Skiing across Scandinavia, diary extract from a 122 day expedition

Sweden and Finland Monday, March 17th, 2008. Latitude: 65.74811.

I have crossed the border into Sweden. After setting out from Hattfjelldal, I was able to follow some snow scooter tracks. Finding a snow scooter track is very good. If you are trail-breaking through deep powder and you move onto a snow scooter track, it can double your speed and reduce the effort expenditure.

It was still exhausting skiing and through thickly falling snow which reduced visibility, as the day went on this improved. At midday, quite unexpectedly I came upon a church service being held up in the mountains, the padre had built an altar from blocks of snow and the congregation must have travelled to this place on snow scooters as there were over thirty parked around. I am not religious at all, and although there are many things that I dislike about religion and its institutions, I never fail to be moved by being in a place of worship (I would feel the same if I were to visit Lenins mausoleum) I think that for me it has to do with the fact that such ceremonies and beliefs bring hope to the lives of so many, or maybe some vestige of my faith still lingers - who knows. I sat on my pack away to one side, and listened to the singing and the liturgy, the voices were clear on the mountain air and although I couldnt understand the words, I enjoyed hearing them as I ate my lunch, it was a special moment. That night I found an open hut. It was owned by Sami reindeer herders, who used it seasonally and left it open for hikers and skiers during the rest of the year.

The Sami or Laplanders formed nomadic tribal groups, whose culture, and livelihood revolved around their herds of migratory reindeer. Today many of them have settled, and become culturally assimilated throughout northern Norway Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. However a percentage still maintain their ancestors lifestyle, albeit using snowmobiles for transport rather than reindeer. When its really cold going for a crap is a traumatic experience, exposed flesh can freeze in minutes, and sometimes its preferable to crap into a plastic bag in your tent, rather than go outside and brave the elements. I slept well that night, with nothing to do after having fed myself, I was in my sleeping bag before nightfall and must have gotten at least 10 hours in it.

I had set my alarm for 05:00 but when it went I said sod it and hit snooze for another hour. In and around Hattfjelldal snowscooter ownership and use is permitted, unlike other areas of Norway where only park rangers and owners of isolated cabins and land are permitted to operate them. Across the border in Sweden it is a different matter; seemingly everyone has a snowmobile and their tracks criss-cross the mountains. Today brought glorious weather for the crossing into Sweden. I'm not sure exactly when the border was crossed, but at one point I went to check the map, and realised that I must be here. In honour of the event I sat on my pack to enjoy a fag and a bit of hot thermos tea with the view. The day is over now, and I am exhausted. Exhausted is a word whose meaning can be stretched; I've been shopping all day and Im exhausted, as opposed to the kind of exhaustion which precedes death. Now I am feeling something in between, my face feels hot from the wind burn and sun, all my limbs ache. When enjoyed from comfortable settings it can be quite a pleasant sensation.

A great Swedish guy I met out on the ski track has invited me to stay in his house tonight, an ex-military man himself, having seen U.N. service in the heavily mined Gaza Strip, he is full of admiration for what I am doing,. He gave me a hot meal almost as soon as I had sat down - any worries I had about being as warmly received in Sweden as I have been in Norway have evaporated. What luck I have had on this journey, and what amazing people I have met. Mar 17, 9:11 PM How do Royal Just got back from Norway Myself and seen a little ditty on you doing this in the back of the Globe Buster (Magazine for Royal Marines - Harry) and thought I would have a look. Its Hoofing what your doing mate and really interesting and humorous reading, I bet your getting to see some amazing sights.

Any way I will let you crack on Royal Keep Safe and if you cant keep safe, Keep warm. Gaz. Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 when I set off this morning it was -20, at this temperature the hairs in your nose freeze together and cause constant itchiness, when I was in Norway with the Marines two years ago I plucked all my nose hairs to prevent this annoyance, it got rid of the problem but Im not sure I would wish to do it again. At -20, if you dribble a bit of spit out of the corner of your mouth, then it freezes before it hits the ground. I have yet to be in weather so cold that your urine freezes before it hits the ground, sometimes I write my name in the snow. The weather improved and the sun came out by midday, warming the valley. When setting off in the mornings, it is necessary to start cold, that is; wearing just one or two layers, you are cold to begin with, but once the movement starts warming you up, you do not have to stop to take off layers. I typically wear a thermal top under a Gore-Tex jacket. Fingers and ears are painfully cold to begin with, but before long the blood starts pumping and the extremities are warmed up. Sometimes when the sun comes out it is necessary take off the jacket, gloves, and even the hat. If the sun is out then you have to wear sunglasses or goggles, as the glare from the sunlight reflecting off the snow can cause snow blindness. I reached Tarnaby in good time and located the Tarnaby Fjallhotel, where I had posted the next section of mapping. The girls at the hotel were curious to see who had finally come to collect the maps that they have been holding onto for these past months, and they are kindly letting me stay here for the night, free of charge. The view from here out across the frozen lake to the mountains is spectacular, and it is very pleasant to sit and, enjoy the scenery without having to ski over it. According to locals, I can expect to find snowscooter tracks along the entire length of the Kongsladen.

