From 6.00 – 7.30pm we will have an informal Mountain Expedition Brainstorm for anyone interested in hatching new mountaineering adventures or for those looking for advice, sponsorship or crew to join their ongoing plans. There’s no agenda, just a group of mountaineers and climbers getting together to see what they come up with. The plottting will be hosted by seven summiteer Rhys Jones.

This will be followed from 7.30pm til late by the usual mix of planning, chat, tall tales and inspiration amongst adventurers and explorers usually fuelled by a few drinks.

Bristol Explorers Drinks will be on Thursday 11th March at the Square Club, Berkeley Square, Bristol.

You can let us know you’re coming by ‘attending’ the event on Facebook.

SMALLS EXPEDITION IN LATE AUGUST (21 & 22 August tbc) Travelling on the Pride of Bristol to The Smalls, off Pembrokeshire. An area that is rarely dived, it boasts clear waters, wrecks and friendly seals. Get in touch with Monty Halls info {at} montyhalls(.)com, if you want to come along.

EXPLORING AROUND HOPE COVE  On 17th April Monty will be looking for new dive sites out of Hope Cove. The six places on the RIB were taken on the night but do get in touch with Monty if you want to be on the reserve list. We will share fuel costs.

SARDINE RUN OFF SOUTH AFRICA In June thousands of sharks, dolphins, whales, sailfish and other predators congregate to feed on enormous shoals of sardines. It is the largest animal migration on the planet.  A few of us are interested in putting a trip together. Please contact admin {at} bristolexplorers(.)com if you’re interested.

PLASTIC OCEANS Jo Ruxton told us about Plastic Oceans, a project bringing global awareness to the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic debris in the oceans……and crucially an innovative solution to the problem.

We will be having another Diving Expedition Brainstorm later in the year. For more information or for help with a new or ongoing expedition get in touch with Bristol Explorers at belinda {at} bristolexplorers(.)com

 VENUE: Kings Weston House, Kings Weston Lane, Bristol BS11 0UR

ALL WELCOME

 Tickets £30 (cheques payable to RGS-IBG with s.a.e.) from Jacki Hill-Murphy, 2 Fircliff Park, Portishead, N Somerset BS20 7HQ.  TEL: 01275 817894 

There will be a tour of the house before the meal

Along with around 400 other teams Ben will be donating the vehicle to charity and flying back to the UK. The purpose of the rally is to raise funds for Mongolian charities and enjoy a brilliant adventure at the same time.

Under the rules of the rally Ben must raise at least £1000 for Mercy Corps in Mongolia, but he also hope to raise £5000 for Cancer Research. There is no set route, no back up or support. The whole idea of the rally is to get yourself out of any difficulties you encounter on route! Most teams will be taking a small 1 litre engined car – as per the rules of the rally - Ben’s taking a 3.5 litre ambulance under the exception rule “teams may chose to take an emergency vehicle – fire engine, ambulance, etc provided it is operational and in good condition”

Ben’s route involves going through France, Germany, Czech republic, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, roughly 10,000 miles and will take 5-6 weeks to complete. Due to his two current team mates having  work and family committments Ben is now looking for new team mates.

If you are interested firstly have a look at Ben’s website – www.themongolancecrew.com and if that doesn’t scare you away drop him an email themongolancecrew {at} hotmail(.)com

Alternatively if you can’t go with him on the rally, but wish to show your support please sponsor him a couple of quid towards his charities using the Just Giving link on his website.

Events are held within forests and open countryside that contain a good network of tracks, paths and country  open to solos, pairs or families and follows a score format. Participants will be given a pre-marked waterproof map, with all the checkpoints marked on it (each checkpoint has differing values), they must then navigate their way around as many of the checkpoints as possible within a time limit. The aim is to get the highest score possible

Mud and Sweat provide the maps, safety and event support and the electronic timing equipment (all our events utilise SportIdent) …. All you need to compete is a working bike, helmet, compass and sense of fun and adventure to work up a bit of Mud and Sweat!

Tamar Valley (near Gunnislake)

Start Times from 10.45am.

For more information and an entry form, please look online at

www.mudandsweat.com or phone 07971 423280

Fast-forward to September and we’re at the Virgin Atlantic check-in, arguing with the staff over our less than generous baggage allowance.

We had seven months to prepare. To be successful you need to plan, prepare and practice. We achieved most of our plans but naturally there were some tasks we left to the last minute and suffered because of it.

This is our story of a small team with big ideas, how we prepared, struggled and learnt from our experiences.

