We are talkng about a new project – called Skype in the classrooms. Exciting times ahead.

Since coming back to the UK I have been busy putting all the films – photographs and audio blog pieces together. There is a lot of work involved but it’s been fun looking back on the expedition as I sit in my house with a coffee (boiled by an electric kettle rather than melting ice in a pan)

remember to check out THE DONATION and take a personal responsibility for the environment.

http://thedonation.org.uk/doers/mark-wood/north-south-solo-expedition

The films will be a clear and honest account on Global warming / climate change research and how explorers (like myself) aim to show case these issues by attempting extrordinary journeys.

Stephan is a lover of the outdoor office and has a beard! we are off to a good start!

DR STEPHAN HARRISON Bio:

Dr Stephan Harrison is Associate Professor of Quaternary Science at ExeterUniversityand Director of Climate Change Risk Management (www.ccrm.co.uk).  Previous to this he taught at Oxford University and he is a Senior Research Associate at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment.

Dr Harrison has a PhD in Quaternary Science and over 20 years research experience in landscape responses to climate change.  Since 1991 he has worked on glaciers and climate change in Patagonia, the Tien Shan mountains ofKazakhstanand inNorway,Icelandand theHimalaya.  Dr Harrison has published over 100 refereed papers on his research. He advises the UK’s Institute of Actuaries and the Emergency Planning Society on risk management and climate change issues and has recently worked with Lloyd’s insurance market on assessing the nature of future climate change risks. 

This is a short film showing the storage of the camera equipment and batteries and then the 360 degree of awareness for polar bears!

basic run through of my cooking skills on ice – in the most incredible part of our planet.

During the second phase of the expedition to the North pole I had my IPod on for a good part of the day. The terrain was pretty testing with the open leads – ice ridges and ice rubble so the music helped to take my mind off the physical side of the journey.

At times I needed all of my senses about me in case of polar bears or cracking ice – so I only used the Ipod in good visability during the day.

The film is a bit hazy due to a dirty lens and a dim light but the subject is something I really like.

During the expedition the top ten listened to bands on the Ipod were:

1. Bryan Adams – Bare Bones tour
2. Cast – Cast
3. David Bowie – A reality tour
4. Gorillaz – Demon Days
5. Kula Shaker – K
6. Noel Gallagher – High flying birds
7. Oasis – Definitely maybe / Dig out your soul
8. Paul Weller – Days of speed
9. The Prodigy – Fat of the land / Invaders must die
10. Randy Crawford – The ultimate collection

Here at Climate Change Solutions, we are all very proud of him and we cannot wait to have him back with us so we can start the celebrations! Mark will be joining us for a special celebration/reception at our May 23rd 2012 conference, Smart Low Carbon Cities, Communities & Infrastructure, co-located with Sustainabilitylive! at the NEC, Birmingham. He will be giving a report on his expedition and highlighting some of his key finds over the past 6 months.

We notified Mark of the 8.6 earthquake in Indonesia, which thankfully has not resulted in a tsunami. Also, there has been news from the Arctic itself, as insurance companies, such as Lloyd’s of London, have warned companies that intensive oil drilling and mineral & metal mining may damage the Arctic’s ecosystem if there were to be a spill or contamination.

Mark is currently on the 6th day of his journey to the North Pole and should be arriving there soon! Scientists argue that the Arctic receives the highest levels of change, where temperature and carbon dioxide is concerned, resulting in the premature melting and seasonal changes in ice cover that we have seen over the past few decades. Mark has already encountered these changes, and is still fighting to promote change in order to reduce further climatic impacts.

These new trends are potentially irreversible if we do not change out ways soon. Investments in developing the renewable, sustainable and low carbon technologies are required, in order to decrease our current energy demands. Germany has already been working on developing renewable energy infrastructures, which have resulted in it being one of the highest clean energy production countries in Europe, and even the world. We need to follow their example and reduce our dependence on old technologies and resources, in order to live more sustainable lifestyles.

We notified Mark about the progression of the drought here in the UK, from which hosepipe bans across the country have been introduced. The BBC have highlighted the areas that have been impacted and identified which water-board’s are taking action, using data from the Environment Agency.

There are also key points as to how you can save water by decreasing your water usage and also save money!

I signed it by the way!

Mark is attempting to raise 100,000 kg worth of carbon emission pledges, in order to raise awareness about climate change and also to inspire people to do something for themselves. According to uswitch.com, the average, standard household energy bill in the UK is £1239 a year, and with the price of gas, oil and coal rising as reserves deplete, it’s only going to get more expensive.

