Training in Norway
At the end of February 2009, two women from 8 Commonwealth countries arrived in Norway for the final team selection. All the women attending were selected by interview during the summer of 2008 from a shortlist of candidates in their country. The training expedition in harsh winter conditions was based at Dyranut Fjellstova, a family-run hostel at the highest point of Norway's remote and wild Hardangervidda plateau. This was the first time that all the women met each other and for many this was their first experience of snow and extreme winter weather.
The candidates learnt all aspects of winter travel from clothing and skiing to tent routines and prevention of cold injuries. They then set off on a mini-expedition skiing in groups of 4, pulling all necessary food, fuel and equipment in sledges and sleeping out on the ice in tents.
At the end of the first week of training, one woman from each country will be chosen to represent her nation on the expedition team and ski to the South Pole. The selection was based on how each candidate responded to the extreme environment and tough expedition life but also on how they got on with their fellow candidates and their ability to work as part of a team.
The final team of 8 then stayed for a further week of training which included a second three-day mini-expedition. This time the sledges were loaded with wood so that they weighed around 40kg each.
Throughout the selection and training expedition candidates blogged daily. Here are some memorable extracts:
'It was surprisingly difficult to build a snowman. The snow just wouldn't stick together. We were trying to make the head and it just kept falling apart!'
Alecia from Jamaica on building a snowman for the first time.
'Although I have not really skied before, I felt very much in my element, totally happy'
Reena from India
'It's difficult to get my legs to do what I want them to do, especially when there are so many different kinds of snow out there. But I'm not cold and I'm not scared of the snow.'
Kim from Jamaica on skiing for the first time.
'It felt like I was kayaking back home, gliding rhythmically over the calm waters as the sun rises - absolute peace and quiet joy. Although the snow was blowing relentlessly into my face when I was skiing, once you focus and get that rhythm going, you just shut everything off, it felt so......... free. Of course those moments lasted only momentarily before I stumbled, being totally new to skiing, but I am marking an increase in the frequency and length of those amazing moments. It's going to be even more magical on our way to the South Pole!'
Lina from Singapore on skiing for the first time.
'I'm bonding with my ski's. Skiing is different from what I expected - not easy - but not as difficult as I thought. I thought there would be some kind of instant thing when the ski's and snow move together as soon as you put them on but I've learnt that you have to be in control of your ski's.'
Barbara from Ghana on skiing for the first time.
'When I woke up my nose was against the tent wall with the snow right outside. I thought I'd lost my nose as it was freezing cold! But it's fine.'
Aparna from India on camping in sub-zero temperatures.
'We had an experience with the loo. If someone had asked me a week ago if I would be doing something like this I'd have said, 'Are you nuts?''
Athina from Cyprus on sub-zero camping.
'Hardangervidda is absolutely beautiful! The 3 day mini-expedition was a really good way to get the team to gel and work well - there were a few co-ordination hiccups here and there but everyone understood that the first day would be a 'storming' session and the teams quickly sussed out how to communicate with each other and get things going from then on. Day 2 of the expedition was a longish one with quite a bit of uphill. I had gotten the hang of negotiating the steep slopes through the first few days of skiing before the expedition - so it was just a matter of pounding away on the slope - everytime I took that one step up, I would imagine that I was chugging against headwind and current on a kayak, which is familiar ground to me. Day 3 was really fun! The morning was near white out condition and it felt like I was walking blind with strong cross winds. Then we stopped and pitched a tent on a lake for tea and a really fun pulk race! When it was my turn to pull the pulk with Jim on it, Felicity jumped into the pulk as well! I was literally stopped in my tracks, no matter how hard i tried to pull it - even side stepping. Then my mates all came rushing in to help push the pulk - team work! The afternoon ski back to the hut was absolutely stunning! The skies cleared and the snowscape was absolutely amazing! The sight just took my breath away and reminded me again of the beauty and grace of nature.'
Lina from Singapore on the mini-expedition.
