by Ian | May 22, 2016 | Antarctica 2018
“Who said that was the Rollercoaster? Rollercoaster are meant to be fun… that was more like the Hills of Hell!”
Two weeks after completing the Jurassic Triple, the team have just about recovered from what has been the single hardest challenge to date. Running a marathon is often regarded as one of the hardest physical and mental endurance events a person can undertake, dragging oneself around a 26.2 mile course is not for the faint hearted. Late last year it was decided that the team needed a proper hard challenge, which could only be achieved by subjecting themselves to not one, but three backbreaking marathons in three days!
With the challenge set, the team soon set about finding a suitable location to complete such a feat. When thinking about the ideal running environment many places come to mind; namely Norfolk… the Cheshire Plain… Holland! However, all of these just didn’t quite seem tough enough and given the team wanted to try and replicate the extreme physical and mental pressure they will be undergoing in the Antarctica, completing a flat road marathon simply wasn’t going to cut it.
After much deliberation the team choose Dorset’s Jurassic Coast as the ideal location to really test themselves, settling on a stretch of the South West Coastal Path between Charmouth in the west and Studland Bay in the east. Breaking the coastline down into three distinct sections, the routes worked out at just over a marathon each day.
Day 1
Having been held up in rush hour traffic the team starting their first marathon on Charmouth Beach at 11am on Friday 6th May, just as the sun was reaching it height for the day and Mercury was rapidly rising. The team set off at a good pace up the first hill, eager to try and make up some lost time, however acutely aware of the need to not burn out too soon.
The first half of the day was relatively hilly, however the team made short work of this on fresh legs, soon reaching soon passing through Seatown and West Bay. After a quick pit stop just outside Burton Bradstock the terrain eased off and the team found themselves running dangerously close to energy sapping shingle of Chesil Beach. Picking there through the loose shingle, the team soon found themselves in heading in land, away from the beach, where the going was much easier.
Given they spent most of the day running through the heat of the day dehydration was a big problem on Day 1. No matter how often they were stopping to take on water, they just couldn’t seem to taken enough on, despite drink around 5 litres by the third checkpoint. This seem to have a noticeable effect on the teams profamance, which noticeable dropped in the afternoon, but determined not to fall at the first hurdle the team worked together to help each other get through their wall.
Finally rounding the last corner the finish line at Chesil Beach Centre in Weymouth finally came into view and the team completed their first 28.2 miles.
Day 2
Keen to avoid the mistakes of the first day, the team decided to set out early on day, setting out for a lap of the Isle of Portland at 08:00. The team made much better time in the cool early morning temperatures, completing the first 13 miles in under 2 and half hours, reaching checkpoint two 20 minutes before our support crew had anticipated.
After the enforced break, the team set out for the second part of the day, which would see them run through a busy Weymouth town centre, to Ringstead, where they were joined by Clare Symonds and Fi Durrant, who would run the last 5 miles with the team… the infamous “Rollercoaster”. This section of coast is constantly undulating, which coming at the end of the day of Day 2, when legs are already suffering is a real killer and mental torture, especially when you realise you’ve already completed over a marathon for the day!
However, battling mental demons the team were spurred on by the encouragement from our new companions, and were soon relived to be making our way down the final slope into Lulworth Cove, marking the end of the second day. With another 28 miles under their belts the team had just enough time for an ice cream and quick dip in the sea to relieve tired legs.
Day 3
Despite the promise of the Day 3 being the hottest of all three days, the day started with the team setting out from the Lulworth Cove in the driving rain. With heads down, the team ventured into the Lulworth tank ranges, where the terrain carried on in the same vain as finish of pervious day, with the team making slow progress along the steep, undulating terrain.
Having spent the previous two days running in glorious conditions, the change in the weather brought some fresh challenges for the team, with the ground much slipper underfoot, making for some treacherous descents down the steep slopes.
After the first of the hour and a half the conditions improved, with the sun making an appearance and the team soon dried out, which combined with the stunning scenery massively helped to raise spirts.
However that was short lived and given the pounding the team had been subjected to over the previous two days, individuals feet had started to swell, making each footstep particularly challenging. Chris was suffering particularly badly, with his shoes which normally fitted perfectly offering no room for expanding feet, making each step nearly unbearable. Given the slow progress and time constraints facing the team, once they reached checkpoint two they decided to slip into two teams; with Joe, Ollie and Matt heading off in front; and Chris, supported by Dave, following behind at his own pace.
