The 2nd Annual IR Vacation to Hell- The Baffin to Ellesmere Challenge: October 2007

With the team being in four different cities and three different time zones,(one of which is 6 hours ahead),we are already dealing with logistical issues.
The internet with multiple e-mails a day (sometimes)...forwarding websites and info we accumulate via phone calls...and of course a weekly conference call between team members and the VTH folks will help to keep everyone on the same page as well as keep the vision of the expedition exciting and alive!
Whats important ...you could really take that question apart and over think it , but just like being in the field the expedition mentality should already be in place so ...whats important....communication,with the day to day realities we all have to face and on top of that working through trip planning issues sometimes a challenge. I would say that one of this teams strong points is that we do keep in touch on a daily basis.
One other point is we keep in touch not only because of this expedition , but because we're friends and there is other stuff going on we talk about.
Travel to the Artic isn't cheap, sorting out getting us and our gear there is a major task...navigation on the ground/sea up there, food , how much what kind to take. So many other logistical concerns to figure out.
What do we do about not having any income while we're up there.
And most important the stress it puts on our relationships with our loved ones. Even the most understanding partner will be stressed by our being in a place that just being there puts you at some risk. How much risk? Well at some level less than driving to work on some days and at other times as much as we can stand.
I think the difference is when you drive to work ,you just do it out of hand, we will be"on guard" the entire time we'll be on the ground up there so there will be, in a lot of ways less opportunity for something to go wrong.
The bottom line is when we hit the ground up there we will be mentaly,and physically prepared, we'll have the right gear and we will have a few good plans to see this through....not as a march to endure but as an eye opening experience to embrace and then share. Russell.

When I found out that we had won the grant I found myself thinking the same thing I thought 2 years ago when we were on a 42 foot long liner fishing boat off the northeast coast of northern Labrador,"what have I gotten us into this time?" Keenmuggford1

At first the task put before us as winners sounded like a suicide mission,but....now that we have had time to do some research we find it is doable...not easy by any means,but doable.

The journey within is a big part of the physical journey for me. What I mean is that,I try to think what are all the things I would like to take with me,and what is the least I would take. What will the weather conditions be like at its worst and at its best. What kind of stress will we be dealing with from the weather, wildlife, fatigue, terrain, illness, and so on. And,what are the unknowns? What will we see that no one else has seen for years (if ever),and with the global climate changing what will we see that no one will ever have the opportunity to see , ever again? Russell.