The Polar Pilgrims With its coldest temperatures measured at -68 degrees C, the vast frozen wastes of the Arctic Ocean represent one of the most hostile environments on earth. In fact the most northerly stretches of the ice-cap — covering an area larger than the United States — are so cold that even polar bears avoid it… though elsewhere they are so serious a potential threat that carrying heavy-calibre automatics or rifles is part of everyday life. “In a village north of Spitzbergen, when I went to put on my fur-lined over-boots to wear outdoors, I only realized that the pair I had chosen were not mine when I found a Colt 45 tucked into one of them” John Harrison recalls. “I looked around … and saw that almost every pair of boots had a rifle or revolver tucked into one of them!” Harrison, managing director of Gibraltar-based Ibex Insurance, was a member of a nine-man international team which in April this year hoped to reach the geographical North Pole from the Borneo Ice Camp at 89 degrees — a distance of some 120kms which they expected to cover in ten days, using high-tech satellite position-finding equipment but otherwise without any support. Their trek was intended to raise cash for various charities and between them the nine actually collected £220,000 from business contacts and other sponsors. “The ice trek would have meant walking for 10 to 12 hours each day,” Harrison says. “No dogs, no eskimos... just ourselves pulling our sledges with all of our food and equipment and a couple of high-powered rifles in case we were attacked by polar bears.” (Their concerns were well-founded. Polar bears are the only carnivores which regularly hunt man as their prey and each year between 10 and 15 people fall prey to them.) In the event , although the group — who dubbed themselves the ‘Polar Pilgrims’ ’and were nine of the only 40 people who were scheduled to tackle the arduous walk to the North Pole this year — reached Spitzbergen, the Russian authorities threw a spanner into the works and Harrison and his colleagues had to abandon their attempt. They will repeat the polar trek in April next year. “After traveling all day we arrived at our forward base in Spitzbergen on Friday April 2 only to be greeted by our expedition leaders with the devastating news that the Russians had withdrawn all helicopter rescue and support services from the Polar region,” Harrison explains. “Furthermore, they had not established their weather monitoring station which is set up under an international treaty for the month of April.“The range of stories that circulated all came back to the same thing... someone within the Russian authorities had not been paid his ‘fee’!”Anyone who had started their attempt before April 2 was airlifted off the ice. This included a “devastated” Ann Daniels who was attempting to be the first female to undertake a solo crossing from the Russian side. “We termed our predicament ‘Political Meltdown’,” says Harrison. “And the frustrating thing about all of it was there was nothing we could do. Like everyone else, we had already paid the Russians in advance for their rescue and pick up services and fortunately we had taken out insurance to cover all expedition losses.“We donated our food supplies — amounting to a staggering 900,000 calories (20 days supply between us) — to the Norwegian Red Cross. And we undertook three days of testing our kit and clothing in what I can only describe as the most hostile environment I have ever experienced or seen. The temperature was down to -51.5 degrees! “In this temperature, it was essential to keep all parts of the body covered to keep frostbite away. I did take off my three layers of gloves for 30 seconds to see what it was like and I was surprised to feel how numb my fingers became in so short a time! We knew that such a trip could not be considered as a ‘walk in the park’ and that we would have many obstacles outside of our control. We knew the weather would be one and we had planned for this. The Russians, on the other hand we knew we could not plan for… and in the end they let us down.”Harrison admits that postponing the expedition was a major blow, but adds that although he offered to return the cash he had collected to the various sponsors, none had “pulled the plug.”. He and the other ‘Polar Pilgrims’ have re-scheduled the Expedition for the same time next year as April is the only month when conditions allow any attempt to reach the North Pole. In the meantime he will be visiting South Africa in September to personally hand over the cash he raised to the Zululand orphanage for children with AIDS. Harrison raised money for the Khulani Aids Orphanage for children aged between nine and 17 who were born with HIV. The home is partly a school and work centre where local villagers make hand made shoes — the Khulani moccasin — that are sold in the UK through branches of Clarks as part of the international ‘Fair-Trade’ scheme. This not only provides them with training and a trade but also, more importantly, with ongoing revenue. “All the money we raised will go direct to the home and the children,” Harrison adds. “All expedition costs were met entirely by the team members”. by Peter Schirmer

ned and Produced by JD Web Solutions