Yet there are so many things you can do to help reduce the cost of you bills! All of which you can pledge with The DoNation and not only help Mark but also help reduce your homes running costs.

- Save water: Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, not over filling the kettle, shorter showers, rainwater harvesting, etc… it’s really not that difficult and there are free water saving packs from water companies, such as Severn Trent Water, which are designed to make lifestyle changes easier.

-  Save Electricity: We all know about the humble standby button, along with that little red LED in the corner of the room. Many energy companies now offer power down plugs, which means if you’re not fully convinced about turning absolutely everything off at the wall, then the plug will do it for you! Also, did you know that leaving a computer on all night uses the same amount of electricity as microwaving 8 frozen dinners? Just a few small changes around the house can make all the difference.

- Save Heat: Do you know if your house is correctly insulated? Have any of your friends of family had cavity wall installed? There are plenty of methods that you can speak to your energy provider about, some of them are even free! Sometimes, it is even as simple as turning off the heating during the summer and turning down the heating a couple of degrees in the winter and having a few extra blankets around the house. You would be surprised at the savings!

As Mark will soon be throwing himself into sub-zero temperatures one again, we look forward to his successful return and his future exploits! Climate Change Solutions Ltd is organising an event within the Sustainabilitylive! Exhibition, May 23rd 2012, at the NEC in Birmingham. The focus is on Smart Low Carbon Cities, Communities and Infrastructure and will be hosting speakers and delegates from all areas of the energy and housing sector. Mark will be attending the events celebration/reception at 16:30 in the main Sustainabilitylive! Exhibition Hall, talking about his experiences and his education programme “My Life in a Freezer”. All attendees from the conference will be welcome and exhibitors from Sustainabilitylive! also.  We shall be encouraging our guests and their contacts to make their own pledges before and at the conference, in order to assist Mark in achieving his target!

On Saturday night, as Mark was training in Svalbard for the North Pole, hundreds of countries around the world turned off their lights for 1 rolling hour.

The Guardian wrote an article about the event, released Friday 30th March, emphasising the international impact that one night in Sydney, Australia back in 2007, has inspired millions to take action. The planet shared one united moment, which stretched all the way into space – as astronauts watched the lights go out from the Intentional Space Station.

Just as Mark is taking on the North South Solo Expedition, travelling to some of the most hostile conditions on the planet, in order to highlight the impacts of Climate Change, there are millions of people out there who want to promote change.

Here in the UK, Climate Change Solutions Ltd has just completed it’s annual Smart Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Power conference, Thursday 29th March at NEC, Birmingham.
Over 220 delegates attended and contributed to the conference, helping to share knowledge and research on Hydrogen Fuel Cell development.

Today, we notified Mark of the latest Climate Change news from the UK.
This article is from yesterdays paper (1st April), The Observer, discussing how the Arctic is far too important to be left unprotected with the current changing climate.

The sledge mounted one is set on tall and the head one is set for a wide angle. I’ve tried them out around Svalbard and they work really well so I’m keen to get them on expedition.

I’ll post the films after the expedition in May 2012.

Sea ice may be near its minimum extent for several thousand years and the permafrost is warming.  Although the poles are far away from most of us, the impact on our lives of their melting will be profound.  I look forward to meeting with Mark and talking  about his experiences in these beautiful and fragile regions”.

Dr Stephan Harrison
Associate Professor in Quaternary Science

Dr Stephan Harrison is Associate Professor of Quaternary Science at Exeter University and Director of Climate Change Risk Management (www.ccrm.co.uk).

Previous to this he taught at Oxford University and he is a Senior Research Associate at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment.
Dr Harrison has a PhD in Quaternary Science and over 20 years research experience in landscape responses to climate change. Since 1991 he has worked on glaciers and climate change in Patagonia, the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakhstan and in Norway, Iceland and the Himalaya.

Dr Harrison has published over 100 refereed papers on his research. He advises the UK’s Institute of Actuaries and the Emergency Planning Society on risk management and climate change issues and has recently worked with Lloyd’s insurance market on assessing the nature of future climate change risks.

After a successful solo expedition to the South Pole I am now heading for the final phase of the expedition, the North Geographic Pole.

Since leaving Antarctica the focus of the expedition has had to change, due to factors beyond my control (namely the requirement to provide a substantial rescue bond, up-front, to the specialist airline that operates in the high Arctic region).

The bond requirement effectively ruled-out any chances of a North Pole expedition – either as a starting point or finishing point, from the Canadian side. This limitation shifted my focus to a different arena from which to attempt the North Pole – the Island of Svalbard, in the Norwegian arctic.

