Worth the weight?

I put out a tweet earlier today mentioning that on a long, unsupported polar expedition for which there is little precedent and lots of unknowns, certain items are 'mission-critical'. Items of equipment or systems which are more important than the urge to save weight and move fast. Items without which, it's all over - for either the expedition, or us.

There were some good suggestions, ranging from hot chocolate to pants to M&Ms. A few expeditions over the last few years have failed when otherwise in good shape due to not having backups for these special pieces of kit. So, here are the items I'll be rating above all others and also the desperate need to lighten my sledges:

The reassuring roar of a stoveCommunications - two independent systems to send word of injury or emergency. Two Iridium 9555 sat phones with 2x batteries (one always kept full), 2x GPS and a Yellowbrick tracker, as well as a McMurdo EPLB.

Floatation methods - in snow, not water. Walking in deep snow isn't an option, so we'll have a pair of skis with a repair kit for the bindings, plus a pair of snowshoes each.

Stoves - Without a stove, there is no heat and no water. We'll have three MSR stoves with 6 pumps (which can be unreliable in extreme low temps).

Extremities protection - frostbite will attack hands and feet first, plus mitts especially are at risk of loss in high winds. Multiple sets of gloves and mitts (from Montane) will be kept in drybags. They, plus socks (from Bridgedale) and liners, are the only items which would need to be immediately replaced in the case of falling in the water. Other clothing can be dried using body heat whilst hauling.

Lighting - on a winter/early spring expedition, you can't see without light! 2 lamps each plus more than enough AA battery power.

Theoretically, if all of these bases are covered and backups are kept in separate locations, an expedition can proceed, injuries notwithstanding, regardless of what happens as long as resilience and resourcefulness are maintained.

Our route this winter

The North 2012/North 2013 expedition is unusual in a lot of ways; not just because it's in winter, or much longer than a typical North Pole attempt, or unsupported, or from the final new starting point. It's a complex plan which is very different from a single long expedition - dropped off at the start and collected from the destination. There are different options for how we might proceed and each one would constitute a different success.

There is one ultimate goal - the North Pole. In a style which is fast becoming typical of my approach to polar 'problems', the plan to achieve this differs from others you may have seen over previous years. The past few years have seen precious few serious attempts on the Pole, partly due to withdrawl due to poor admin, bad weather and also a vast reduction in the amount of corporate funding available - perhaps a positive thing but a subject best kept for another time.

Getting to a launching point from which to go for the Pole has always been the tricky bit and the pickup equally so, but for different reasons. It costs a great deal and the tiny handful of pilots willing to make the flight ensure that prices are high and conditions strict regarding when they will fly. Most self-styled explorers have been proven to roll over and give up when it all seems a bit too complex, but there are other ways.

Etah, GreenlandThe expedition/s, for simplicity referred to hereafter as just North, combine the pressure to launch an expedition with limited funding and a desire to genuinely and without a list of caveats, raise the bar. Part of the planned route and timeline is as it is through necessity and part through choice.

The first section, the Nares Strait phase, is merely (despite it being an epic 90 day winter expedition in its own right) a preparatory exercise to make the second phase possible. We need to move fast to reach the Pole and perhaps return back to Qaanaaq before the ice breaks up from mid-April. In order for both of us to be strong and fit for the 480-mile push for the Pole and what may follow, first hauling 350kg+ in shuttles up the Nares Strait in the depths of winter would not help. For this reason, the expedition is split into two; this winter coming to prepare the route and depots and then the second winter to move fast up the straits and then launch for the Pole. 

The Nares Strait phase is not unsupported - it is, whilst obviously a truly brutal expedition, a precursor to North 2013. We will enlist the brilliant dog-driving skills of the local hunters for the first couple of days if the ice is good enough, then leave them to return to the warmth of home as we haul on. We will use the shelter of abandoned hunting huts for the first hundred miles if possible. One example is at Etah, once the northern-most populated settlement on Earth. A couple of wooden buildings are left and will be used for temporary relief from the conditions.

Once the 90 or more days of toil is complete this winter, using whatever means we can muster, we will be in a strong position to push for the Pole in 2013/14. Feeding off the laid depots of food and fuel, we will with luck arrive on the shores of the Arctic Ocean with enough time to reach the Pole before the sun rises and then make a decision about further travel, either back south to Qaanaaq or through to the Russian ice base at Barneo.

One minor irritation has been the lack of ice this summer high up the Nares Strait. A research ship has reached the Hall Basin (nearly at the top of the straits) in August and this meant that, should we have known, we could have laid the depots in relative comfort using a small boat this summer. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and the ice conditions were unexpected. The freeze-up is now accelerating at a pace after a record low ice coverage this summer.

Interview with expedition sponsors Montane

Alex has recently had his interview with sponsors Montane published. It can be read here!

NORTH 2012 Announced

On 12th July 2012 my new series of expeditions was announced. The ultimate goal will be the North Pole, unsupported, via a new route in the polar darkness of winter. Please visit north2012.com for more infomation.

When do you stop skiing?

This wasn't originally intended as a metaphorical article title that applies to daily life but if it works in that way, all the better!

This is a subject which is very rarely tackled, yet is fundamentally important to expeditions. The question is of when it's the right thing to do to ski, scramble and haul, or to stop.

On one hand there is always the pressure of racing against the clock. Even on expeditions without ambitions of speed-records, there are deadlines which are unavoidable. Miss them and you'll lose your ride home, run out of supplies...or run out of ice. This means that every moment when I'm sat on the front of my sledge eating the copious calories which keep me going for ten or twelve hours hauling a day, or fixing broken bindings, I could be making precious miles. There's also the macho desire to keep pushing on when the wind is strong, visibility low and sledge feeling even heavier than normal. You think, 'don't stop now. Only the weak stop now and you'll fail.'

On the other hand, the reality of polar expeditions is that the intelligent win and the naive and impulsive lose, or worse, don't come home. There comes a point when the energy expenditure and inaccurate navigation in whiteout conditions or crazy headwinds becomes counterproductive. Also, equal only to the frustration of having to stop and put the tent up when you'd rather be making progress, is the feeling of unadulterated relief when you dive through a tent entrance and escape the violent chaos that is the world outside in a polar storm.

There are a plethora of examples of expeditions which have failed to succeed due to spending too much time sitting in a tent. There are equal numbers which have been thwarted due to an unwillingness to play the long game. Some did not return home. There's no magic formula to making one of the hardest decisions a leader has to take responsibility for - when to move and when to stay put. It's a matter of judgement and often, gut instinct. 

When do you stop skiing?