The Kongsladen is an ancient trail running from Tarnaby, right up to Abisko in the north of the country. Over 440 kilometres long, it is a high altitude route, which should allow rapid progress, and regain some of the time lost at the beginning of the journey. If my sources are correct, then for the next 440 km all I have to do is follow the tracks, a much more welcome prospect than the uncertainties of navigation, and the exertion of trail breaking. Tomorrow I head for Amarnas (say it ten times fast), fingers crossed there will be more snow scooter tracks to follow. Mar 18, 8:51 PM Good to hear you are being looked after again. The Swedes are coming up trumps. Will get on with your instructions ref maps tomorrow all the other projects. Have a good ski tomorrow hope the track is worn thru love Dad This was a reference to the maps for the latter sections of the journey, not knowing whether I would make it this far, my father had not yet posted them on to the destination at which I would be able to collect them. Mar 18, 9:26 PM Were so glad the Swedes are as hospitable as the Norwegians and the kindness youve received from everyone must make you feel its worthwhile carrying on, despite the hardships. The freezing cold must be very painful, but its good to hear that your circulation is good and you warm up quickly. The church service you witnessed must be a rare experience not often seen. A friend told me today that she tried to donate to your fund and could not - is there a problem with other people trying to do the same? Thursday, March 20th, 2008 Harry set off early in the morning. We spoke as he had broken out above the tree line. The weather was fine he hoped for it to continue as the snow was good he could hear the sound of snowmobiles some way away, which he surmised he would have left reasonable tracks to follow.

He is now following the Kongsladen route from Tarnaby to Amarnas, which he expects will take him three days. He will be up in the wilderness doubts there will be a chance for him to communicate as the satellite coverage is sometimes dodgy in the mountains. He should get a signal in Amarnas will communicate with us then. My father makes several contributions to the diary from here onwards; this was necessitated by the fact that as I crossed the far northern latitudes it became harder to acquire a satellite signal, due to the approach of the satellite horizon. Mar 20, 11:05 PM Well Harry hope you get this when you surface from your black (white) hole in the mountains. Just wanted to let you know that our coffee morning carried on making money for MAG and is now up to the grand sum of 360! Your story is incredible and we enjoy all the comments from the folk that are following you. Their musings are every bit as interesting as yours! (No disrespect!) This has been written by someone who hates the cold and has never even tried skiing!

So can give you no practical advice whatsoever, just sit here, reading, in awe. So keep on going with the love of everyone who has read your diary. All the best... Mar 21, 3:24 AM Harry, I have been following your daily blogs and keeping my fingers crossed for you to make the goal with no injuries. Both Dawn and I are tremendously proud of you, and I have 2 of my former U.S. Army Special Forces mates following your moves on a weekly basis. Your courage and your stamina can never be questioned, Ill attest to that as every person who follows your adventures must agree. Please know that I view you as a true man among a select group of World Class men that have had the opportunity to test themselves against the solitude, the mental and physical anguish that you have and will continue to endure on your quest. I salute you, Sir. All our best wishes and love, John Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 There is a James Bond movie with roger Moore (that name always makes me laugh, go on, say it with a straight face - I dare you) I forget what it was called.

Anyway, it begins with Bond having just shagged some gorgeous blond in a cabin high in the mountains, and leaving her wide eyed with the words Im sorry my dear but England needs me then he skis off with baddies on snow scooters chasing him, skis over a cliff, deploys a union jack parachute, lands safely, gets chased by more baddies in snowmobiles and helicopters, defeats them with a combination of witty one liners and good facial bone structure, then escapes in a speedboat disguised as a mini iceberg and sails into the arctic sunset with yet another gorgeous blond. Thats more or less how the last few days have been for me. I would like for that to be true... but Im afraid its not. James Bond would not lose control on a slope, and somersault downhill in a tangle of skis and sticks, breaking his nose, and spraining his wrist in the process, and if he unexpectedly went over a drop off, he would have something better to say than ohh shiiit! The last three days have been amongst the most amazing of the trip so far, the sun has been out every day, and the mountain scenery has been spectacular. Much of the time has been spent above the tree line, skiing across postcard scenery along the snow scooter tracks which abound in the Swedish mountains, but that is not to say that the weather has been ideal throughout. Every morning is bitterly cold, most days have begun with light snow, and if it is windy I have had to wear my face mask to prevent frostbite. The first day I headed north, at around 14:00 I had a major wipe out on a downhill section, I came to rest shaken but not stirred almost at the doorstep of a mountain cabin, and decided to call it a day. The hut keeper gave me a beer which went some way to making up for the broken nose. The next day ended at 16:00 arriving at another cabin, and on the third I only had to do 22 km to come down in to Amarnas, where I planned to spend a rest day.