'Unpredictable weather ; hate it, love it, cherish it. Just like you would on the mountain, a rough uphill climb, then comes the summit, then the adrenaline rush down the steep slope. Absolutely Fantastic. We ended our nights to a hot cup of soup, creamy pasta, and a nice hot drink, and bonding around the hot stove. Skiing past beautiful views of the icy plateau, you can't help but request breaks to take (TONS of) pictures of the view. Throughout the 3 days, we learnt a whole lot from skiing techniques to how much pumping is to be done on a temperamental stove. All in all, i loved it. More expeditions please... ?'
Aniza from Brunei on the mini-expedition
'What an amazing experience!! Words will not do it justice (I'll try though). Dramatic landscapes suddenly lost in snow blizzards, skiing down slopes at twilight, steep uphills with a pulk, setting up a camp in gale force winds, pleading stoves to work, Mitsides pasta, Pittas Dairies Halloumi (I think everyone is addicted to it!), bonding with teammates, snoring teammates (you know who you are!), realizing the need for great team communication, organization and breakfast (an absolute must!), raging winds with a mission to keep us awake after a long day, blisters, appreciation of the thermal underwear issued to us, very patient and kind Trainers - ending this afternoon with a brilliant blue sky, crisp white snow, skiing towards a dying sun. My very own Northern Exposure. Thank you Comtrack Services & Cyprus Airways!'
Stephanie from Cyprus on the mini-expedition
"I thought the hardest thing would be the skiing but actually the hardest thing was keeping track of three layers of clothing. I'm used to wearing one layer of clothing and I can't loose that because I'm wearing it. This was something totally new."
Kim from Jamaica.
"We just got back from the mini expedition. There was a great sense of accomplishment in the team. I think I became more comfortable on the skiis and the sledge pulling after it. Living in close quarters in the tent and doing stuff together made me bond more with the team. I think ones comfort in the outdoors depends a lot on how organised the team is and how well defined the roles are. We were taught how to pitch tents with such mathematical precision that even with the snow blowing in our faces it was a smooth sailing pretty much. It was such an amazing experiance that I am looking forward to the great big expedition to the South Pole"
Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu (India)
"The selected team, 7 of us, embarked on our second 3 days mini-expedition. This time round, the focus is on pulk-pulling - each of us pulling a 40-kg pulk. First day was tough as we were getting accustomed to the heavier weight and without break since everyone had her own. The remaining two days were better as we started to get a hang of it. But this experience also gave us a very good gauge of our own strength and how much more training we needed before end of the year! Surprisingly, even though I was pulling much more weight than the first mini-expedition, I didn't feel as tired as the first. I guessed it was a good start, but definitely more general and specific training planned in my mind."
Sophia (Singapore)
"The first day was a bit hard even though it was only half of a day. My pulk kept falling to the side. But it was OK by the third day I found out how to pull pulks along the side of hills to prevent the pulk from falling to the side. It was good to get us prepared mentally on how it feels to pull heavier pulks whereas before it was much lighter and we were taking turns. The third day was especially challenging because we were going up and down hills but seeing Felicity with the biscuits was a good end to the mini expedition."
Era (Brunei)
Participants:
Lina Goh (Singapore)
Sophia Pang (Singapore)
Aniza Ishak (Brunei)
Era Al-Sufri (Brunei)
Aparna Ray (India)
Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu (India)
Barbara Erefua Yanney (Ghana)
Helen Turton (UK)
Melanie Money (New Zealand)
Charmaine Tate (New Zealand)
Kim-Marie Spence (Jamaica)
Alecia Maragh (Jamaica)
Stephanie Solomonides (Cyprus)
Athina (Cyprus)
With thanks to:
Dyranut Fjellstova, Jim Mayer, Sarah Mayer, Peter Martin, Al Boardman, Elliot Forge, Rob Holdsworth, Mark Priest, Jo Vellino, Justin Roberts, Rob Lewis, Jenny Pugh and all the snowplough drivers.
New Zealand Training
Six months after being selected in Norway, the team members travelled to the South Island of New Zealand for further training in preparation for their Antarctic adventure.
Watch a video of the training expedition and read how the team got on...