The shift to Svalbard brought about some fundamental changes to the expedition, for a start it would be shorter in distance and time on the ice. I’d be transported from Svalbard to a temporary Russian camp, setup on the Arctic sea-ice every year – Ice Station Barneo. From Ice Station Barneo I’d cover the last two degrees of latitude to the North Pole.

Whilst this is a massive compromise on the primary aim of the expedition, it still allows me to (hopefully) effectively serve the other key objectives, including:

The Schools program – My Life in a Freezer, an initiative to connect with schools and educational institutions, bringing my experiences on expedition into the classroom, highlighting the issues faced by the remote parts of the planet, through the use of innovative technologies such as Skype and Ipadio.
As a platform to highlight the effects of climate change. Supported by Grant Thornton, I’ll be calling on one of the luminaries of change research – Dr Stephan Harrison – to augment some of my daily updates with scientific insight into the rapidly changing Arctic environment. Following the expedition, Dr Harrison will join me in the field to extend the climate change aspect of the expedition (he’ll also have the dubious privilege of sharing tent-space with an unwashed explorer!)

I’ll also be calling on the wider public to take individual action on climate change, by pledging support (non-financial!) through DoNation: www.thedonation.org
I’m particularly passionate about both of these areas, so while the past few weeks have been particularly challenging – and frustrating – I’m incredibly happy that the opportunity to contribute to these areas, as well as conduct a solo, unsupported expedition, in one of the most hostile, challenging environments on the planet, is still very much alive and kicking.

As I travel north, my stomach has the familiar butterflies – telling me that the next big adventure is on the horizon. Life teaches us that things don’t always work to plan (which is particularly true in the world of extreme expeditions) but as I step out on to the dynamic and unpredictable Arctic ocean, I hope you’ll join me and draw inspiration from each step I take toward the North Pole – and show your support by taking your own steps toward action and education on climate change.

I am just packing my sledge once more for the second part of the expedition. I’m going to send a mission statement out on Monday / Tuesday this week just prior to going out on ice along with a short film to explain exactly what I’m going to do and why!

I’m nervous -excited and also still confused… the expedition has changed direction so many times – even now the full details are not clear  - this is my reason for sending  the statement out in a few days time.

One thing is for sure – I’m heading out again – HOORAY! the schools program and the environmental awareness are the most important aspects to the NORTH SOUTH SOLO EXPEDIITON and if things go to plan I’m about to step out into another incredible adventure.

I’m also looking forward to meeting a great Norwegian explorer Christian Eide at Oslo airport on Sunday – he should have my new boots for the expedition as my old ones I used on the South Pole decided to fall apart!

Today I went to Wood Green Academy in the Midlands – UK to deliverer four different talks to students on the North South Solo expedition and the “My Life in a Freezer” program. The day was called HEROES which made me feel a bit uneasy but when I realised Simon Weston was also talking I under stood why.

Simon is a war hero and a veteran of the Falklands war which happened over thirty years ago next month. In 1982 he was aboard the Sir Galahad when it was destroyed in Bluff Cove on the Falklands Islands. He  suffered 46% burns to his body and went on to have numerous operations.    He is now an inspirational speaker and works endlessly for charities – www.simonweston.com

knowing Simon was going to be there today I felt excited and nervous – when I was introduced to him I noticed his scares on his face and hands and felt his strong grip when we shook. We talked for a couple of minutes and then he spoke to the children as they gathered around him. I stood back and watched how he spoke openly about the war, his friends dying and the feelings he had at the time. He went on to say how he rebuilt his live and now spends his time talking to others about getting through tough times along with the charities he supports. After just a few minutes you forget about the scares and you focus on the man himself.

I have listened to a lot of people over the years giving talks and being so called inspirational. Simon for me is a different breed – he doesn’t sugar coat stories but tells it how it is and you can see the students appreciate him for his honesty.

When I gave my talks the first thing I said to each class was – what did you think of Simon and each time they said he was a really kind man.

The 100,000 pounds is to be used as a bond. I have the funds for the expedition – including the insurance on ice in case of an emergency. The airline company who operate in the Arctic require money “up front” in case I need to be picked up other than a medical pick up. If things go well the money will not be used.

My return for a company or individual on this is full recognition for support in a world first attempt….. the clock is ticking on 3 years of work and one already successful expedition solo to the South pole.

click here for the article in the Metro:

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/892829-100-000-rescue-costs-puts-pole-ski-adventurers-attempt-in-jeopardy

A big thank you to Grant Thornton today who are one of the brand sponsors of the North South Solo expedition. They have incredible vision and understanding about what I am trying to achieve. It’s not just about a long walk on ice. It’s about education – awareness of the environment and personal responsibility for taking action for the benefit of the environment itself.
I’m excited about the next stage to the North pole but there is so much work to do before I head off. So thank you to all the guys at Grant Thornton for giving me a massive boost today.