It being the Easter weekend and all the hotels fully booked, I am sleeping on the floor of a hotel gym. As I was skiing down into Amarnas some Swedes who had witnessed my latest ski crash, invited me to dinner with them. It was an excellent meal after which two guitars were brought out, and they all sang songs. Some of them sang very well and the guitar playing was first class, it made me wish that I was musical in some way, it must be a great thing to be able to make music which can uplift, or conjure emotions from other people. This trip was supposed to be about suffering and hardship in the face of adversity - one man, fighting against the elements, in a lone quest against the odds e.t.c. Instead it has been a case of - one man, graciously accepting hospitality, on a quest to reach the cape, in the face of overwhelming kindness. I expected this journey to be a lot tougher, instead it seems that providence, or whatever star guides my fate, keeps contriving for me to run into some of the most generous people I have had the good fortune to meet, to all of whom I am very grateful. I can only hope that my luck holds. Hi Ya I just read you made a trip through Trnaby. Shame we missed you. Safe Travels. And thanks for the interesting reading. Matt P.S. You were very lucky with the mild weather of -20 in Trnaby. Its Usually -30/35! Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 When I got up this morning, or more precisely, when I didnt get up this morning. I decided that since this was probably the last comfortable place I would get the chance to have a day off, on this journey, that I may as well have two days here, rather than one. So I languished in bed as long as I could, and had a leisurely breakfast. Later on I learned that the outside temperature had been -35. While still back in UK, I had decided that if the temp was less than -30 I wouldn't move, below this temp military training is discontinued, as beyond this point the risk of cold weather injury increases disproportionately.

So it was just as well that I was overcome by laziness when I was, otherwise I would have ventured out into the mountains where the altitude and wind would have brought the temperature still lower. Tomorrow the weather forecast predicts that it will be -24, and up in the mountains it will undoubtedly be cooler still. There will be no shelter for the next section of the journey; there was an emergency cabin along the route I am planning to take but it was burned down last year. Below -30 strange things start to happen; zips fall apart because the teeth have shrunk in the cold, metals can shatter as they become brittle, and moisture on the breath instantly condenses to freeze on the nearest surface, causing the area around the mouth to become covered in hoarfrost. Since I am not very keen on finding out if I can survive a night in the open in temperatures below -30C, what I am going to try tomorrow, is to start at first light and try to cover the 60 km to the next possible place of shelter before nightfall. Mar 23, 7:53 PM Harry nice call sleeping in your trip is beginning to sound a touch hairy again - fantastic read good luck on your 60km dash mit broken nose Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 Latest message from Harry. He set out to do the 55 kilometres to Adolfstrom from Amarnas on the 24th March, starting early in cold temperatures of about -24C, initially hoping to do it in one shift. However, feeling exhaustion set in he sought emergency shelter for the night, before setting out again early on 25th March.

The temperature dropped down to below -30C during the night, but by the time he set out at 7am, it was around -24C. Had a good ski into Adolfstrom arriving about midday where he has found satisfactory shelter. The target for the 26th March is Jackvik about 27 kms away. The excellent weather seems to be holding firm for the time being. The shelter I found on the 24th was a private cabin. Coming down from a mountain just at the point when I was starting to get tired, I saw a couple of huts out in the snow by themselves. Skiing up to them to check if they were open I quickly realised that they belonged to someone, and were locked up, a quick search revealed the key. Now I was faced with a choice, technically I would be breaking in, but the alternative was to sleep outside in -40C, and I didnt much fancy it. So after spending the night there, I left a note on the table explaining what I had done and apologising, along with some money to cover the cost of the wood I had burnt to keep warm. Mar 26, 6:39 PM Hi Harry, It was nice meeting you in Amarns and good luck on the last part of your trip. Be careful with your nose! I am taking off for Inner Mongolia on Sunday. Best wishes, Gunnar from Arvidsjaur This was from the father of the family who invited me to dinner in Amarnas, a very kind soul. He also called ahead to a friend of his who ran the tourist station at Abisko - Harry Thursday, March 27th, 2008.

Latitude: 66.49070 Occasionally someone will ask me about what it was like in Afghanistan. Like many others, when faced with this situation, I usually reply that I didn't do anything worth talking about, or that I cant be bothered to talk about it, or change the subject. The truth is that I would like to talk about it, but through experience have learnt that this is a pointless exercise. In the past when I have tried to relate my experiences, I usually come to a point in the conversation where I look up at that person and think to myself, you haven't the faintest clue what I'm talking about. No one who hadn't been through that experience could have the least understanding of what it was to be there.

