Less than a week to Resolute

The Awesome Foursome! Richard next to me, and then Tessum and David:


It's less than a week before we fly to Resolute, excitement building and preparations are going really well.

So how I am I feeling?

Mentally I feel very strong for the challenge ahead, and am almost prematurely getting very impatient and want to 'Just start' now. There are still quite a few jobs to be completed, and this doesn't help the impatience, as some of them require team co-ordination, which we are still trying to improve on! I do find my mind racing a bit, and I think Richard thinks I am a worry-er, as I try and visualise the journey ahead and then hit some 'no knowledge' areas and bombard him with questions and what ifs? It's not about fear or apprehension, it's about the excitement and preparing my mind. Yesterday this thought process took us into a scenario of swimming an 'uncross-able' lead. I found it very useful as I internalised the whole decision process and then the actually swimming trip. The positive was that I think we thought through this a s a team, and some good detail came up in terms of storage of the gear for the water crossing. I am sleeping very well, which is always a good sign. I am struggling with being part of the group environment, and having my time 'stolen' as we work within the 'confines' of a family home, and get 'distracted' by home comforts and the inevitable chores. I know this claustrophobia will disappear with the start of the expedition, as the clutter disappears and life simplifies to pure survival, conquering immediate challenges, and body and mind management. I love getting into that space, where day to day life has a very high level of 'purity and simplicity' that provides one with peace and a fertile, mind meditation place. I know living together with my three team mates, in this environment will not be a problem as we will all be in the same space, with a crystal clear and highly desired common goal, and this means by necessity all activities will be for the good of the team. The 'lonely' time on the daily marches will give me the alone time I need, while the evening communal tent time, will provide a great social highlight for further building camaraderie. (Oh, and our daily pre-dinner whisky based, cocktail, will certainly help the 'spirits'!!)

A concern...It's too warm!

Our major concern is the weather and I never thought I'd be worried that it wouldn't be cold enough! The weather here in Yellowknife has been amazing with blue sky, sunny days and temperatures no lower than -16 deg C, but mostly around -10! Why is this bad? Well the warmer it is the worse the sea ice conditions at the start are going to be... More ice fractures, more ridges, and more open water leads.....all the things that hinder progress, and increase risk.

Even up at Resolute (74 deg North vs our current 62 N) temperatures have been unseasonably warm, with most days around - 20 deg C, and few below - 30 deg C.

To compound the situation, there are super high, spring tides which peak around the day we are scheduled to start the expedition. These super tides are related to the moon, in its elliptical orbit around the earth, being in it's perigee, or closest position. This means that the pull on the ocean from the moon is at its strongest of any other point in its orbit, and hence the specially high tides. "But how does this affect you when you are on the ice?" I hear you ask?.....

Well as I explained in a previous Posting, the ice is actually floating on the ocean, until it connects to the fixed ice shelf extending from the land (Canada). This 'joint' is not a single line but rather a zone of fractured ice pressure ridges that makes the 'flexible coupling' between land and ocean. With the higher tides this 'flexible coupling' will need to be able to handle much bigger up and down movements, and so the transition zone will be wider, and the pressure ridges around the fractures will be higher. So the warmer weather and these tides mean out trip will be more 'fun'!! (Even Richard admits to not having had these conditions to deal with, and today we are doing some more scenario planning to prepare for the unexpected.)

The training continues...

Our training continues here in Yellowknife, and we are now up to full weight sleds (85 kg) and full packs, simulating the exact loads we will start with. Daily four hour marches on snow shoes have been great for the team, and I can honestly say that I am feeling really confident that we have a great team, that is physically well prepared for the 'project' ahead. The first few days of the expedition will involve 7-8 hour of sled pulling, so the four hour training sessions only give us 'some taste' of the full days to come. As we get more into the expedition we are expecting to ramp up to 10+ hours a day marching, and if necessary the final "Push to the Pole" could involve 14-16 hours a day. This will all unfold as go....We will find out how Mother Nature decides to 'treat' us!

Yesterday we spent a lot of time on tent work and sleeping bags. David, Tessum and I are 'big guys' and we weren't sure that a 4 person tent would be adequate. In December we used a 6 person tent, but are all to well aware of the significantly greater fuel required to heat a larger tent at the end of the day. We have finally settled on the snug 4 person tent with Tessum and I taking the middle two longer sleeping areas, and David and Richard sleeping on the outsides which are slightly shorter. Hmmm, it's going to be really cosy!!!

Getting ready for bed is quite a challenge as I have to basically slide one by one into three layers of sleeping bags. The first layer is what is called a Vapour Barrier layer, and is very light, 100% waterproof layer designed to prevent sweat / moisture from entering the two outer sleeping bags. Once I am in the vapour barrier sock, I then slide into the very thick down inner sleeping bag (-20 deg C rated). Then the next challenge is to slide all this into the almost as large, outer sleeping bag. At this point I feel pretty mummified, but have one more task left.....: To try and ensure my head is in the head cowl's of both sleeping bags, the 'chimney' from the Vapour Barrier bag is free and able to do it job of extracting moisture out of the bags, and the drawstrings on the cowls are pulled tight so only my nostrils' have an open route out! All this is to be done with my hands and arms inside the bags, as they can't be 'locked' outside! Oh, and then all this is done while ensuring that I still stay centrally positioned on top of two, very necessary, insulating mattresses!

Every night I will also have my 'pee bottle' join me, because once I am tucked in, there is no getting up and going outside for for a pee! Every 7 to 8 days I will also have my battery charger system join me....... "Hmm, where does he connect that to??"......... No, that's not for me but rather to charge either the phone, PDA or camera batteries. These take quite a few hours and need to be done in a warm environment. So, interesting bed partners hey!

Towards the end of a long day's march the thought of a warm tent and our evening clothes will be a 'beacon of narrow focus', and huge motivation to complete the days march goal! For evening wear we have 'black jackets', fur headdress, tent 'slippers' and headlamps! Some dinner part hey! The black jackets being loose fitting very warm down, fresh and sweat free, replacing the day's work gear. The tent slippers are soft shell warm 'foot gloves' that replace our bulking boots inside the tent. The headdress completes the end of day transformation, and I will sleep in it for added warmth and a form of integrated pillow! Here is a picture of me in 'dinner jacket' and evening headdress:

Here is a picture of our tent, which uses ski's and poles as a frame and guy line pegs, and is a double skin design, with a loose floor. My communal house for March and April!

As we test our gear, nervous last minute, innovative tweeks and tucks are designed, and we have been using a local seamstress to assist with the changes. Here she works on my wind pants:

Oh, yes the Northern lights: A few nights back we had a good viewing: