Norway, mountains, friends and stuff
Minus thirty. Eyelashes tipped with mini balls of ice. Fingers numb. The cold gnawing at my cheeks so they feel that skin has been stripped from them. I wish I could feel my legs and wonder if my toes are blue; and we’re planning to head for Antarctica? It seems a mad plan when even a Norwegian winter feels so harsh.
At minus thirty, the sit-ski has no glide over the snow, as if there’s a layer of superglue between it and the white stuff. Pulling on my ski poles with all my strength, I barely move, and suddenly the prospect of a mountain sk-tour seems like a sentence for torture.
My friend Kristina straps on a harness, normally for towing sleds, and hooks me in. She’s hardy, born on skis and used to the Norwegian winter. The ‘stick’ of the cold snow is broken, and we start moving. My arms work like pistons in rhythm with her legs, and the intermittent tug from the tow-line keeps my momentum going. Slowly but surely we follow a skidoo trail, up, up and up into the mountains.
Way up high, its warmer; some kind of temperature inversion. There is pristine snow, peaks and valleys blanketed in ice, the sky blue, a sparkling landscape. I’m glad for friends mad enough to help me be there.
Without friends none of the stuff I do would be possible. So thanks to all of you, and for being a little bit crazy to trek high and far with me. That’s the stuff that brings life to life.
— February 17, 2010 12:39 PM
Into the Unkown
Over the last few weeks I’ve donned my very best BBC voice, presenting a new series for BBC Scotland called ‘Into the Unknown”; interviewing explorers such as John Blashford-Snell, John Ridgeway, Pen Haddow and Benedict Allen. It was a real privilege to hear their stories, and perspectives on adventure and exploration.
You can listen to the programmes by going to BBC radio Scotland ‘Into the Unknown’ page.
— February 09, 2010 11:21 PM
Remarkable New Year
Happy New Year! Its snowing like I’ve never seen it snow in Inverness before. Scotland has the best ski conditions in Europe, as demonstrated by skiing along the canal towpath this afternoon. Had to remove the Air Greenland tag from the back of my sit-ski, which is really sad because it means I haven’t sat in it since then…that’s three and a half years since the most incredible journey of my life, skiing across the Greenland icecap. Big skies, open space, pure wilderness, the kind of place that empties you, so you can stop doing and start being.
At the end, I was hooked, reluctant to return to ‘normal’ life, and was sure I’d be hard parted from the ice for long. So what happened? Work, family, commitments, daily chores, miles of biking…the kind of stuff that although important, can easily squeeze out a few vital blocks. The blocks that hold all the mortar together; the adventures that give us the space to breathe amongst all the busy-ness of the business of life, and remember that we’re a little being in a big universe.
Our ski tracks across the pristine surface of the Greenland icecap are marks I’ll never forget. Simple marks that made life feel remarkable. It is, but sometimes we get too busy to remember.
To all I know and all I don’t, Happy Adventuring in 2010, and may you find yourself feeling the remarkable-ness.
— January 01, 2010 08:09 PM
Fit for Purpose
Fit for Purpose
I spend dark winter hours like a hamster, pedaling my handbike on a turbo-trainer, occasionally strapping on a heart rate monitor to try and keep a pace. I watch something on iplayer – great that ‘Spooks’ is back - to distract myself from the boring labour of pedaling a bike when there’s no view whizzing by, no wind or rain to distract me from the pain of burning muscles.
It’s all in pursuit of this slightly mad idea of making the handcycling development squad with a view to 2012. Apparently UK Sport is eager for aspiring Paralympians, but my eagerness is falling on deaf ears at British Cycling. Maybe they just think I’m too old or no good. But strangely, just when I’m wondering how to train smarter and get stronger, I get a call from John and Christine at ‘Fit for Purpose’ , offering me some sports performance testing, nutritional advice, and coaching. Perfect timing if I’m to sustain the hamster wheel any longer.
A torturous 40 minutes on the turbo, with minute intervals to prick my fingers and squeeze blood out for testing, I now at last know more about the text book training measurements I’ve so often read about, but never known how to get. Lactate threshold, maximum heart rate, body fat percentage (yikes), peak flow measurements etc. I’ve struggled to get into these more ‘serious’, perhaps slightly geeky aspects of training, but as I’m serious about getting faster on the bike, and training smarter, then it couldn’t have been more perfectly timed.
John and Christine have years of experience but have only recently put it together to establish ‘Fit for Purpose’, Aberdeen-based and offering a personalized service for anyone who wishes to get fitter, better. I’m hooked now and have just bought some electronic scales to help me keep a food diary for the week…probably so they can tell me to eat more protein, and less chocolate biscuits. Hmmm.
Watch this space to see how it develops, as ‘Fit for Purpose’ help me get fit for 2012, whether that’s handcycling at the Paralympics, or skiing to the South Pole. They’ve offered Andy a diet analysis too, but he’s not up for it…it would be goodbye to bacon butties and mountains of chilli, chips and cheese.
— December 07, 2009 07:20 PM
Cosmo Fearless Woman Award?!
Just home from glitz and glamour of the Cosmopolitan ‘Ultimate Women of the Year’ Awards for ‘Fun Fearless Females’. What’s one of them, I wonder? Certainly there was no fear of showing legs or cleavage, and amongst the glittering celebrities, it was with some bemusement that I was privileged to receive the ‘Fearless Woman of the Year’ award. Absolutely not true – Andy has seen me quivering beneath a climb, shaking with distress at the sight of surf whilst out sea kayaking, and jumping at the scurry of a fat spider.
I’m not sure whether being viewed as fearless is an honour or a representation of my tendency to launch foolishly into potentially dangerous situations. It is certainly a humbling experience, to be gathered with a group of women doing incredible things, inventing equipment to help the world’s waterless population, humanitarian work in far and dangerous places, giving opportunities to teenagers who might otherwise go astray, fighting cancer, etc. – a room full of people doing really good and hard work, which make climbing mountains and crossing icecaps look like sheer, indulgent, adventurous idiocy (but that still won’t stop be from doing it).
Ruth Jones (‘Nessa’ in Gavin & Stacey) seemed unsure what to make of her Ultimate ‘Funny Woman’ award (quote ‘is that funny ha ha or funny strange’?). I was typically envious of the Ultimate ‘International Angel’ award…having that spiritual slant to life, I like the idea of being an angel.
The thing that connected everyone in the room is that we all do things we love doing, and have travelled the roads that those passions have led us along. We probably all think we’re just doing what we do, and feel lucky we are able to.
As I stood on the stage, I could see beside me the friends, family and strangers that over the years have helped me do more than I’d once dared to dream, and it is to all of them that I owe my experiences. If you’re reading this, you know who you are, and thank you!
Meanwhile, the Pole of Possibility plan is getting underway…watch this space for news of ‘Operation Snowball’ – our master plan for involving young people, helping them towards their aspirations, and raising £1 million at the same time.
An inbetween, cycling, writing, cycling, writing….plans for the new book, ‘Dizzy Fingers’ are getting closer (but not in time for Christmas)!