So it is with this; I'm writing it, and you are reading it. But unless you have done something very similar, you will never be able to understand what I am going through, or what it feels like to be alone in this great white wilderness. Some days are bad in ways which I cannot relate. Being lost and alone and far from help. Each day brings pain and exhaustion, I could end it now but it would mean a failure which would live with me forever - to continue means at least another month of this.

The Rockall Solo Expedition

The Rockall Solo Expedition Rockall Solo is a unique endurance expedition to be undertaken by Nick Hancock in order to raise funds for Help for Heroes.

Since the first recorded landing in 1811, only four people have spent more than one night on Rockall. Rockall is a very small rocky island lying approximately 300 km (186 miles) west of St Kilda, which itself is 41 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. The outcrop measures just 25 metres (82ft) on its north-south axis by 22 metres (72ft) on its east-west axis. The summit is now just 18 metres (59ft) above sea level, having been officially 19.2 metres (63ft) ASL prior to the top being removed by the Royal Engineers for a navigation light in 1971. The only flattish area of Rockall, named in 1955 as Halls Ledge after the first recorded person to land there, is just 3.5 metres by 1.3 metres (11 foot by 4 foot). There are no plants on Rockall, and the only animals are resting birds. Greenpeace placed a solar powered beacon over the frame of the original navigation aid in 1997, and returned to upgrade the light in 1998. This was the only permanent mark of human occupation on Rockall until it too succumbed to the ravages of an Atlantic storm two years later.

The earliest recorded landing on Rockall was in 1811, by a Royal Navy officer called Basil Hall from the HMS Endymion. Hall observed that, the smallest point of a pencil could scarcely give it a place on any map which should not exaggerate its proportions. On 18th September 1955 at 1016 GMT Britain claimed Rockall, and in 1972 The Isle of Rockall Act was passed, which made the rock officially part of the District of Harris, Scotland. This represented the last territorial expansion of the British Empire. Rockall is today probably most famous for being an area of the BBCs Shipping Forecast. In 1985, a former SAS soldier, Tom McLean, lived on Rockall in a wooden shelter bolted to Halls Ledge, setting the record for the longest solo occupation of the islet at 40 days. Then, in 1997, several members of Greenpeace were landed by helicopter. They stayed in a kevlar re-enforced capsule for 42 days, setting a new longest occupation record, albeit by a group.

They were regularly resupplied and the team swapped over from a nearby vessel. Nicks original aim was to land at the end of May this year and attempt to live on Rockall in his bespoke shelter, for 60 days, thereby setting two new endurance records: the longest solo occupation of Rockall and the longest occupation of Rockall in history. Due to the harsh weather conditions and the ocean environment (waves regularly top Rockall even in the summer month) a bespoke rigid shelter is required. Having considered various options, Nick settled on converting a water bowser, made by Trailer Engineering, and now christened The RockPod. The bowser provided the required shape, size and rigidity for the shelter, whilst having the additional benefit of being designed to keep water in (so logic says it should keep water out!). Having been donated several yacht hatches by Lewmar, these were fitted with some issues due to their low tolerance to curves.

The pod is manufactured from 10mm thermal plastic, and some remoulding was required. The RockPod was subsequently insulated with expanding, fire retardant foam, and a floor fitted. The shelter will be tethered to Rockall using in-situ stainless steel ring bolts placed by Greenpeace, ratchet straps provided by Safety Lifting Gear, and 1 tonne lifting points bolted to the pod, which were donated by William Hackett. With the shelter designed and built, the next major issues were that of food and water. There are no fresh water sources on Rockall, and Nick considered taking desalination equipment (theres lots of sea water out there!). However, due to limited power options and the potential for breakdown, he has decided to take the majority of his freshwater requirement with him, with the remainder being supplied by rainwater collection. Again, various options were considered for food. Dehydrated rations would be light, a benefit for hauling up the rock, but would require extra fresh water to rehydrate. In addition, they rehydrate better when heated. Wet rations have the advantage of, well, being wet and can be eaten hot or cold, cutting fuel requirements.

Fresh food, apart from an initial small supply, has been disregarded due to bulk and the lack of refrigeration facilities, even though its likely to be pretty cold for most of Nicks time on the rock. Power, which will be used to charge a satellite phone, VHF radio, and a laptop, will be provided by a combination of solar panels and a micro-wind generator, provided by Ampair, with storage provided by a portable battery pack. Nick is also considering taking a small recreational petrol generator for emergency use. The electronic equipment will not only allow Nick to blog and Tweet, thereby bringing his expedition to the wider world, but will also enable to him to stay sane with electronic books and music (theres not much else to do on Rockall!). In order to keep himself busy during the 60 days alone, Nick has also devised a number of scientific projects to undertake whilst on Rockall. These include obtaining rock samples from both Rockall and the nearby Hasselwood Rock for study by the British Geological Survey; establishing the true orientation of Rockall, which to date has only been estimated; conducting a GNSS survey of the rock; and collecting any insect and algal samples he is able to identify for future study by the Natural History Museum. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding (the boat charter alone is 13,500) the main expedition has been postponed for a year until 2013.

