During the winter of 1930, a handsome young explorer spent five months alone, marooned on the desolate, featureless and bitterly cold Greenland ice-cap where he was buried under the ice in his tent. "The silence was almost terrible. Nothing to hear but one's heart beating and the blood ticking in one's veins" ~ August Courtauld, 1930
Chloe Courtauld follows in the footsteps of her great uncle.
1. What kind of expedition are you doing? In May 2009, my expedition team mate and I will be trekking 420kms across the Greenland ice-cap on ski’s. Supported by two dog-sled teams carrying equipment, fuel and food we will trek up to 9,000ft. The expedition is in memory of my great uncle, August Courtauld and to raise awareness and funds for science in the polar regions.
2. What inspired you to take on this challenge? Ever since my father told me about my polar explorer great uncle and his incredible survival story in the Arctic, I have felt captivated and inspired to want to follow in his footsteps, into the middle of the Greenland ice-cap. My dream is to stand on the exact spot where he spent 149 days alone during the winter of 1930 and six weeks trapped and buried alive under the ice, before being rescued. I have chosen The Scott Polar Research Institute as my official charity. All funds raised will go towards furthering scientific research in the polar regions, the historical research at the Institute and outreach programmes at their polar museum.
3. How many hours of training, and what kind of training do you do per day/ per week? Programme One (man-hauling trek); 6 days per week, approx total 8.5hrs, plus 30mins cycling daily. Mon: run (50mins); Tues: weights (1h10); Wed: tyre drag (2-2.5hrs); Thurs: run (50mins) ; Fri: weights (1h10); Sat: tyre drag (2-2.5hrs). Programme Two (x-country skiing trek); 4-5 days per week, approx total 4.15hrs, plus 30mins cycling daily. Mon: walk (incline 12% speed 4.5 x30mins); Tues: body conditioning class (1hr); Wed: weights (push up’s; standing one arm row; dumbbell chest-press; reverse flies; rope pull down’s; lunges; squats (max 30kilos) 1.5hrs; Fri: x-trainer level 14, 40mins; Sat: walk (as before). In the next seven weeks before departure I will increase the walk on an incline weekly by 5-7mins. I will also increase my weights by 1kilo or numerically per training session and increase my x-trainer weekly by 5-7mins.
4. What has been the hardest part of your training? Not being very supple or flexible, especially around my hips (glutes/hip reflexors) and lower back. I also suffer from short hamstrings. Tyre dragging using a harness strap around my waist has put a heavy load through my hips and caused pain when pulling heavy loads as time has gone on. Squats and lunges with heavy weights has also put stress on these weak areas. Cycling for long periods or up steep hills has also caused pain around my hips.
5. When did you start training for the expedition? Has it been enough time? Approx 5 months ago – yes, I hope so!
6. Have you sustained any injuries while training? Yes – during tyre-dragging training on the beach over New Year, I experienced pain in my IT band (rt) and had to rest for 3-4 days. I have also suffered pain in my hip reflexors and glute medius’s when tyre dragging on tarmac (if loaded with more than 20kilos) and most recently have pulled a muscle in my groin (left) doing x-country skiing training. A daily stretching routine and rest periods have helped alleviate these injuries.
7. What sort of fitness support have you had during your training? I have been working with a top PT at my local gym. He has assessed my progress over the last five months and adjusted my training programme accordingly. I have been sponsored by Physio on Call and have had one hour of sports massage and physio support for the last four months. I've also had Reflexology treatments from a friend to help re-balance my system after all the training and herbs I was recommended by a Herbalist have helped to keep my energy levels up.
8. Have you changed your diet in preparation for the cold conditions and energy you will expend? Yes – in preparation for the ice, I need to gain at least 6kilos in weight, fat and not muscle. I have therefore been increasing the volume of food I consume on a daily basis by almost double. My diet contains higher saturated fats, higher GI foods (fast releasing carb’s) and some refined sugary snacks. Eating late has also helped to retain the fat, as there is less time to burn it off before going to bed.
11. During the expedition how many hours a day will you be on the move? 6-7 hrs on average
12. How many kms do you hope to cover daily? What is the total distance and how many days will the expedition take? Depending on the weather conditions approximately 10-40kms per day. We will travel a total distance of 420kms and I have estimated this journey will take 21days (including a contingency for bad weather days and a rest day at the Ice Cap Station).
13. What kind of weather/ snow conditions do you expect? At the start of the expedition when we are still near the east coast, conditions should be mild (-5 to +5°c), further into the ice-cap temp’s range from -5°c to - 20°c, depending on the wind-chill. We may experience strong Piteraq winds (approx 100mph) which could lower the temperatures to -40°c or colder!
14. What kind of protection do you have against polar bears? Our guide will carry a rifle and some flares. We will also be travelling with 24 dogs, who are the perfect polar bear deterrent!
The Ice Cap Station Arctic Challenge is raising funds for The Scott Polar Research Institute, to support science at the Poles (http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/ ). If you would like to kindly make a donation, please visit www.icecapstation.com and click on the “Charity” page.
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