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An update/brief
story on my recent efforts in the Had
an amazing, extremely demanding, but life-shaping experience; the fearsome cold
has to be felt to be believed, it is not possible to describe it. After only a
few seconds the cold bites through to the bone if you are not properly dressed;
there is no margin for error or not getting everything right first time in this
environment. It was -40C degrees when we started and it got to -44C a little
later. It is a constant battle to keep hands and everything else warm and to
ensure your face is protected, and even to see where you are going (the
compulsory goggles were almost permanently frozen over with little or no
visibility much of the time). It took the first 40 miles or so and somewhat
desperate efforts to learn how to cope with it all, during which there was the
distraction of the awesome and beautiful Northern Lights to watch in almost
disbelief at their amazing colours and movement (when goggles allowed!), before
I began to get on top of the problems, despite the rehearsals no amount of
preparation can get you ready for the brutal cold reality, although my systems
and organisation thankfully worked well enough for to me to just manage to get
through the initial baptism of cold. I had included my Tewkesbury AC vest in my
kit and I have a picture of me wearing it at the Arctic Circle signpost a
club first I would guess, although I hasten to add I was not in my shorts or
short sleeves at the time!! After
regrouping myself at the first checkpoint at 46 miles I then actually started to
enjoy it, despite the permanent on-going coping challenge. My best performance
was on the third day stage of 46 miles, which I started at 1am in the morning in
a snow storm in temperatures around -38 degrees. The hours until daylight were
very demanding with a steep climb for the first few miles with a couple of
inches of fresh snow on the road, especially since my headlight worked only
intermittently so that both me and my sled (which we had to tow behind us with
all our kit and food) went off the road into the deep side drifts on many
occasions. Then, and at least in daylight now, there was a 20 mile section of
totally exposed roads with biting, strong winds and poor visibility due to
drifting snow, which was extremely cold and another real test of will. Im
sure this sounds like great fun(?), but it was very rewarding to get through it
safely though and in the end it took about 20 hours to complete that leg, which
I actually finished strongly and got me to the finish of the 120 mile event,
confident of going a good way further. However,
I did not complete the 350 course, having to withdraw with mild hypothermia at
around 130 miles. I was going strong for a few miles after the 120 mile
checkpoint, but then realised I was just getting colder and colder and went past
the point where it was safe or possible to carry on. Rather disappointing to say
the least, but I had some satisfaction in knowing that I gave my all and in
completing the 120 mile course in under the 3 days allowed, and being one of
only 2 people of the 9 starters (6 of whom were in the 350) to get past this
point the other guy was the only 350 mile finisher. Only 4 of us got to the
120 miles checkpoint, the end of the shorter race version. I am also the only
person over 60 who has so far ever attempted either race distance (apparently I
was seen as an Elder by the small community at the 120 mile finish point,
and they could not understand how anyone, never mind an Elder, would want to
attempt to race in the area good point I suppose?). I was also one of the
few not to get any frostbite or frostnip which was rather a relief Edward
unfortunately suffered three quite bad frostbite injuries and had to withdraw at
around 60 miles on the awesome Wrights Pass, where winds were in the region of
60 miles an hour in temperatures around -40 degrees plus wind chill. It
certainly is an event offering a totally different challenge! Hope
you thought that was interesting. All
the best |