However, Nick is still heading out to Rockall at the end of this month on a reconnaissance trip, The Rockall Jubilee Expedition, and will attempt to land and hopefully, weather dependant, spend a night on the rock in order to test his clothing and some of his kit. Nick also hopes to raise a flag in honour of HM The Queen during the Silver Jubilee weekend, and will be accompanied by BBC Radio Scotland, who will be broadcasting a programme about the expedition on Monday 4th June.

You can find out more about the Jubilee expedition, follow Nick on this expedition and the future 60 day attempt, and sponsor him in support of Help for Heroes at www.rockallsolo.com ."

Tunisia - Cave Rescue Training 2012 Report

Successfully finished the mission of the 6 - Bulgarian cavers team in Tunisia. Group which was composed of representatives of Sofia caving clubs Academic, Vertilend, Keving, Helicitit and Black Peak: Alexei Zhalov - Head; Gyorev Vanyo, Kamen Bonev, Constantin Stoilov, Nikolai Kamenov and Svetlomir Stanchev from the SC Prista - Ruse carried out the 6-day course for initial training for cave rescue techniques. From the Tunisian side event was organized by the Association Sport for All and the Speleological Association of Zaghouan.

Its realisation was supported by speleo equipment and financially by the Fund Euro Speleo Projects of the European Federation of Speleology a result of prepared and submitted by the SCVertilend- Sofia project. In the training took part 3 cavers from Algeria, 2 Iranians, 4 cavers from Morocco and 12 from the host country or a total of 21 persons. The practical exercises was held in a labyrinth of abandoned mine ores at the foot of the Zaghouan Mt. (1295 m above the sea) rising above the town. The natural range enable the participants to learn and practice techniques for dealing with stretcher transportation in a cave, rigging , the hauling up of the stretcher in vertical sections of pulley and counterweight system, building and running a trolley, haul down the stretcher etc.

Someone managed to master most of the above methods and others of them, but in the end everyone left the course with more knowledge and skills certified for participation in courses, but not that he is a qualified Cave rescuer . The course enabled the Bulgarian cave rescuers to share their experiences in cave rescue. During his stay in Tunisia the Bulgarian cavers penetrated in 4 caves in Jebel Serge Massif (1375 m above the sea) located about 150 km southwest of Tunis.

Larger than they are Rhar Jebel Serge or mainsail de la pass which is the deepest cave in Tunisia (displacement of 305,8 m (+139.3; -166.5) and a length of 2.5 km) and fantastic water cave Rhar d'Ain et Dab which is 2.7 km long. During the stay was collected zoological material from outside, and in particular cave invertebrate fauna. Undoubtedly made one of the secondary, but important destinations of the Bulgarian mission - to lay the foundations for fruitful cooperation with cavers from North Africa and Southwest Asia. We believe that our mission in Tunisia was very useful and successful and we hope it can be appreciated at home and abroad.

The group due to their and our foreign colleagues sincere and heartfelt thanks to Nicola Landzhev and his company Landjoff for his exceptional assistance to having made especially for this training cave rescue stretcher - something without which the training would be impossible.

Exploring the Yukon: 24th May to 3rd Aug 2011

Tom, Teo and I set ourselves the goal of paddling 3000 km down the Yukon River last summer. This unguided and unsupported adventure across North America took us 6 weeks and through some of the world's most beautiful and scarcely populated wilderness areas.

Our total lack of kayak/canoe experience made it that much more exciting (daft). Highly recommended!

Visit the website: http://www.exploringtheyukon.com/ 

Overland UK to Morocco with my son

What an incredible journey and experience. For 3 weeks my son Markus and I lived in our modified Land Rover which consisted of Tent, Cooker, Fridge, Shower and other expedition equipment to explore Morocco and the Sahara and to deliver donated supplies to the under privileged children in the remote areas.

We also managed to raise 1600 GBPfor a local charity called The Zipper Club who support The Papworth Hospital. Papworth specialize in cardiac surgery and saved my father several years ago. Below is a description of the trip, which I was asked to send to the local paper who did an article on our journey. There is also details of our trip on the Norfolk Zipper club web page- http://norfolkzipperclub.weebly.com/2011-morocco-adventure.html After driving from UK and through Spain we met the rest of the team in Malagaand headed to the ferry and onwards to Morocco. Things started to get interesting at the Moroccan border as my son was asked if he was carrying any guns or weapons.

