Things are starting to move on a pace up for the 2006 North Pole expeditions. We have two groups of eight who are trained, booted a suited and ready to go.

The first gang of merry pilgrims, as Alan and I like to call our teams, will be arriving in Spitsbergen on the 6th of April. We have a couple of days training and acclimatisation before we take the Russian Aircraft up to Camp Barneo and the start of our adventure. For that is what the North Pole is; the outcome is unknown but the goal is clear.

We have the best equipment money can buy, ample knowledge and buckets of enthusiasm and determination. Excitement and anxiety seem to blend into an intoxicating cocktail as the prospect of the expedition creeps ever closer on a daily basis. What will it really be like on the ice, how will I cope with the cold, am I fit and strong enough - bring it on I can’t wait to get going.

Alan and I seem to be spend every minute of the day running round chasing endless details from socks to communication packages and shipping the food out on Monday. All of which has to be squeezed into trying to run a normal life that is asking for a bit more attention as we are about to drop of the edge of the civilised world for a month. Everything seems to be in order though and we are as excited as everyone else.

One should never forget that there is always a lot more to driving a self-satisfied flag into the top of the world. It will be a very personal moment of course, but not always a selfish one. These expeditions draw big hearted people and the flag represents the collective effort of the team and those that stand behind the individual from friends, to family, and what they hold dear to their heart. In many cases charity plays a big motivator in the struggle north.

In 2004 £170,000 was raised for HopeHIV to build a school in Uganda for HIV orphans. The 2006 teams are of a similar ilk. The first group have been amazing in their efforts on this front and the best thing is to look at www.northpole2006.com to meet them, their aspirations and charitable links.
Of the second group we have Kevin Gaskell setting himself a target of £100,000 for Leukaemia research, see www.jaynesgift.org and to date realising somewhere over £50,000. John Harrison is raising money for ‘The Khulani Children Home’ and has already raised over £30,000 for the pot. Much of this is in company donations for a picture of their company flag at the North Pole. Stuart Marsh is well on his way to raising £10,000 for the Foot Ware Benevolent Society. Amongst other things, thanks to ‘The Prince of India Restaurants’ in Buckinghamshire, Alan French is taking the first Indian Takeaway to the Pole for Save the Children. We also have Angelo Speranza hard at it raising funds for Childwish and Lorna Beer is raising funds for ‘Babes Big Appeal’

Do keep abreast of the fun by following the updates as we push North for the Pole.