The Russian airbase is basic but the people are very friendly and she is enjoying the Russian food. She is trialing her polar cycle over the next few days while she waits for her next flight that will take her to her starting point.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Just landed in Antartica
Maria has landed at the Novo Russian Airbase in Antartica. She reports that conditions are good and it was amazing landing on a sheet of ice.
The Russian airbase is basic but the people are very friendly and she is enjoying the Russian food. She is trialing her polar cycle over the next few days while she waits for her next flight that will take her to her starting point.
The Russian airbase is basic but the people are very friendly and she is enjoying the Russian food. She is trialing her polar cycle over the next few days while she waits for her next flight that will take her to her starting point.
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Flying tomorrow
Just heard that Maria is due to fly tomorrow December 11 on a Russian cargo plane from Cape Town to the Alci airbase in Antartica. She had to assemble her bike before flying. Here she is pictured at the expedition base with her bike all packed up ready to go. Don't forget to put on those ten layers of clothing before you leave Maria!
!
En route to Cape Town
Last minute packing day was hectic. Spent hours wrapping batteries, camera, GPS and all such sensitive essentials in a good layer of thinsulate. The leads had to be specially well wrapped as they can snap in extreme cold temperatures. Apart from the bike box that was packed by Friday I went through my clothes, again and again, trying to discard anything I did not really need. I will only be washing with wet wipes for 20 days!
The last mammoth effort before leaving home was loading the massive bike box on the roof of my car
for the journey to Heathrow. We made it in good time but spent two hours persuading Virgin to accept my oversized bike box. Finally with the help of Meghan, Wayne's daughter, we were off and up in the sky on the way to Cape Town. This is just the first lap of a ten day journey to the start line.
A couple more days in Cape Town for kit checking and weigh in before taking the ex-military Hercules cargo plane to Novo on the edge of Antartica.
East Antartica has just been recorded as setting the record lowest temperature on earth at minus 95C by newly analysed satellite data. What a contrast to 30 degrees plus in Cape Town.
The last mammoth effort before leaving home was loading the massive bike box on the roof of my car
for the journey to Heathrow. We made it in good time but spent two hours persuading Virgin to accept my oversized bike box. Finally with the help of Meghan, Wayne's daughter, we were off and up in the sky on the way to Cape Town. This is just the first lap of a ten day journey to the start line.
A couple more days in Cape Town for kit checking and weigh in before taking the ex-military Hercules cargo plane to Novo on the edge of Antartica.
East Antartica has just been recorded as setting the record lowest temperature on earth at minus 95C by newly analysed satellite data. What a contrast to 30 degrees plus in Cape Town.
 |
| Arriving at Heathrow with my massive check in luggage |
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Fully loaded
Another hectic day. I decided to load up my polar cycle with all of the kit I will be carrying across Antarctica (all 45kg of it), to experiment with weight distribution. Firstly, I must admit I love experimenting with new ideas. This has not been done before so it could go one of two way but that's what makes it so exciting.
The good news is that the majority of that weight loads up the rear driving wheels and in fact reduces the weight on the front two wheels meaning that I might just get some extra float out of my front two wheels. On top of this we made a custom fit pair of skis for the front two wheels that fit on with a simple brackets system for when the snow is just too deep to make any headway.
With the extra weight on the rear wheels this will increase the traction which is good news. I have had to add additional padding to the frame on the rack of the polar cycle so the bag doesn't rub on the gears. It just shows how important testing everything is!
We also added a wedge to the inside of my right peddle to support my weaker knee. Due to years of training, my left patella has been weakened but with this minor change that Phil, the Biomechanic picked up, I'm now able to peddle with no problems.
My newly fitted arm-rests provide huge assistance and now with my sleeping bag acting as a head rest my upper body is 100% rested as I peddle away. That was one of my objectives from the very beginning.
I also tested my new stove and made everyone a cup of tea at lunch time!
Only 7 days to go....
The good news is that the majority of that weight loads up the rear driving wheels and in fact reduces the weight on the front two wheels meaning that I might just get some extra float out of my front two wheels. On top of this we made a custom fit pair of skis for the front two wheels that fit on with a simple brackets system for when the snow is just too deep to make any headway.
With the extra weight on the rear wheels this will increase the traction which is good news. I have had to add additional padding to the frame on the rack of the polar cycle so the bag doesn't rub on the gears. It just shows how important testing everything is!
We also added a wedge to the inside of my right peddle to support my weaker knee. Due to years of training, my left patella has been weakened but with this minor change that Phil, the Biomechanic picked up, I'm now able to peddle with no problems.
My newly fitted arm-rests provide huge assistance and now with my sleeping bag acting as a head rest my upper body is 100% rested as I peddle away. That was one of my objectives from the very beginning.
I also tested my new stove and made everyone a cup of tea at lunch time!
Only 7 days to go....
Thursday, 28 November 2013
10 days and counting
A busy morning. Firstly a meeting with my local MP, Alun Cairnes outside the Welsh Assembly...polar cycle on display prompting lots of people to stop and ask the big question, "what is that?'
Followed by the polar cycles first trip around Cardiff City Centre. Only travelled 5km but took me 2.5hrs due to the number of people stopping me to ask "what is that?'
Took delivery of all of my delicious freeze dried food. Weighs a ton and it's the lightest weight on the market!
Collected a beautifully lightweight titanium stove and thermos flask which is going to get a thermal jacket made for it this weekend...
Lots of phone calls, e-mails and website updating and now off to host my parents for dinner this evening for being so supportive of my crazy adventures.
Followed by the polar cycles first trip around Cardiff City Centre. Only travelled 5km but took me 2.5hrs due to the number of people stopping me to ask "what is that?'
Took delivery of all of my delicious freeze dried food. Weighs a ton and it's the lightest weight on the market!
Collected a beautifully lightweight titanium stove and thermos flask which is going to get a thermal jacket made for it this weekend...
Lots of phone calls, e-mails and website updating and now off to host my parents for dinner this evening for being so supportive of my crazy adventures.
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