by Ian | Dec 23, 2014 | News, Trip Report
As is tradition for HSX, December saw the group once again converge on Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre for our annual Christmas celebrations.
Saturday morning saw participants divide into 6 teams for the adventure race, a 3 hour orienteering race across the New Forest with teams trying to gain as many points as possible. This year the race was “expertly” organised by Andy Humphreys, Josh Hicks and Alan Braithwaite, who had promised us a slightly different event from years gone by. One by one the teams converged at the back of the Mountbatten Lodge for the 10:00 start time for the race, provided with map for each pair, and given a quick briefing. Unlike previous years, we were told the finish of the race wasn’t to be as simple as expected, with the finish line being at Ferny Crofts legendary Assault Course!
At 10:00 the klaxon sounded and the teams dispersed, each heading in different directions, depending on their chosen route choice. The routes were incredibly varied this year, and unlike in previous years, it didn’t seem possible to get around the entire course within the allotted time, so route strategy would prove criterial to gain maximum points (and more importantly avoid the dreaded 2nd place!!!).
Around 13:00 the teams began arriving at the assault course, absolutely cream cracked after the last few hours’ exertion, only to be told we weren’t finished yet… Brilliant! One by one we were briefed that the finial element to the race would involve a timed circuit of the course in our teams, with 30 points available for the fastest time, 20 points for 2nd place and 10 points for the 3rd fastest time. Having put in a good shift in the run, we all knew it would be important to dig deep for one last push… easier said than done, when you’ve already covered around 15miles!!!
Upon completing our laps, we each headed back to the Lodge for a cup of tea, chow down some lunch and thaw out with a ‘warm shower’… well Ferny Crofts version of a warm shower!
The afternoon was passed comparing routes, fixing tents from stores, decorating the hall and preparing dinner… a 4 course banquet!
In the late afternoon the numbers swelled, as we were joined by more HSX members as well as special guests. As the atmosphere grew we were invited to take our seats, and one by one the courses were served. The evening was spent catching up with friends, swapping stories, and more importantly conceiving plans for adventures in 2015 and beyond! After dinner, our illustrious leader MC Kinger took to the stage for the usual Karaoke, which continued late into the night… and well into Sunday morning!!!
After a monumental tidy up on Sunday morning, we all gather for the HSX Christmas forum… our annual meeting to reflect on the achievements of the last 12 months, inform the group of the progress made behind the scene and our plans for the up-coming year! Towards the end of the forums we had presentations from Steve Knaggs on a sport climbing trip to Kalymnos in 2015, Bakewell launch his plans for the 2016 expedition to Cambodia and Oliver Robinson also provided an update on the progress of the HSX Antarctica team. The forum also saw Chris Slater outline his plans for an expedition to Patagonia, planned for December 2017.
With much excitement and anticipation for the year ahead the forum closed, groups broke up for quick discussions on differing aspects brought up in the meeting. After lunch and tidying the hall we parted on our merry ways, excited for what lay ahead.
I’d like to take this opportunity for wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, all the best for your adventures in 2015… whatever shape or size they may take!
Yours in Scouting
Chris Slater
by Ian | Nov 19, 2014 | Antarctica 2018, Expeditions, Training
The past few months have been pretty busy for the team. Having taken the expedition on the road, we’ve been visiting a lot of local Scout units to share our expedition and the spirit of adventure it embodies. Through troop evenings and the ‘South Pole relay’ we’ve been excited to see the enthusiasm on the faces of Hampshire’s young people. From the H0014 jamboree at Buddens Scout Centre in August to teaching the Livingstone Troop at 3rd Portchester a few expedition tips in September; the team are looking forward to 2015 and getting out seeing more of you!
In the meantime, the team have recently been sighted training for their next challenge; either running along the muddy tracks of the new forest for hours on end, climbing the coastal cliffs of Swanage and Portland above raging seas or dragging car tyres up the seemingly endless Hampshire hills. A weekend doesn’t pass when the team aren’t pushing themselves to the limit. The question is, what are the team training for? Watch this space in the new year when the team will be launching their most extreme challenge so far, whilst raising money for our chosen charity; the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Think you know what the team are up to? Post your ideas below!