Both teams made good progress during the second part of the day, with the terrain becoming much flatter and more familiar given the amount of time the team has spent climbing along the sea cliffs near Swanage. Arriving in Swanage the team could sense the finish line which, after a quick ascent of Studland Hill, was finally in sight. The last 2.5 miles along Studland Beach passed without incident, with the two team finishing with 45 minutes of each other.
by Ian | May 16, 2016 | Cambodia 2016
Craghoppers state that “A polo is always a smart choice for a travel bag”. This seems suiting giving our polo shirts will be coming on a near 3000mile journey to Cambodia in December 2016. The HSX Cambodia Expedition is supported by Craghoppers who have donated team uniform to the Expedition.
We kicked off our recent training weekend in the Lake District handing out this highly anticipated kit to cheers from the expedition team and overwhelming exciting. One member will not be allowed to forget his opening statement upon receiving his polo shirt “I’m never going to take this off”. Although they feature moisture control technology, I doubt they will stand up to never being taken off or washed!
We choose kit from the NosiLife Range which has built in Insect repellent and UV protection, perfect for the hot humid days in Cambodia but also the wild nights filled with insects and creepy crawlies during our Jungle Trek.
Men will be sporting the Gilles Short Sleeved Polo whilst women will be wearing the Keisha II Short sleeved Polo.
Men’s Gilles Short Sleeved Polo.
One of the first things I noticed about the polo’s is the light weight approach Craghoppers have taken. The shirt is stripped back, no unnecessary pockets; in fact the two pockets on the polo are together; the left hand chest button pocket hiding a zip pocket. The Zip is perfect for security; money, keys, passport, making your travel even safer and leaving you worrying less about your important belongings.
Although the Lake District was not is normal sunny self over Easter, I did get a glimpse at what was to come. The moisture control does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s like having built in climate control, I never felt hot or sticky like I have in similar tops. The light weight, thin fabric is loose enough on your skin but not so baggy that you have to order a smaller size.
The Polo comes with a sunglasses hanger loop – although our team is ‘too cool for school’, it’s a nifty little feature if you want to use it and again, is nice and discreet contained within the pocket.
It comes in three colours, Brick Calico, Light Dusk Blue & Light Grey Marl. We went for Light Dusk Blue and my only thought on that is it kind of has the look of a pyjama top.
Women’s Keisha II Short sleeved Polo.
This Polo has to be put on to be fully appreciated, first off the colour it’s so nice to have a women’s outdoor top in a practical colour. The moisture control and dark colour will hold a multitude of sins that wearing for a few days without washing in a humid Cambodia acquire.
The design itself is smart and basic exactly what you want from a polo. The fit is what makes the top stand out from others; it has a small amount of gathering on the front and the top of the sleeves it also comes in slightly at the waist. This small detail makes a massive difference to how it looks, I can’t believe I’m saying this about an outdoor polo but it’s actually flattering on the figure.
The final thing I noticed after walking in the top for a day is the lack of label in the neck and the same can be said about the Men’s Polo. There is nothing worse in my opinion than a label scratching on the back of your neck when you’re hot and sticky especially when you’ve got a 70ltr bag on and its then end of a long day.
Craghoppers have really thought about every detail on this basic polo which makes it a pleasure to
wear.
*Men’s review written by Matthew Prince & Women’s review written by Rosemary Harrison.
by Ian | Apr 27, 2016 | Antarctica 2018
It’s just over a week to go until the Antarctica team take on their next grueling challenge… the Jurassic Triple!
The months of training have been building up to this, three back-braking marathons along Dorset’s the South West Coastal Path. We are running it over 3 days from Friday 6th May to Sunday 8th May, staying in local Scout huts along the way. The team will be supported along the route by members of HSX and other Scouts from Hampshire and Dorset.
Each evening we will be presenting to the Scouts in that area about our expedition, inspiring the next generation of explorers to take on their own personal challenges.
We would love it if you would like to get involved with the challenge, either running with us for part of the day or the whole day if you are up to it, or if you’re not felling quite that energetic, why not cheer us along at one of our check points, or help to liaise with the Media on the final day.
You can see our routes for the three days on the maps below, which highlights our checkpoints.
by Ian | Apr 26, 2016 | Antarctica 2018
The Antarctica Team invite you to join them for a night of food and fundraising! On Saturday 18th June 2016, the University of Southampton plays host to our first gala event to raise money for the expedition. This will be a great chance to meet the team, learn about Antarctica and enjoy a fantastic evening of food and entertainment.
