Kev's thoughts from Ottawa

 

The final 2 weeks prior to our departure were not the most ideal conditions for preparation for a major expedition, as we found ourselves extremely busy at work. I've had a series of meetings in Scotland, the Midlands and London in the space of 4 days, whilst Matt was detached overseas, and I heard very little from him for the last couple of weeks. This would be extremely alarming if I didn't know him so well and the confidence that even in a short time scale we would be ready to go. What is guaranteed however in all of this is that our focus remains sharp in the task we are about to undertake. 

I sit here reflecting over the last 6 months, and it has been extremely eventful. We were both been deployed in Afghanistan last year during which in addition to our primary jobs we balanced the preparation for the expedition, our off duty time saw us fitting in training when we can. This has ranged from sessions in the gym to pulling tyres over long distances (not to be advised in a hot climate such as Afghanistan although Matt decided that he wouldn't haul tyres). Every so often I have found myself 'day dreaming' looking at my map of the Arctic on my office wall, studying the route again and again, and then having questions that I bounced back to Matt in email tennis. Upon our return to the UK, we have carried out a series of training events, one of them evolving from a discussion we had back in Afghanistan over coffee when the challenge of canoeing the Caledonian canal was born. 

This famous route is from Fort William to Inverness, a distance of 60 miles. We decided to try and do it in less than 24 hours; the route follows the man made canal that Lord Telford made in the 1800's incorporating the three major Lochs of, Lochy, Oich and Ness. Finding the ideal conditions for this was never going to happen and when we undertook it in November the weather was not the most favourable. Setting off at 1645 into the dark it proved at times to be very interesting conditions to operate in. Our sense of humour coming to the fore through-out , especially as I fell in trying to get out of the boat on Loch Ness at 0630 in the morning. We reached the end of our journey at Inverness at 1645 the following evening, having achieved our aim and a few tales to tell in the bar. 

In December we visited the to the Extreme Climates Laboratory at Portsmouth, a daunting experience for me going there for the first time, especially when looking at the pictures of famous polar explorers such as Sir Ranulph Fiennes that line the corridor into the laboratory. An hour's immersion in a cold water tank gave me a better understanding of how my body adapts to the cold environment and how it reacts when in going into hypothermia. Matt also did this test with me, which in turn gave me an understanding of how he copes in these conditions. 

In addition to the usual training, one of my regimes every Sunday was to drag a pair of trusty car tyres on Lossiemouth beach, I would usually spend 4 ½ hours out doing this, luckily with an IPOD to keep me company. I must admit to receiving many strange looks whilst doing this, with many wise comments that I always smiled at.

I drove down from RAF Lossiemouth 4 days ago to my final destination of RAF Brize Norton where I met Matt. It was a beautiful afternoon and the first town I went through on this journey is Elgin, and last night I found myself in the grand surroundings of the Lord Elgin Hotel in the centre of Ottawa for our final preparation before heading up to Resolute at the end of the week. 

A week from now we will be on the ice, getting into our daily routine, watching out for each other in this harsh environment. I am nervous, excited and also have the utmost respect for the environment that I am about to enter into. I have no doubt that it will be the most challenging thing that I have done in my life so far, and there is one thing that I can guarantee above everything else, that is, whenever I have worked with Matt we have always encountered something significant, I know that what I will encounter over the next 5 weeks will have something of the same nature. As I end this now, I cannot emphasize how lucky I am to be on this expedition and look forward to sharing my thoughts with you in the future.

Butter and our diet

Given how much butter we will be eating daily, I found this picture amusing. And we will write more on our diet when at Resolute.

But today will be spent at Ottawa picking up and sorting some kit we need. Although we are currently staying in The Lord Elgin Hotel, in Ottawa we both know over the next few days the slow decline in luxury will begin and begin quickly. However we are both looking forward to getting to Resolute.

Some thoughts before we go

As the day of our departure looms ever closer, and the chaos of the last few weeks at work seems to recede from my memory, I stumbled across this passage from the author Geneen Marie Haugen, which I found both well written and amusing.

"Want to do good in the world? Do good today, rather than putting it off till you "have more time". Want to create something beautiful? Create it now.Want to mend bridges with an old foe? Mend them this instant, while both of you are able to totter over them together. Want to tell someone you love them? Seize the moment. It may not come again.

Some day, if you are lucky, you'll return from a thunderous journey trailing snake scales, wing fragments and the musk of Earth and moon.  Eyes will examine you for signs of damage, or change and you, too, will wonder if your skin shows traces of fur, or leaves, if thrushes have built a nest of your hair, if Andromeda burns from your eyes.

Do not be surprised by prickly questions from thosewho barely inhabit their own fleeting lives, who barely taste their own possibility, who barely dream.  If your hands are empty, treasureless, if your toes have not grown claws, if your obedient voice has not become a wild cry, a howl, you will reassure them.

We warned you, they might declare, there is nothing else, no point, no meaning, no mystery at all, just this frantic waiting to die.  And yet, they tremble, mute, afraid you've returned withoutsweet elixir for unspeakable thirst, without a fluent dance or holy language to teach them, without a compass bearing to a forgotten border where no one crosses without weeping for the terrible beauty of galaxies and granite andbone.

They tremble, hoping your lips hold a secret, that the song your body now sings will redeem them, yet they fear your secret is dangerous, shattering, and once it flies from your astonished mouth, they—like you—must disintegrate before unfolding tremulous wings."

Geneen Marie Haugen's: The Return

Sage words indeed; although this picture seems to sum up another way of looking at things.  What will be of more interest is how this trip pans out.  But more to follow on that later in the week, as the plan is to now update the blog daily and also to use Twitter as much as possible on the ice.  

Blogger update test using Iridium Axcesspoint

A blog update test using the Iridium Axcesspoint system.
And a test picture of our comms set-up this year, Iridium phone and Axcesspoint and the outstanding Yellowbrick.