The team consisted of Al Boardman and Elliott Forge who had previous first-ascent experience on a trip to the Pamirs, whilst Jane Cooper and I have been leading climbing and walking trips around the world for the past 10 years including trips to Spain, Namibia, Nepal, Borneo and Patagonia.

After much discussion we settled on a remote corner of the Indian Himalaya, Zanskar. Al knew the area having filmed “Special Delivery” there in 2007, which was shown at the Kendal Film Festival. We were put in touch with local guides who helped us accurately budget for the 17-day expedition, which included horses, cook, assistants, travel and accommodation costs. We also had a contingency fund; ours was almost all spent before we even left Heathrow on a small-print/weight-allowance fiasco.

We took a satellite phone as part of our emergency kit, which was so useful. We also used radios between us, there is only so much you can discuss with a rope pull. Radios can fail but until they do they’re great.  They worked perfectly well even without a line of sight over a 2km.

I run adventure races and mountain marathons and they simply do not compare to the gradual decline in fitness you experience at altitude. Simply reaching base camp after 12 days of travel and acclimatisation was exhausting and this was before we climbed anything. I don’t think you can ever be fit enough for an expedition.

Our practice sessions involved climbing on long easy routes, like Commando Ridge at Bosigran, allowing ideas to be discussed and big boot climbing to be admired. We also practiced rescue techniques, which were less than successful first time round.

There are no decent commercially available maps of Zanskar so we had to use Google Earth. You can copy the images over to Google map and transfer these to contour maps. Having as much information to hand still led to the locals arguing about the location of base camp.

The Expedition

Our walk-in began from a small village a few hours drive from Padum, where we met our 10 horses, cook, assistant and a plethora of locals wanting to know why we were walking into their valley.

After 2 days we reached base camp at the end of the Reru East valley, known locally as Katkar

On our first day’s recce, up the SE hanging valley, we found our original planned base camp. This, we realised, would prove too difficult for our horses due to the steep rocky approach.  Apparently yaks would have coped. We climbed to 5,000m and discovered the surrounding peaks would require 1-2 camps beyond an ABC. Unfortunately we only had one spare tent and not enough time.

Another ABC was ruled out on the Southern glacier as falling rock and collapsing ice marred the approach.

Eventually we settled on another hanging valley, NE of our basecamp. We established an ABC at 5,200m with three unclimbed peaks at its head. The following day we broke trail through deep snow and covered barely 1km in 2.5hrs. Concerns were aired about timings and day 18 saw us at a low. I began to realise how difficult it was finding a new mountain let alone the route. After another day of photos and route planning we decided to tackle the middle of the three peaks.

So, at 2.30am, with head torches shining, we set off retracing our previous tracks.  It only took 1hr to cover the first kilometre but then 4hrs to cover the next 1.5km, through deep powder any skier would envy.  At the bottom of our intended route a fine avalanche drifted past behind us, obliterating our path. Had it been 10 minutes before we would have been in the Bergshrund. We had chosen to ascend via the right hand shoulder but found only brittle granite. The shallow gulley, we’d hoped for, didn’t appear so we were faced with a 400m 70 degree North face (D+).

We had to deal with a mixture of vertical ice, deep powder and compacted snow, sharing the lead and finally topping out after 4hrs on our toes; calves on fire and the tedium of counting paces to break the endurance finally over. We ascended the western ridge, compact snow and brittle granite, to gain the summit, 5979m at 1pm. A call to base camp to let them know we’d made it was followed by retracing our steps down the ridge to pick up some gear we had off-loaded and then down-climb the face. There was no other possible descent making this section the most nerving aspect, as we were all thoroughly exhausted. The walk out was slow and we finally arrived at ABC after 14 hours. After much discussion we decided to call this peak Skilma Kangri. The locals translated this as the central snowy mountain.

Al and Elliott descended to base camp and Jane came up to ABC. The following day Jane and I scrambled up the South facing snow slopes to summit another peak at 5800m (F), Mt Jules.  The views were stunning; all the more in the knowledge that no other team had climbed in this area before.

What surprised me most was the mental and emotional exhaustion, it was so unexpected. We all struggled at different stages but as a team we were always supportive of one another. I came to realise that this trip wasn’t just about making a first ascent; it was about so much more.

Jason has climbed extensively over the last 10 years. He holds the MIA and, with Jane, runs www.peakaspect.co.uk, a Bristol based company specialising in bespoke climbing courses.

With thanks to Rab, Marmot, Campbell Irvine, Richard Growling and Helen Anderson.

Worn out behinds, the need for sleep and longings for real food have taken their turn in the forefront of the Lia’s mind.