He gave a cheeky smile and said No. The Moroccan border guard then ruffled his hair and then we were on our way into Morocco! Our first camp in Morocco was near the ancient ruins of Volubilis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volubilis We explored the ruins of Volubilis the next day and my son, Markus, was amazed how they lived back then! We then headed deep into the Cedar forest and climbed up to 7,000 ft in the Atlas Mountains through dense forest, crossing rivers, splashing through muddy puddles and sliding on muddy tracks to reach our next camp. As soon as we made camp high up in the cold Atlas Mountains the heavens opened and we were soaked through to the skin by a tropical storm!

Not the Morocco we had imagined..! As we descended off the mountains we stopped at a very remote school to hand out some of the donated supplies. Several pens, pencils, rulers, note pads and paper were delivered which was gratefully received by the Children. All that was near the school was goats, a water well and several chickens! We then made our way to the Imperial city of Meknes to stock up on supplies as we were now heading for the Sahara. Markus had great delight in discovering that they could make pancakes in Meknes but soon lost his appetite when he spotted a skinned goat with its head still on hanging outside the caf. Our route took us to the Berber town of Tinerhir and over the Jebel Ougnat Mountains and we stopped at an area where they are digging for fossils.

This area is littered with Fossils and the Moroccans make beautiful ornaments with them and sell in the Souks but not everyone realizes they are dug out by a few guys with nothing more than a pick axe in the middle of the Desert. The tracks were punishing and we soon got into the routine of checking over the vehicles everyday to see what had broken or fell off. Markus and I became slick operators at making camp and preparing the food. Markus even washed the dishes a few times although was not a fan of that chore We then entered the gigantic dunes of Erg Chebbi. Erg Chebbi is an incredible place and some local Moroccans have built an Auberge. This is a place with basic amenities but we were shocked and delighted to see a swimming pool in the middle of the Sahara after several hot, dusty and sandy days - http://www.aubergedusud.com/

The Berbers then presented Markus with a birthday cake! What a surreal experience to see my son enjoy his birthday cake followed by a dip in the pool in the middle of the Sahara. Tummys full, well rested and clean we then set off even deeper into the Sahara and after a day of fighting sand dunes in the Land Rover with our tyres deflated slightly to aid traction we arrived at a Berber camp. These are nomadic people and there lifestyle is as basic as you can get. Everything they own they can pack on the back of a camel and move house. We delivered some clothes to the Berbers, and they were very kind and showed Markus around their home. To say Markus was gob smacked would be an understatement! We the fought on for several more days and our next target was the 20th Century city of Zagora. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zagora,_Morocco

Zagora has gained its reputation of being a good stopping point of any expedition as it has several garages who can jump into action at the drop of a hat (and right price, normally called the diplomatic price ). We spent a night here for stocking up on supplies again and took the opportunity to get our vehicles checked over. We had 10 vehicles and 6 of them needed serious attention! One even had a broken chassis.! Disaster we thought! How on earth can we carry on and complete our planned route in time and deliver the rest of the supplies. The 6 vehicles were left at the garage at 4pm and by 11am THE NEXT DAY they were all ready! The garage mechanics worked through the night and waved us good bye the next day. You don't get that service in the UK.!!! We were glad we had all our vehicles checked as we were now entering the Western Sahara and going further and further from any form of civilisation. This was also a dangerous area as this is known as a disputed area so it is known for bandits to regularly cross back and forth from Algeria.

The Moroccan army try to police this area but due to an invasion in 1995 some of the area is littered with land mines. We always had a briefing by our support crew leader John in the mornings but this one was different. We had strict instructions to stick to the track and stay behind him as he had information of a track which had been swept by the Army and was clear of mines and to put a wheel outside this track may ruin our day. We decided to stay at the back of the convoy for obvious reasons. We battled on through this section which was very rocky with the odd sand dune to surprise us. We then started meeting children towards the end of the route. We had no idea where they had come from as there were no buildings in sight or any signs of civilization.

We stopped often to greet them and handed out the remaining donated gifts and supplies and wondered how they knew where the mines were!? Since Markus had been so good at helping with everything, I asked him if he wanted to drive. He sat on my knee and drove through the mine field area for 30 minutes. I dont think there are many 10 year old boys who can say they have driven through a minefield in the Sahara..! Thankfully we got through without loosing anyone and we headed for Taroudanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taroudant If we thought we would be arriving in a city full of glittering lights, cinemas and McDonalds then we would be wrong! Taroudant is a Berber market town and is full of character. Markus and I sat in the town and just watched everyday life go by.

We had a competition to see who could spot the craziest thing, I am not sure who won. We could not be further from what we consider our normal life back home! Markus and I walked around the Souks and investigated all the different arts, crafts and dried fruits. Even though Markus had been given a cake earlier in the trip, this was his actual birthday, and he put his hand in his pocket and bought me a drink to celebrate him turning 10 years old. Once at Taroudant our off road section of the trip was over and all our donated supplies had been handed out. It was tarmac all the way back to Spain, so nice easy drive, so we thought The road twisted and turned over spectacular cliff tops and sweeping bays. We stopped at the delightful fishing port of Essaouria which is fast becoming busy with surfers due to the Atlanic coastline.

The homeward journey took us via the coastal lagoons of Moulay Bousselham. However, our thoughts of a nice easy drive on tarmac was shattered when another tropical storm developed and washed the sides of mountains onto the roads. Roads were flooded and became slippery so we had to drive carefully through the floods, avoid the washed out roads and also keep an eye on the normal Moroccan motorist, who are not used to such slippery road surfaces. This can be confirmed by the amount of holes there were in the stone barriers on the side of the mountain passes. Tired and dirty we fell back into our hotel in Spain and enjoyed a full nights rest, hot shower and a few celebratory drinks. We had done it! Over the 3 weeks we had been to some incredible places, seen amazing things, met some fantastic people and had managed to deliver some donated supplies to make a small difference to a few children in Morocco.

The one single thing that stands out in my mind is just how friendly the Moroccan people are. Everywhere we went we were greeted with huge smiles, the shout of Salam and frantic waving as we drove past. We have raised over 1,600 GBP for the Norfolk Zipper Club which both Markus and I are very grateful. Just goes to show with a little effort you can make a difference and no matter where you come from, what your religion is or what you believe in, a smile is the same in any language!

Scott Laddiman Driver, Cook and Bottle washer

The never ending unpredictable "Arctic Ocean sea ice" 2011

Every year the mass of floating freezing unpredictable arctic sea ice never ceases to amaze me, this year being no exception. One week exactly to day, it was my 8th time standing at the top of the world where all the lines of longitude meet at 90 degrees north. I had a team of adventurers who had trained with me in Scotland and Finland since meeting last year in London, this was a last degree trip.

These trips leave from a temporary camp set up on the arctic ocean by the Russians. All the polar adventurers from around the globe meet up in longyearbyen Svalbard where we do last minute preparations before flying out on an Antonov and land on the ice runway prepared by the Russians at 89 degrees north. I have been involved in the Arctic for well over a decade and every year the ice is so unpredictable. I spent the last 2 years working with an international pioneering scientific expedition..measuring and gathering scientific data on the arctic ocean. The Ice conditions were particularly shocking, I had never seen so much open water which made our expedition very challenging and frustrating, but also very exciting .We did succeed in reaching the pole 60 days later which was very satisfying after many failed trips last year. This year I had prepared my clients for a hard time after experiencing the last 2 years ice conditions...however to mine and all the other guide s surprise, we had the best ice conditions for years and years, the temperature was steady and just below -30, the sea ice was very compact and not much pressure ridges to clamber over, and no massive open stretches of water which always challenges the teams.

By day 2 it was obvious we were to finish this trip (disappointingly) too soon, if the ice conditions were to remain the same. Although i kept telling them that it can and change at any time. We finally got hit with some challenging ice on the last day,which I was grateful for as id told the team to expect tough conditions althrough their training..I'm sure they must have thought I was feeding them a suspiciously elaborate tale . We had our last break stop with 1.8nm to the Geographical North Pole, and set of with excitement knowing that the next stop would be the GNP. Thoughts in my mind were going over and over would it be an easy finish..the ice had change this last day and we were in more unstable ice and it was a bit more challenging for the team...but i was happy that they weren't getting an easy run all the way to the pole!

We hadn't even done 0.5 of a mile and once again too my surprise and relief we actually came across a big and wide open lead 1.4nm from the Pole. I had a big smile on my face as I knew at last they would get some added adventure and we could use our rafting technique we had practised and talked about many times. We crossed very effortlessly and carried on without any more hazzards making it to the Top of the World at 19.45 local time Friday the 15th of April. ...only 4.5 days later after starting. Over the years I have encountered many different Polar trips from the First British unsupported team to walk unsupported from Canada to the Geographical North Pole in 2000 with fellow Royal Marine Alan Chambers...too .... pioneering scientific expeditions, ....and by no means last (in my eyes which i have most fond memories) are the last one and two degree trips!

Every year these are amazing trips and you simply cant get sick and tired of doing the same thing year in year out.. the arctic ocean sea ice conditions are so unpredictable that it is impossible to have the same conditions in any 2 separate hours.. as the conditions change all the time, so does the team dynamics with having to cope with different mental and physical challenges from different team members..it certainly does makes for a most rewarding, challenging once in a lifetime trip! Charlie 

Jason Bailey's First Ascent of Skilma Kangri, Zanskar

Why do grand ideas always start life over a pint in your local? Sitting in Bristol's fabulous Port of Call on a cold and damp February evening, we got talking: How about an unclimbed peak? It's within our scope and we could do it this year? Fast-forward to September and we're at the Virgin Atlantic check-in, arguing with the staff over our less than generous baggage allowance. We had seven months to prepare. To be successful you need to plan, prepare and practice. We achieved most of our plans but naturally there were some tasks we left to the last minute and suffered because of it. This is our story of a small team with big ideas, how we prepared, struggled and learnt from our experiences.

