Go on, see the piccies... You know you want to... ;-)
The Mission:
On the 20th of February 2000 two slightly overweight, under-healthy, middle-aged techies from Sheffield left the comfort of their centrally heated, airconditioned offices and high tech computers to fly from Heathrow to Stockholm. After a short stopover in the transfer lounge, they boarded a flight to Kiruna, the most northerly part of Sweden, more than 200km inside the the Arctic Circle, cool at a mere -18C, before setting off for 'base camp', which was somewhat colder than Kiruna!
The next day they were introduced to their new colleagues for the week; Nancy, an 56 year old nurse from New Zealand and Nic, a 29 year old student from Sweden - and a team of Alaskan Huskies. After receiving intensive training in the care and handling of the dogs, they set off in temperatures as low as -40C on a long five day expedition starting in the forests, moving upwards into the mountains and arctic tundra and then down over frozen lakes and valleys. Their only comfort was overnight accommodation in mountain huts and small cabins until the last night, which they spent in a hotel made of ice.
The Rationale:
There wasn't one...
It's just "one of those things a chap has to do"... :-)
The Danger:
The following was forwarded to Martyn from Rob before the expedition:
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Subject: Warning to travellers Date sent: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 20:33:56 +0000 The Swedish Department of Fish and Game, recently issued this bulletin: "In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert of bears while in the field. We advise outdoorsmen to wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear. It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear manure: Regards Rob |
Go on, see the piccies... You know you want to... ;-)
STOP PRESS
On Friday 4th February Martyn broke his left hand in a climbing accident whilst training for the lapland2000 expedition. After careful consideration and medical consultation, he has decided to continue with the expedition - and has devised a rather 'Heath Robinson' collection of tools and aids to enable him to control the dogs if the plaster cast has not been removed before departure.
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Rob, Nancy, Nick and Martyn would like to extend our thanks to the people of Kiruna who we met, shared a drink and generally had a superb time with. Now go and See the piccies |
Lots of pictures and a few sound-clips are represented here, Rob and Nancy took some great pics that I'll add soon (HONEST!) - Martyn