I am proud to be an Ambassador for a wonderful charity  SPORTING EQUALS. 

At the South Pole I made a short film thanking them for their own support of the “My Life in a Freezer” schools program. You can take a look at the program by clicking on the following link;

http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/download/educational-schools-programme.pdf

I am looking for ten schools to become Polar Ambassadors of the expedition – register your interest by contacting me direct on:

mark@markwoodexplorer.com or call 07792 376 361

Today I caught up with the young explorers group at King Henry prep school in Coventry UK. As part of the “My Life In A Freezer” programme that co-insides with the expedition I am visiting schools whilst I’m back in the UK.

The 20 plus students have been following my journey to the South Pole and listening to the blog updates on route. So after my brief presentation they fired questions at me about how I felt on ice? what did I eat? and the most popular one at the moment is – what was it like to lose your IPod?

I mentioned the immersion suit for crossing the arctic ocean on the second part of the journey and promised to post a photograph on the site – the picture shows me coming out of the arctic ocean this time last year – where I spent a short time training with Eric Phillips before his own epic North pole expedition.

Over the past week I have been busy linking with schools via Skype. Talking directly into their classrooms as part of the educational program for the expedition. On the South Pole Expedition I talked to the students from my  tent in the middle of the remote Antarctic wilderness. It was a great feeling to be able to communicate first hand from the cold extremes of the planet. 

I want to send a  big thank you to Mrs Brake and her students at Finham Park Comprehensive School for making the scary snakes as part of saving energy through the DoNation Site. Not only is it a fun excersise but it gets the students thinking about their own planet.

There is no problem with people growing up and making their way through life with a respect for the planet they live on.

It’s a different way of thinking. The students involveded in the project I set up for the expedition – MY LIFE IN A FREEZER – have been inspiring me with own knowledge of the environment. Take a look at Mrs Brakes students work click – http://thedonation.org.uk/about/our-blog/school-snakes
I also want to thank the following schools whoI have Skyped in the last few days. There are a further 30 schools involved and via Skype itself we are extending this around the globe. It’s all about awareness and individual responsibility.

Colebourne Primary – St Margret’s – King Henry prep – President Kennedy – Tile Hill school – Joseph cash primary – Corley Centre

I spoke to Matty McNair about training this month in preparation for the open water.

Rick Selleck (Alert Liaison officer) about general logistics and routes.

Alan Chambers (UK based) about possibilities for heading from the North back to Canada and tonight I had a meal with Richard Weber. Richard has so much knowledge from his 7 journeys to the North Pole.

The picture is off (left to right) Michael Archer –  Me – Richard Weber at BC in Antarctica a few weeks ago.

Take 5 minutes to read through their questions and pledges. All I can say is Fantastic work Guys – wonderful!

http://thedonation.org.uk/doers/mark-wood/north-south-solo-expedition

Hi mark,
Congratulations on completing the first part of your expedition! We have
all been thinking of you and we all wish you good luck. We have also been on do
nation and we have pleged to use tap water instead of bottled water.
From Bethany and Katherine

A – Thank you and pass this idea onto your parents as well – Mark

Hello mark
Congratulations on your journey to the south pole I have also chose a
DOaction I chose the walk on DOaction I hope evreything goes well keep up
the good work
From Oli Wish you luck!

A – That’s great Oli – you see more of life when you walk – thank you – Mark

Hi mark congratulations so far
We Wish you all the best for the future the Do Nation action i will be
doing is pc power from connor

A – Pc Power – I’m sure other people will want to go onto the site to check out what this is – well done – Mark

Hi
Great job , Have you seen any animales at the artic – Wish you all the best for the future, I’ve….got on DoNation & chose “compeuter say no”

A – On the South Pole I saw nothing but in the North there is a possiblitiy of seeing loads of animals including the Polar Bear – Mark

To Mark
Well done for your progress so far. Wishing you lots of luck for the north
pole we are all thinking about you.
from Alex

ps my do nation is tintin

A – Thank you Alex – check out Tintin at

http://thedonation.org.uk/doers/mark-wood/north-south-solo-expedition

Congratulations we have all been thinking about you good luck on the
journey to the north pole hope you have fun I have signed up for turn it off

A – Thank you for pledging on DoNation and good luck – Mark

Congratulations Mark
You made it we have been thinking about you alot in lessons and stuff. hope you come and visit when you get back and we are doing a Donation im doing a
biking one I was going to do a walking one but it diddent work wish you
all the best for the future keep up the brilliant work.

