over 100kph were predicted, and combined with the already low temperatures made going outside very difficult. We cancelled the training we had planned and instead spent the day starting to pack the pulks; we now have kit spread all over the Co-op dining room.

We ventured out three times to the local store to pick up our fuel. The first trip was a disaster as the store was closed; the second was better at least the store was open, but the lock to the fuel store was frozen solid and couldn't be open and then finally on the third attempt did we pick up our 6 containers of fuel (which we have now carefully repackaged). But each journey was an epic, the wind cut through everything we wore and felt brutal and the distance of 150m felt an awful lot further!

The storm is predicted to blow out tomorrow sometime; we were due to start tomorrow! But the wise decision is to delay until Mon, we lose a day but we start in better conditions and then play catch up later in the trip. The plan for the last 100nm was always to replicate the likelihood of the closing of the time window for a full geographic trip (when the time for the pick-up is closing in rapidly). So in effect we are adding to our own pressures - but as i wrote in an earlier blog, this trip is purely a training expedition for next year when we plan on returning to attempt the Geographic Pole, so a bit of time pressure is good. And as the Russians say "he who doesn't take risks doesn't drink champagne". But equally the time pressure will only mean that we have to work harder as we get more tired, and although the trip we are doing has been done countless times over the years, the fact we are unsupported, will be dragging heavy pulks (again to replicate next year), and starting early in the season will add to our inevitable suffering. However as Horace stated "Suffering is but another name for the teaching of experience, which is the parent of instruction and the schoolmaster of life."

Kev's views after the first day in Resolute

After a good night's sleep we awoke to start kit preparation in earnest and our first day at Resolute. Following breakfast our first port of call was the Co-op store in Resolute where Matt had placed some of the exped equipment in long term storage. One of the most important elements of this being the rations, we were both relieved to find that all the food was intact and that we could begin sorting out the menus that would be our staple diet on the ice. After lunch we went up to Resolute airport to talk to Borek Air, Matt paid the bill for the twin otter flight that was going to extract us off the ice at the end of the expedition. We then went back via the old Resolute settlement overlooking the bay, where we looked at the derelict frameworks of Inuit buildings made from whale bones. We then returned to our accommodation via the Co-op store to pick up our butter and Napta fuel. The butter will be a key part of our diet whilst on the ice due to its high calories.

We then suited up for a short ski into Resolute bay where we were going to practice putting up the tent. We went out in what seemed calm conditions and once we went static and put on our additional warm outer layer the wind began to increase from the South. Initially the outside temperature was -41 when we set off, however this was increased due to the wind chill factor and we found ourselves operating in below -60. The conditions became interesting and gave us a good idea of the worst conditions that we could find ourselves operating in.

We then made our way back in off the ice and have now continued with the food preparation that will continue into the night. There is a large list of tasks to be struck off between now and us starting the expedition. As I type this weather forecast tonight is an incoming storm with for strong winds tomorrow in excess of 110 kph, so we will temper our training accordingly, it does also remind us of what we can expect in this fascinating and hostile place. So tonight we wish you a good weekend, as we hunker down in Resolute were the current outside temperature is -41.

Kev at the dump.

Kev's perspectives on the first few days

We arrived in Ottawa and settled into the Lord Elgin Hotel.  After having a bite to eat we had an early night, all equipment accounted for and The following morning we awoke to a pleasant morning and went into town to get some supplies for the expedition.  This ranged from peanut butter to candles and matches. Shortly after we found a coffee shop and discussed the forthcoming expedition, discussing issues like Polar Bears to the low temperatures that were being recorded at Resolute (-42). In the evening we hosted Mr Rick Sellick for dinner, he had been extremely helpful in the logistics for this trip and also Matt's previous expedition; what was also invaluable was his knowledge of Nunavut and the areas we are planning to operate in.

 

The following morning we arose and had breakfast to find that there was a large snow storm forecast to hit the North American continent. This would unfortunately hinder our plans to visit Richard Webber, an extremely famous Arctic Explorer who lives just outside Ottawa.  He advised that we stay put due to the amount of snow that had already began to fall and his wife Josée  came into town in their 4x4 and dropped off our supplies including the shotgun that they had kindly procured on our behalf. This will be used as a last resort to discourage any Polar Bears that take more than a curious interest in us. 

We then did our final preparation before heading out to the airport. Due to the heavy snow we decided to leave late in the evening, to ensure that we arrived in a timely manner for our early morning flight, this proved to be a wise decision as the road conditions were deteriorating as we set off. The following morning we managed to negotiate all our baggage onto the flight up to Resolute. This is not as simple as it sounds as there is a connecting flight onwards to Resolute. 

The flight time from Ottawa to Iqaluit is approx 4 hours long and we arrived in the early afternoon to -30 at Iqaluit airport.  Unfortunately we were delayed here due to a mechanical problem, and boarded our twin prop flight to Arctic Bay 2 hours later than planned.  We had been warned that all of our baggage may not be accompanying us to Resolute due to the flight being full to Arctic Bay and Matt was concerned at how this would impact on our preparation for the expedition and we had to wait until arriving at Resolute airport to find out if our equipment had accompanied us. Luckily upon arrival at a very dark and cold Resolute (-42) we checked ourbaggage outside the terminal and much to our relief found that it had all arrived.  We begin packing pulks tomorrow.

Matt as close as we hope to get to a polar bear.

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