The evening will start with a complementary drinks reception overlooking the landscaped gardens of the university and will be followed by a delicious two-course seated meal in the University’s Garden Court. Our host, HUW JAMES will then introduce you to the world of Polar Exploration by talking you through the team’s preparations to-date and showing you how we plan to succeed during the hardest endurance challenge on Earth. The night will round off with an auction where you’re sure to pick up some amazing prizes and exclusive experiences (all will be revealed soon!), plus there will be music and dancing until midnight…
Tickets are £45 and booking closes on Sunday 5th June – If you order before May 16th then you’ll receive a free signed team photograph – what more could you want!?
We look forward to telling you all about the expedition in-person and enjoying the start of summer on the 18th… Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite here.
by Ian | Apr 22, 2016 | Belize 2011/12
“Way too keen in my opinion”! That’s how Joe felt about the few eager HSX members who decided to make the annual pilgrimage to the Lake District earlier this year, to embark on a wild camping micro-adventure.
Normally we’d leave our homes on Thursday night, arriving at Great Tower Scout Activity Centre in the early hours of Friday morning, ready to hit the Lakeland Fells for the Easter Weekend. However Chris, having convinced his HSX Patagonia 2017 expedition leader and a couple of companions, braved the Thursday morning rush-hour traffic, eventually heading into the Langdales, for some much needed team bonding and Mountain Leader practice. Undeterred by the overcast conditions, the team headed into the fells, micro-navigating to Angle Tarn, where they set up camp for the night, bagging a series of peaks in the blistering early morning sunshine before the inevitable rain set in again!
The Ad+Venture trip is the most popular trip outside of Hampshire, and this year saw a strong turnout of 44 members, comprising of the Cambodia 2016 expedition, Patagonia 2017 leader team, Antarctica team and other HSX members. Needless to say packing this many adventurers into such a small space generate quite a lot of excitement, with lots of adventures being planned in spite of the miserable conditions.
The plan for the weekend saw Matt spent time with his Cambodia team as the expedition leader, maintaining contact time with his team, which makes a massive difference when on expedition. There would be no rest of the rest of the Antarctica team however, which saw them divide their time between their own personal goals and Antarctica tasks.
On Good Friday Joe took two under 18s multi-pitch climbing on White Ghyll crag, practising for his MIA assessment, whilst Dave took a group single pitch climbing on Scout crag and Ollie went fell-running around the Fairfield Horseshoe. This was the best day weather wise, feeling like and early summer’s morning. However, with dark clouds looming the rain soon rolled in, bringing an end to the day’s activities by mid-afternoon. For some of the under 18’s it was the first day they had been climbing and it was great that the Antarctica team could help facilitate this.
Saturday saw Chris, Joe and Ollie run the Kentmere ring, one of the most scenic circular routes you can do in the Lake District… if you can see it! They were joined by Alan, Jamie and Ross, who all braved the deteriorating weather conditions, enduring horizontal rain, howling gales and stinging hail. Covering 26km and over 1300m of ascent in just over the 4 hours, this was a good pace and the team were happy with their performance, giving them a boost of confidence for their up and coming Jurassic Triple. However all was well once the team had gone into Ambleside for some post run rehydration! But don’t judge we, of course we had our post run chocolate milk, as ordered by our sports nutritionist Dr Hill from Solent University.
If the team thought they got wet on Saturday, then Sunday was going to bring them another slap in the face. This time rain and hail gave way to strong winds and snow up on the hills of the Lake District. Joe went out with two under 18s for a scramble on Harrison Stickle, which is just west of Pavey Ark. Ollie and Chris opted for a lower level walk helping people practise for their ML assessments, teaching micro navigation and flora and fauna identification. Normally focussing on lichens, mosses, birds and the odd small mammal, the team almost stepped on an Adder making the most of the basking opportunities between the heavy downpours!
Not wanting to rest on our laurels, the evening were packed with practised presentations for our Cotswold presentations, planning our training for the year ahead and discussing our sponsorship strategy and where we’re going for the next year. This side of our the expedition planning is just as important as getting out and training in the mountains, and it was also a big moral boost knowing the ball is rolling quite well at the moment with exciting trips, challenges and events lined for this year.