Currently in 8th position, 2 miles behind and 20 miles ahead of young all male crews, the pressure is on for the final 600 miles!

Extracts from the week’s blogs below.
Monday 22 February.

Wedgewood blue, seas 2-4ft.

MASTER & COMANDER

Some people, usually students, sign up for drug trials and get paid to be part of experiments in medical science. Others go off and row an ocean.

Yesterday evening when I lay in the cabin feeling hot and demoralized with sore sores, I thought ‘What can I do?’ I aligned my 3 inch block of blue foam, the memory foam pad and my sheepskin, with the creme-de-la-creme spare rubber rowing seat on top and sat down. ‘Ooo!’ I cooed feeling the pressure off the pressure sores. ‘Heaven can wait!’

During our second communication as potential rowing partners, I assured Mick that as the boat’s owner, he should continue to hold the title ‘master.’ Imagine then, my surprise when Mick yesterday (part in jest) addressed me as captain!

It has not been without its hiccups, but as a team, our ability to communicate and support each other has grown significantly…

Tuesday 23 February.

Bonne Mama Fruits of the forest jam glossy deep purple, seas 2-4ft.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I turned my head to look in front of the boat and gasped. From the fin to the tail alone must have been 20 odd feet. Like a giant dolphin, the whale was light grey and one of the largest I had ever seen.

Just as I noticed one day that my tan lines- the etchings of bikini’s past and present, had been totally erased, yesterday I realized that I was suddenly slimmer! I have lots of female friends who probably wouldn’t mind being ’suddenly’ slimmer, but actually I felt quite alarmed by it.

When I woke up after my last rest, the first thing I thought of was fried chicken. F R-I-E-D C H I C K E N. The fried chicken called me out of the cabin and onto the oars.

Wednesday 24 February.

Translucent chilli oil red, seas 4ft.
Food fantasy of yesterday – wood stove, thin crust pepperoni pizza!

BATTLE WEARY
Day 51 was always supposed to be a mere 5-10 days from the end, or if we’d rowed really hard and were up there with the front runners, THE END. This years’ (last year’s) Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race 2009 has turned into an epic.
Resigned to 700 miles worth of further incarceration, life as I knew it seems so far away; reality so distant. Rowing has become the daily grind.
The need for sleep has become more pressing. At a guess, I would say that both of us are not far off physical exhaustion. It’s just a matter of managing it.
So when our 15kt southerly became a 15kt+ SW’ly yesterday evening…. I thought screw it. Mick was already in the cabin and so I fed out the yellow and green fabric jellyfish and teased out her lines.

For February 24th it was game over.

Thursday 25 February.

Marmite black, seas 3-4ft.

CHAMPAGNE & ICE CREAM

The only thing missing were the champagne flutes on a silver tray, next to the bowl of freshly cut strawberries, delivered by a waiter with white gloves… that’s what I wanted to write! Unfortunately the idea of getting mildly inebriated on the half-way-celebration champagne, while munching on NASA’s finest space Neapolitan freeze-dried ice-cream didn’t appeal to Mick. I did not fancy drinking alone.

There will be plenty of time for the fizzy stuff at the end.

Sitting down is still something of a sore point and I continue to sleep on my tummy.

I simply wore out my bottom!

Friday 26 February.

Delft china blue, seas 2-4ft

Food fantasy of the day – mixed greens with soft, warm goat’s cheese, walnuts and a light vinegrette.

MINAITURE MECHANICS

What time does morning begin? Midnight? For me, the definition between one day and the next has become fuzzy. What is time anyway? The only time that really matters on board is IKEA time, the time which denotes when your watch is up!

“This morning” when my cabin time was up, I rallied to my tasks.

Next up on the to-do list was to say hi to the fishes, sorry clean the hull. There was not a mollusc in sight, nor sadly, was there a Yellow Fin tuna.

In our diversion north, they must have deserted us. ‘Well, we’re not going up North!’ Cries must have gone out among the group. ‘It’s too wet and cold!’ But ‘Dream Maker’s’ underbelly wasn’t devoid of all life….

My list is done and now there is only sleep and chocolate to be had! Let’s hope we’re on our way soon…

Saturday 27 February.

English Cox apple juice ochre, seas 1-2ft.

Food fantasy of the day – see mood colour!

THE FORWARD-MOVING-PARA-TECHNIQUE

Early evening last night, the wind dropped off completely and Mick and I looked at each other. ‘Let’s go for it!’ We agreed.

As Mick pressed the pilot controls to edge our course even further south, I gestured hand-slicing neck and made a guttural sound. Cut. Within 15 minutes we were back on the anchor and I noted the GPS position. Mick had rowed us one mile towards the finish. Hurrah!

While our anchor retrieval timing was definitely spot-on, I was so frustrated when we were forced to stop again. ‘I feel SO frustrated!’ I said out loud through gritted teeth, to Mick.

In the course of the night, we gained a further mile towards Antigua! This time, I had set us off on the other “para-tack,” so to have achieved forward motion while heading south as desired, finally proved the success of the “forward-moving para-technique.”

Sunday 28 February.

Ensign red, seas 1ft.

TAKING STOCK

The night was warm and flood lit; the galaxy blanched by the candlesence of the moon, her wattage, so brilliant that you could read the numbers on the compass, dancing in their orb.

While the breeze teased me, a healthy ripple one minute, soft unbroken undulations the next, I watched our bubble trail drift off up the silvery path of our wake, the dip of the oars creating beads on the water’s satin dress. It was easy to stay awake.
My A-B system had gone somewhat askew with Mick wanting more calories than we expected…

The upshot of all this is that in 8 days time we’re going to run out of freeze-dried deserts and have to resort to eating squashed, out-of-date McVities cakes from the snack bags, to make up the calories. But since neither of us can remember what an unsquashed, in-date McVities cake tastes like, this is no matter!

Finally the sun sank and there was some relief. The departed sun shone a last glimmer of molten apricot on the flecks of cloud and the sea shimmered brilliant crimsons. ‘This is why I am here.’ I said to myself…

Sensing perhaps, that I needed a little cheering up, the dolphins that had been prancing around for Mick earlier, returned for me. Surfacing to my left, then my right; in front, then behind, they wanted to play! ‘Dream Maker’ is slow compared to a sailing yacht, but they lolled about patiently sucking in air. Then one threw himself into the air, nose-first and squealed with delight!

Go  to their website, www.oarsomechallenge.co.uk, for the whole story and more.

Monday 22nd February 2010: The Doldrums…..Well this is not what it said in the sales pitch of ocean rowing I can tell you: “Once you get south enough and start heading west towards Antigua, your pick up the trade winds and be zooming along at 25 knots“. Erm well we’re here, so where are these allusive trade winds?

Woodhousen described the sea as “a big watery desert” and Pete the skipper of Ocean Planet our support yacht says in all his years of sailing (and judging by the look of him, that quite a lot) he has never seen this part of the Atlantic so calm. Well that’s just great. This calm is predicted to stay with us for practically a week, and who knows after that. We are managing to get 2 knots out of Explore at best but only with the non-existent wind behind us. We might as well be trying to row through freeze dried porridge! And the temperatures are scorching, and with no wind to cool us down we are slowly being spit roasted here.

We have done all we can to think of how to boost our progress from redistributing the weight in the hatches, to rowing with a longer lighter set of oars more suitable to these conditions.

Mentally though we are fairly positive and determined to make the best of what we’ve got even though we do have a few crews overtaking us, which is not good but they are young-ish male pairs and to be honest they should overtake us and if they didn’t over take two old broads like us they ought to be d be ashamed of themselves!

Anyway all this plodding gives you a lot of time to reflect and concentrate on other things, such as pain in Mel’s case – she most definitely wins the biggest pain in the arse award. Mine is fairing considerably well, no doubt in thanks to Margaret and Maureen. A peeling nose is my biggest complaint at the moment, so life is pretty good it has to be said.

Obviously these arduous conditions seriously threaten our UK record attempt, but if we can still bag the UK record at the end of all of this we should be jolly proud of ourselves.

We celebrated 1000 miles to go a couple of days ago with some miniature bottles of champagne. Once the lovely contents were consumed (which took approx 30 seconds) I wrote a message and threw mine overboard. What’s the betting that bottle gets to Antigua before us?

Annie xx

Mel – Fri 19th February. Getting to the ‘bottom’ of it…

Bristol Explorers are putting together a crew to row a minimum distance of 2010 miles around the coast of Britain.

The crew will be a part of the Anglo American Boat Race 2010, which starts from Tower Bridge on 1st June 2010.

The journey is expected to take between 30 – 40 days. Crew members will be rowing a minimum of 12hrs every day.

Please email belinda {at} bristolexplorers(.)com if you are interested in joining the team.

Monty has consistently found that there seems to be an inevitable development from sipping a gin and tonic amongst friends to wrestling with a conger the size of an anaconda that has become tangled in your crotch strap at forty metres.

All welcome. We will be upstairs in the ‘champagne bar’ on the first floor of Goldbrick House.

Please email belinda {at} bristolexplorers(.)com if you’re interested in coming along. See you there.