Arctic Sledging
Reasons for joining and account of, the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) 2009 Dog Sledging expedition to the Arctic – Judith Croasdell
Sponsors: NS&I (National Savings and Investments)
I would like to thank National Savings and Investments (NS&I) who generously provided me with the sponsorship for this enterprise. In particular Sonia Sheta, Board Account Director of Chick Smith Trott Limited who heroically agreed to back me at short notice.
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Background
I joined as a friend of the Scott Polar Research Institute in 2003. I had often wondered what a trip to the icy Polar region would be like. I had a good idea from the literature I had read and the many discussions I had had with my partner-to-be, Prof. Paul Simpson-Housley, a regular visiting Professor to SPRI from York University in Toronto. Alas he passed away in March 2002 aged 59. I hung a beautiful memorial to him – a print of a Red-Tailed Hawk from Canada – in the registry office at SPRI, listing all the years he had visited the Institute.
In September 2007 on my 60th birthday I decided that I should do something to remember Paul who never made it to his 60th. I really didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do, until I happened to meet up with an old friend, Alice, in July 2008 and discovered that she too wanted to ‘do something’ out of the ordinary so we both agreed to look out for something worthwhile.
The opportunity came when I was owed some long overdue leave and happened to read the Friends of SPRI newsletter. I got onto the website to see what trips were being organised. It was then that I noticed there were a few places still available on the 2009 sponsored Arctic dog sledge. Clicking onto the website I saw only a few names had registered and time was running out. I emailed Alice asking her if she would like to try dog-sledging and got a ‘you betcha’ response and from that moment on we never looked back!
Having joined the sponsored Arctic dog sledge rather late in the day, on 10th February, we set about cramming in as much walking and exercise as we could in the few weeks we had left. Neither of us managed to do more than 30 miles in a week but it was a start. On Friday 13th March we met up with some of the group at ‘The Snug’ just down the road from the Scott Polar Institute. It was a great evening and reassuring to know that the leader of the expedition would look after us if we floundered. Last year two very fit 70 yr olds had no difficulty completing the 200km. Per-Thore Hansen the leader was reputed to be something of a legend and one of the best dog-sledgers in Norway. He was going on to the North Pole after he had completed this trip. Also accompanying us was a doctor (in case of accidents), Jonathan, and Sid Cooper, an experienced sledger and organiser from Across the Divide.
First Meeting at The Snug in Cambridge
Follow Up
I was glad to read that Per-Thore and his group had made it to the North Pole. See http://www.noruk-expedition.com/news.asp