Why not give us a Tweet? @hsxantarctica #HSX2018
by Ian | Jul 8, 2014 | Antarctica 2018, Expeditions, Training, Trip Report
Being able to rescue your team members from a crevasse is an essential skill that the team hope never to use in anger in the Antarctic. However, in the pursuit of learning such an important concept, the team ventured to the French Alps in July 2013 for two weeks of fresh alpine air. Not only was this the first taste of European Glaciers for many of the team, an attempt on the summit of Mont Blanc (4810m/15,780feet) was also expected, representing, for those not well versed in Himalayan trekking like Joe and Ollie, the tallest mountain they had ever attempted.
The team left the New Forest early on the morning of July 2nd,in order to catch a ferry across the channel and drive 800 miles to the picturesque town of Chamonix; the gateway to the Mont Blanc massif which contains over 100 mountains over 3000 metres. It is also home to some of Europe’s biggest glaciers including the Mer de Glace and the Bosson’s Glacier, which formed the central location for the team to practise their rescues skills. Crevasses are formed as a result of the movement and stress generated by the glacier as it winds its way down the valley. Ranging in any size, some are gaps less than a metre, easily navigable by foot, whilst others can be many metres metres wide and stretch the length of a football field.
The danger with crevasses comes when they have been covered over by snow left from the winter, becoming impossible to see to the untrained eye. Knowing how to get out is one thing, but avoiding them is arguably more skilful and so the team hired the expertise of a French Mountain Guide to give some instruction. He showed the team how to walk “roped together” on glaciated terrain to provide safety when in a group and gave us a useful rope setup we could use for hoisting someone out of crevasses using karabiners, ice screws and Tiblocs. 
Once all the necessary skills were practised, the next objective was the summit of Mont Blanc. The team chose this to give them a physical challenge that would put teamwork to the test, plus the gratification that comes with saying you have summited the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe! Although Mt Blanc is not extremely high, it was important for the team to acclimatize properly, as the risk of developing Acute Mountain sickness (AMS) is extremely high if not adapted to the altitude (symptoms range from dehydration, dizziness, headaches, and nausea). Slowly gaining altitude, whilst walking high during the day and sleeping lower at night allowed the team to acclimatise in the best way possible in a fairly short amount of time.
Setting up camp in the Vallée Blanche, both a mixture of nerves and excitement were felt by everyone. The team slept until 12am and after some food was eaten and harnesses and ropes were clumsily donned in the dark, lights far off in the distance showing the other climbers that were beginning the same task, the team set off on a slow plod up the snow slope of Mont Blanc du Tacul. Progress was slow, often walking 30 paces and stopping for a moment to catch breath back; it was going to be a long night.
On the slopes of Mont Maudit (the team were on the three monts route having to ascend the slopes of Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit and finally Mont Blanc) a 50-metre, 80o technical snow climb required the team’s full attention in the dark; a slip here would have caused a 400-metre fall to the gullies below. The team made quick work of the climb and were soon left with the final 300-metre slog up to the summit dome. This seemed to take forever and was filled with false summits to make it even more mentally challenging for the team; a suspected side effect of the altitude and the desire to be on the summit. At 8:32am the team had summited Mt Blanc. Overwhelming joy, happiness and exhaustion lead to man hugs, selfies and watering eyes (the cold!?) at the top of Europe’s highest mountain. The team had done it.
Have you been to the Alps?
