“Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised” – Apsley Cheery-Gerard, The worst Journey in the World.
One of my favourite quotes about the contrast about a landscape so beautiful, but at the same time deadly. It is really the only time that I have felt that the environment was really out to kill me. Which has it’s own strange appeal.
The long walk on the Ice Road heading out towards the frozen Arctic Ocean
I have twice entered, and won, one of the toughest Arctic races in the world – known as “The 6633”. This race covers 350 miles, man-hauling supplies through the beautiful mountains of Northern Canada, finishing by taking the course of 120 miles along the flat “ice road” to end the journey on the Arctic Ocean.
Amazing stuff, and despite experiencing temperatures down to minus 50 degrees C, and minus 80 with wind chill… I would dearly love to return to the Arctic for an even greater challenge one day… watch this space!