The team consisted of Al Boardman and Elliott Forge who had previous first-ascent experience on a trip to the Pamirs, whilst Jane Cooper and I have been leading climbing and walking trips around the world for the past 10 years including trips to Spain, Namibia, Nepal, Borneo and Patagonia. After much discussion we settled on a remote corner of the Indian Himalaya, Zanskar. Al knew the area having filmed 'Special Delivery' there in 2007, which was shown at the Kendal Film Festival. We were put in touch with local guides who helped us accurately budget for the 17-day expedition, which included horses, cook, assistants, travel and accommodation costs. We also had a contingency fund; ours was almost all spent before we even left Heathrow on a small-print/weight-allowance fiasco. We took a satellite phone as part of our emergency kit, which was so useful.

We also used radios between us, there is only so much you can discuss with a rope pull. Radios can fail but until they do they?re great.? They worked perfectly well even without a line of sight over a 2km. I run adventure races and mountain marathons and they simply do not compare to the gradual decline in fitness you experience at altitude. Simply reaching base camp after 12 days of travel and acclimatisation was exhausting and this was before we climbed anything. I don?t think you can ever be fit enough for an expedition. Our practice sessions involved climbing on long easy routes, like Commando Ridge at Bosigran, allowing ideas to be discussed and big boot climbing to be admired.

We also practiced rescue techniques, which were less than successful first time round. There are no decent commercially available maps of Zanskar so we had to use Google Earth. You can copy the images over to Google map and transfer these to contour maps. Having as much information to hand still led to the locals arguing about the location of base camp. The Expedition Our walk-in began from a small village a few hours drive from Padum, where we met our 10 horses, cook, assistant and a plethora of locals wanting to know why we were walking into their valley. After 2 days we reached base camp at the end of the Reru East valley, known locally as Katkar On our first day?s recce, up the SE hanging valley, we found our original planned base camp. This, we realised, would prove too difficult for our horses due to the steep rocky approach?

Apparently yaks would have coped. We climbed to 5,000m and discovered the surrounding peaks would require 1-2 camps beyond an ABC. Unfortunately we only had one spare tent and not enough time. Another ABC was ruled out on the Southern glacier as falling rock and collapsing ice marred the approach. Eventually we settled on another hanging valley, NE of our basecamp. We established an ABC at 5,200m with three unclimbed peaks at its head. The following day we broke trail through deep snow and covered barely 1km in 2.5hrs. Concerns were aired about timings and day 18 saw us at a low. I began to realise how difficult it was finding a new mountain let alone the route. After another day of photos and route planning we decided to tackle the middle of the three peaks. So, at 2.30am, with head torches shining, we set off retracing our previous tracks. ?It only took 1hr to cover the first kilometre but then 4hrs to cover the next 1.5km, through deep powder any skier would envy.? At the bottom of our intended route a fine avalanche drifted past behind us, obliterating our path. Had it been 10 minutes before we would have been in the Bergshrund. We had chosen to ascend via the right hand shoulder but found only brittle granite.

The shallow gulley, we?d hoped for, didn?t appear so we were faced with a 400m 70 degree North face (D+). We had to deal with a mixture of vertical ice, deep powder and compacted snow, sharing the lead and finally topping out after 4hrs on our toes; calves on fire and the tedium of counting paces to break the endurance finally over. We ascended the western ridge, compact snow and brittle granite, to gain the summit, 5979m at 1pm. A call to base camp to let them know we?d made it was followed by retracing our steps down the ridge to pick up some gear we had off-loaded and then down-climb the face. There was no other possible descent making this section the most nerving aspect, as we were all thoroughly exhausted. The walk out was slow and we finally arrived at ABC after 14 hours. After much discussion we decided to call this peak Skilma Kangri.

The locals translated this as the central snowy mountain. Al and Elliott descended to base camp and Jane came up to ABC. The following day Jane and I scrambled up the South facing snow slopes to summit another peak at 5800m (F), Mt Jules.? The views were stunning; all the more in the knowledge that no other team had climbed in this area before. What surprised me most was the mental and emotional exhaustion, it was so unexpected. We all struggled at different stages but as a team we were always supportive of one another. I came to realise that this trip wasn?t just about making a first ascent; it was about so much more.

Jason has climbed extensively over the last 10 years. He holds the MIA and, with Jane, runs www.peakaspect.co.uk, a Bristol based company specialising in bespoke climbing courses. With thanks to Rab, Marmot, Campbell Irvine, Richard Growling and Helen Anderson.