Share your stories with the team on our Facebook page or tweet us @hsxantarctica using #HSX2018.
by Ian | Jun 24, 2014 | Antarctica 2018, Belize 2011/12, Expeditions
How much do you know about Antarctica? The team has been busy doing their research about the continent they are going to spend 80 days on in 2018; here is our top 10:
10) The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -89.2oC (128.6oF), recorded at Vostok Research Station on 21st July 1983
9) The highest recorded temperature at the Amundsen-Scout South Pole Research station was -12.3oC (9.9oF) in 2011
8) Only 2% of Antarctica’s surface is not covered in ice; called an ‘Antarctic Oasis’ these are generally found on the warmest part of Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsular, mountain tops and some coastal areas
7) The South Pole has a desert climate, almost never receiving precipitation and air humidity is near zero
6) Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest place on Earth
5) Antarctica is one and a half times the size of the United States with an area of 14 million km2
4) The West Antarctic Peninsular is the fastest warming place on Earth, experiencing increases in mean temperature in the order of 1oC per decade since the 1950’s
3) Antarctica is losing 159 billion tonnes of ice per year
2) Until about 50 million years ago, Antarctica had a temperate climate and evergreen forests, having been part of the supercontinent ‘Gondwana’. Captain Scott and the Terra Nova expedition were the first to provide evidence of this after the discovery of ‘Glossiopteris’ fossils; an ancient tree fern found on all of the Southern Continents
1) The Antarctic Ice Sheet contains 27 million km3 of ice; 61% of the fresh water available on Earth
by Ian | Jun 13, 2014 | Antarctica 2018, Expeditions, Training, Trip Report
Monday, the start of the second week in Norway and we headed an hour and a half away from camp. Our aim was a nearby valley, going as high as possible to reach a flat plateau in which we were able to use the skis over relatively flat terrain. After a few hours, we found some slopes to practice and improve our downhill skills; although not so important for Antarctica, it certainly is useful in training for here in Europe. As any cross-country skier will tell you, the snow plough is pretty tough in cross-country skis, but improvement was made every day and we are now taking this all in our stride. Towards the end of the day, we came across a piste track, made the going easier, but we were only to find that we had actually inadvertently stumbled onto the training ground of the Norwegian cross-country ski team! These guys are the best when it comes to cross-country skiing, having won countless Gold Medals at the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi. Who knew we were going to share tracks with the likes of Ole Einer Bjoerndalen (the most medalled sportsman in Winter Olympics history!) before the trip was out? 
After the excitement of the Olympians the day before, our thoughts turned to the next two days in which we planned to embark on an overnight, self-supported expedition. Our aim was to cover a long distance in order to really get to grips with living, whilst skiing. The possibility of summiting Lodaskapa, the highest peak in the Jostedalen National Park was in our minds, but unfortunately, due to worse weather rolling in than forecast, the team were forced to drop down and find camp elsewhere. Descending the ridge we had spent hours getting onto was a little disappointing. However, we set up camp in a rocky lull to shelter from the elements, had a nice warm meal and got some well-deserved rest.
At this time of year, the light never completely disappears on this part of Norway and this night in particular really affected the team. The sun didn’t set until midnight and was only dark until 3am, which certainly made for an interesting, if not intermittent night’s sleep. This is one of those psychological factors we’ll have to get used to before being able to attempt the pole; the body does not function for long without any sleep and the team will need to be in tip-top condition in order to survive. We descended the same route we came up, but the difference was easy to see. With a full expedition pack, the weight had changed our speed, stopping distance and turning. This gave us all a bit of a hard time as we had not practised descending with a heavy weight on so were all sufficiently bruised and battered by the end. It was clear that we had learnt the hard way why pulks are used when skiing in Antarctica.
Thursday, and our last day in Jostedalen National park before the mammoth trip home. The bright sunshine that greeted us in the first week was now gone, replaced with grey skies in the South East. The forecast said rain (helping to remind us that Britain was only just over the horizon) but we set off back to the first valley that our guide had taken us to. We felt confident that we knew the area well and that the snow conditions hadn’t changed much, however the reality couldn’t have been more different. Much of the snow had melted in our 10 day absence, leaving large areas of heather and rock exposed, meaning the long runs we were able to make weren’t possible anymore. To add to this, the overcast skies soon turned to rain and the snow conditions worsened. It seemed like our stay in Norway had come to an end; we called for an early pick-up and got to camp to begin preparations for home, cheered up by the fact that the trip had been a success and that we would see Norway again before too long.
