Polar Racers 2011

All the 2011 Polar Racers are now back home!

Rob, Lucy, Lee and the checkpoint crew, who narrowly missed the plane back with the rest of us had to spend a further night on the ice. They all piled into one tent (five in a four man tent must have been very cozy), and drank champagne! The plane picked them up the next evening and they all got back to the UK by Thursday 5th May.

When we arrived in the Arctic, we were warned about Arctic Shock, which can occur when arriving in such a cold, white environment. I think because our journey to Resolute was a prolonged journey with plane troubles, we were pretty well adjusted by the time we arrived! I think they should have warned us about ‘Home Shock’! Having not been to bed for at least 3 nights out of the previous 5 before returning to the UK, I arrived home well but shattered. I have found sleeping in a big spacious bed difficult, so my nights are still very broken. I don’t think it helps that I am in white bedding, so most nights I dream that I am still skiing!

The Tent

In the High Arctic we slept in Rab Down filled ‘Mummy’ sleeping bags, which with the fleece liner were generally very warm, but there was not much room to move, particularlywith all your bed partners!

After we put the tent up, we would get changed from our ‘day gear’ – changing our stretch bottoms for fleece lined tent trousers, our racing hat for our tent hats, our boots for down filled tent booties, and hang all our wet / damp kit up to dry in the top of the tent. When the stoves were not being used for cooking, they would be pumped up and the temperatures in the top of the tent would easily reach mid – high 20 degrees (Roasty Toasty). As soon as the stoves were switched off, the temperatures plummeted, and would often drop to minus 26 / 28 degrees, so anything left out froze! To ensure I had dry kit for the next day, most of it would came into bed with me! My boot liners (seen hanging above my head) would go at the bottom of my sleeping bag between the bag and the liner. My gloves, hat, face mask, and socks would come into my sleeping bag. My wash bag came into the sleeping bag (otherwise any moisturisers, sun cream or toothpaste would freeze!) All my electricals which hung round my neck during the day on various lanyards, were put into a small bag and bought into the sleeping bag. The electricals were: The iridium phone (think old fashioned chunky first generation mobile phone!), My video camera, my ipods and all spare batteries for phone, and cameras,  and my GPS; in my top pocket was my small digital camera and the plastic bullets (for scaring bears – which wouldn’t work if they got cold!) And left round my neck was a lighter, which we all carried and was used for lighting the stoves! This didn’t leave a whole lot of room for me! We slept on two layers – a foam mat (about 5mm thick) and a thermalite ‘mattress’ (about 20mm thick). I generally sleep on my side, with only 25mm between me and the hard ice, I woke up regularly with sore hips and would have to turn onto my other side, shuffling all ‘my stuff’ so that it was behind my knees! I generally slept in my thermal underwear, my fleece tent trousers, dry socks and booties, my stretch top and my fleece. I kept my gloves and a supply of toilet paper in my fleece pocket – needed for nightly toilet dashes out of the tent! On really cold nights, baffling down in this gear, with your fleece liner pulled tight over your shoulders, your hat pulled down over your nose, and you neck gaiter pulled up to your mouth wasn’t enough. On these nights I pulled my Down Jacket (my Downey was probably my best friend!) into the sleeping bag and wrapped it round me.  Early in the race (before spring arrived) when you woke up in the night or early morning (we were generally up by 6.00am) the zip on your sleeping bag would be frozen, and the only way out was breathing on it, and there would be ice on your sleeping bag, which showered you as you sat up. This is cold!

I will update you with more information on daily life in the Arctic over the next few weeks … Many people have asked what next?! I have no major challenge planned (yet!) but I do have a few small events! The first is this weekend. I am doing my second MoonWalk – 27 miles through the streets of London on Saturday night in my bra, kindly decorated by Katie (again!). If you you would like to sponsor me for this event, please visit my fundraising page HERE! As ever, thanks for your continued support – it is much appreciated!

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