Peace Out from bobbie .

It’s good to see your not giving up from not doing the walking and you switched to biking – take a look at this page -

http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/portfolio/cycle-usa-2006

and peace out to you too – Mark

Hello mark your a brave man you have self belief,and ithink whith the right
attitude u Kud be a very brave man. best wishes

Harry
I will promise to turn off lights more

A – Thank you Harry – I have trained hard for the expedition and know what Im getting into so I dont regard myself as brave – but they are kind words that I’ll take with me on the final section of the journey.

Nice to see your saving energy – make sure you educate your parents on your pledge through DoNation aswell – Mark

http://thedonation.org.uk/doers/mark-wood/north-south-solo-expedition ]]> http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/uncategorized/young-explorers-from-colebourne-primary-school-take-centre-stage/feed 0 yes166483393403128_3184812282033432012-02-02T14:49:41+00:00custom=http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/wp-content/themes/mark-wood/images/icon-3.png1 http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/uncategorized/looking-after-myself-and-my-kit-to-keep-the-expedition-alive?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=looking-after-myself-and-my-kit-to-keep-the-expedition-alive http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/uncategorized/looking-after-myself-and-my-kit-to-keep-the-expedition-alive#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:53:25 +0000 Mark Wood http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/?p=1210  

One of the main reasons for succeeding on the South Pole expedition was to do with maintaining myself and the equipement.

Each day I worked on broken bindings – skis – tent – sledge  and other equipment to keep the expedition going. I maintained my feet and tried to keep my health up on route. Over 50 days in normal life you pick up illnesses and things around you fail. So you head to the chemist or hard ware store – the only shop I had was the items I carried with me.

Go to Facebook – @north south solo for more pictures

Kit List – Hercules Inlet to the South Geographic Pole – 2011 / 2012

Tent items

• Sleeping bag – Rab 1200 with a Rab bivi bag
• Sleeping bag mat – mountain hardwear
• Tent – Hilleberg – nammatj 2
• Pegs – Hilliberg x 5
• Shovel – OR (outdoor research)
• Pulk – Greenland design – snowsled UK
• Harness – snowsled UK
• Skis – x 1pr fisher
• Bindings – Rotterfella x 2pr and 2spare
• Boots – extreme planet
• Ski poles – 1 pr tech
• Stuff sacks – x8 lifeventure
• Tent boots – MEC – mountain equipemnt co-op
• Goggles – x 2 Oakley attached home made face guards

Clothing

• Base layersx 2 – Devold
• Midlayer trousers – Jack Wolfskin (with added side vent zips)
• socks – thinnys / thick – smartwool
• VBL socks – MEC
• Underwear – Jack wolfskin
• Buff – Buff
• Necker – extremities
• Thin necker – Devold
• Hat – Oakley
• Expedition Jacket – wintergreen and ruff
• Midlayer extra jacket – thin – Arcteryx
• Down vest top – Kathmandu
• Down Jacket – Marmott
• Working gloves – OR
• Working gloves – thicker – Marmott
• Mitts – OR

Kitchen items

• Stoves x 2 MSR
• Pot x 1 MSR
• Protector x MSR
• Heat exchanger x MSR
• Spare parts – MSR
• Fuel Bottles x 4 MSR
• Wooden board – Bob wood’s garage (will return after the expediton to the North!!)
• Food bowl x MSR
• Flaskx 1 Stanley
• Mug x 1 Stanley
• Spoon x 2
• Water bottle – Lifeventure
• water bottle protector – OR
• Knife – Buck

Communication and filming equipment

• Camcorder – sony HDR-CX115 x 2 spare batteries
• Satalite Phone x 2 – Iridium 9505AC
• Spare Satalite Phone Batteries x 6
• Camera – Canon IXUS – 8 spare batteries
• voice recorder – sony – micro
• solar panel – Brunton
• GPS x2 – etrex / Garmin x 4 spare batteries
• Compass x 2 – silver
• Location beacon – McMurdo

Missing in action

• Ipod – MIA day two!

My face mask and ruff became not only a good protection but also created a micro climate for me to endure what ever came at me.

see more at facebook – @north south solo

http://www.facebook.com/#!/NorthSouthSolo?sk=wall&filter=1

After 50 days and 612 N miles of Antarctic ice I arrived at the Goegraphic South Pole – only half way through the North South Solo Expedition.

To support my attempt donate action and not money by logging on to;

http://thedonation.org.uk/doers/mark-wood/north-south-solo-expedition