In March 2016, I will be joined by at least one colleague and we will walk the last two degrees (88th to 90th degrees) of the
North Pole. The journey is scheduled to take up to three weeks, although I'm hoping we will complete the trip in 14 days. All food and equipment
will be hauled by us, on a pulk.
The 'last two degrees' is a ski trek over a distance of around 120 miles
(about 193km). Hopefully without any negative ice drift! The sleds we will
be pulling are heavy and the conditions will range from difficult to 'why,
oh why?' and daily time on skis will be significant. Then, at the end of each
day, we will have the pleasure of indulging my own homemade cooking (not a
pretty sight). The end of the journey will be at the Geographic North
Pole which is a pretty desolate and very cold place to be (averages
temperature is about -29 Celsius). Oh, and then there are the polar bears
to contend with - one of the few animals that will actively hunt humans.
Given
the above, you could be forgiven for wondering why we want to go to the
pole. The answer is easy: to raise sponsorship to aid the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund in its mission to provide welfare and benevolence to past and present
members of the Royal Corps of Signals, their families and dependants.
As they so eloquently say, "We believe that those who have served should not be forgotten and that they deserve our support."
The target sum is £40,000, so anything you can spare to help us hit this target will be gratefully received.