ArcticSurvivalChallenge

"Congratulations, well done, you've made it. You are all winners. Get up, get back to the cabin. It's better to be a winner in life. Well done." Rich, 14th February We woke up at 6am to Rich's voice. I can still hear it now. We'd made it. We made it through alive. We were the first team for a number of years at Intrepid that had all made it through the challenge. No drop outs and extreme temperatures. We were told previous teams had given up at -6c (20F). Today is our day to do whatever we want. We need to look after the hot tub for a bath tonight. This involves checking the hot tub's fire throughout the day. ... read more

We're all feeling pretty tired after last night. Temperatures fluctuated throughout the night as we took it in turns to add more wood to the stove, which glowed bright red when hot. On my firewatch I managed to melt part of the sleeve of my McMurdo Parka. Fortunately I'd bought some Goretex repair patches along with me. I spent the most of my firewatch hour making impromptu repairs. The fire took some time to get going again in the morning, meaning the group weren't able to get breakfast on the go. I got my heximine fuel burner going, and before long I was tucking into my expedition breakfast. A hearty meal of oatmeal, haselnuts, dried apple and raisins. I managed to get a fair bit of sleep, despite the musical snore chorus coming from my fellow ... read more

The group is quieter than usual as we contemplate the next few days ahead of us. We survived the last acclimatisation day without any serious personal injury. Sweden is as beautiful as I remember it from childhood. There is something exceptionally inspiring about this landscape, despite the cold. The snow clings to the trees like cotton wool and there is a permanent silence that hangs in the air. It's -25c tonight. We head out in just over an hours time. The group leaders have had to rethink our plans as it's just too dangerous for us to 'camp' in the usual spot by the lake. Temperatures are too cold down there (in excess of -30c) and the snow is at chest height. I'm off now to re-think the packinng of my bag. Thank you for all ... read more

-29c today. The start of the survival phase. Life threatening. We'll head out on snow mobiles today and the temperatures from the wind can reach -50c.... read more

Today it was -15c. We spent th dy acclimatising again down by the lake using our new cross contry skiing skills. It was 5km each way. When we got there we took it in turns to lead a pack of 4 dogs around a track and also practice ice fishing.v. Yesterday we were taught to use our skis. Its a lot harder than it looks. Everyone fell down and once you've got wet there is no opportunity to get dry again until you get back to the cabin. The cabin is a welcome refuge from the cold, but this is our last night now. For the past two night we've been preparing a snow hole. Taking it in turns to shovel snow into a huge pile that will be our home on Friday. Tomorrows home is ... read more

Well I'm sat here at Heathrow now waiting to depart. See you in the Arctic. It's going to be a cold one :)... read more

It's personally cost me an arm and a leg, but better to spend than to get frost bite that's my motto. I've also been fortunate to have lots of kits left over from my trek to Everest Base Camp ( Everest Base Camp Blog) Over the months I've been diligently researching and going through hundreds of reviews on the internet to find the best kit. Ordering in equipment from Canda and the USA when the pound was strong, staying up till the early hours to win that golden auction on eBay. Without any equipment sponsorship, I've slowly purchased everything myself, and often this is one part of preparations that people do not see..... Bits and bobs from my Kit List North Face McMurdo Parka Integral Designs Salathe Bivi British Army Extreme Cold Weather Overboots Smartwool mountaineering ... read more