Welcome to the Arctic Rob. Are you comfortable?

I am catching up so this is a couple of days out of date - last night we cooked and ate in the tent before sleeping in it!  Brrrr



I eventually arrived in Resolute Bay after almost 3 days travelling. This sort of delay is to be expected up here in Northern Canada where nothing is taken by chance. We took the flight to Ottawa and stayed there overnight and the following day (28th) had a flight to Iqaluit here we were to change to get in a plane to Resolute. At Iqaluit we were told that the flight to Resolute was also stopping at Arctic Bay to drop some passengers and some cargo. When in the air we were told that before Arctic Bay we were stopping at Hall Bay for 15 minutes to refuel. After 2 hours at Hall Bay (and 8 hours since Ottawa) we were told the plane was broken and that another was coming to pick us up and take us back to Iqaluit! Once there at 11.30 pm we were back in a hotel and to the airport the following morning. The flight on the 29th also stopped at Hall Bay and then Arctic Bay - but then went on to Resolute.




Resolute is the second most northern town / village. There are about 200 people who live here. It is in a beautiful location and when the weather is as good as the 29th was (sunny, no clouds, - 25 C) it is amazing. This is where we are training for the week. We have spent one night in a lodge, met our skis and took them for a 2 hour walk, put tents up inside and outside in the snow and covered a lot more theory and classroom based activity. My Baffin boots are about 1 metre long and 50 cm wide which makes skiing on skis 15 cm wide interesting. I spent a few minutes with my face in the snow. Although it could have been worse as later in the day a scientist from a research group fell through the ice 50 meteres from where we are camping! Putting up the tents wearing gloves, goggles, romper suit and with rubber dinghys on your feet is a lot harder than doing it in South Wales. We are sleeping in them tonight - its only - 35 C so not a problem (apparently).



The classroom stuff has bought this to life in a rather galling fashion. We had a session on frostbite and saw a lot of photos of amputation of the nose, fingers, toes and even worse (boys). Its a serious business out here! We then covered Polar Bears and missed out on a photo of a Inuit Guide who had the top of his head removed when a bear attacked through his tent. The reason we missed it is the laptop ran out of juice. But I ask you, how scared are they trying to make us! Tomorrow we are having some more time with the shot guns and it cant come quicker.



Race proper starts on Tuesday now (delayed because of errr, our delay). Temperature later this week are due to drop to - 40 C. But do you know what? I just want to get out there and get started. Jo, Lucy and I are working well together as a team and after 18 months of preperation and training we are finding ourselves to be pretty experienced. We seem to know our stuff - which in the end is a good thing - especially for my sponsors!



Until next time. Next one will be a frozen beard, perhaps."

In Canada

Hi - its 6am in Ottawa.  We have 2 more flights today, the first to Baffin Island and then in a twin prop plane to Resolute Bay where it is -35 c.  We will be wearing the baffin boots, big fleeces and down jackets with hats gloves and the all important sunglasses to prevent snow blindness.  Its very real now!

Heart felt thanks to all my supporters and for all the donations.  Means a lot to me and to Macmillan.

http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-MacAlister

Have fun!

Brrr - its going to be chilly

Whilst browsing about Resolute Bay, which is where we start from, I found this and thought I would share it! Crikey! 

Although it was 55 years ago, it was still -51.7 degrees C, and the average was - 30! Am I getting cold feet???  (ho ho)

Off tomorrow.  Handing over to my wife!

All the gear but any idea?

A New Sponsor

Hi - I am delighted to announce that I have been sponsored by Close Asset Management.  Close have been a great help in supporting me to get to the North Pole and have shown great interest in the endeavour.  Many thanks to all at Close for all your assistance!

About Close Asset Management Limited
Close Asset Management Limited is a successful and reputable manager which has looked after client portfolios for the past 40 years, providing core investment solutions.


We employ over 60 investment managers, analysts and dealers. Our investment managers have an average of 17 years experience of portfolio management.


We currently look after 22,000 clients with £7.6 billion of assets under management*.
Winner of the 2008 and 2009 What Investment Readership Award for 'Best Discretionary Wealth Manager'. Shortlisted for the 2010 Investor Chronicle/FT Awards for 'Best Wealth Manager for Investments' and 'Best Wealth Manager for Alternative Investments'.

Back on line - updates a plenty

As if training and final preparations for the North Pole is not enough, we have also just moved house!  After a huge delay we are back in the present era of electronic communication and have BROADBAND WORKING!

I have just over one week to go.  After this date I will be handing over the reigns of blog updates to my wife! Technology has been sorted out by my team mate Jo, and her fantastic sponsors,  Pure Technology. We will be able to send updates and photos on a daily basis and my wife is acting as PR hub from the UK HQ and will update as well as send out all of the updates to sponsors.  You can expect all the updates to be more regular and much more amusing than mine! Her sense of humour is legendary - it has to be to be married to me!

A couple of weeks ago we all met in a warehouse near Bristol to do the final packing and to ensure the baggage will come in less than the airline allowance.  It did, just.  I also received my Baffin boots which are well insulated and waterproof and are absolutely HUGE! I have a size 11 foot but with all the padding and insulation - they are half a metre long! I also got my hands on the MSR stoves which are the most important piece of kit that we will have (along with the tent). The stoves are used for about 4 hours in every 24 hour period to melt snow and ice into water to make hot drinks and to rehydrate the dried food.  I have to become an expert at using and maintaining them.  It is a bit of an art as the flames can go up to about 2 feet if you are not careful! 

I have plenty more updates including - NEW SPONSOR, Charity Quiz, final training etc etc and will be online again this evening!

Walk2work.MOV

Now on accessible Youtube!