Boots!
08/07/07 21:50
Today involved a long drive up to Nottingham.
Unfortunately, a stretch of the A52 was out of action
for some serious roadworks and so I was a frustrating
few minutes late reaching the Cotswold Outdoors store
there.
Here we were all finally kitted out with the magnificent Scarpa 8000 boots that we will need in Antarctica. The boots are designed in several interlocking layers and with a snow valance just below the knee. They need to be able to take crampons and ski bindings and will be essential when we head up into the mountains. These boots are a staggering £550, although Cotswold are giving us an impressive reduction as part of their sponsorship of the expedition. They will cost each of us £390. However, returning with all my toes is a big priority and I don't think you can put a price on your health in such a dangerous environment.
Teacher's TV were on hand to film us being fitted for the boots and to interview each of us who were there. Amy, who had already been fitted successfully in Harrogate, was absent for a Metallica concert!
We retired to Phil's old local for a drink and some experimentation with the communications gear that we will use on the ice to link up with our schools in the UK. We also had some serious discussion about the make-up of the team that will go to Antarctica. It now seems that Teacher's TV are keen to go with us to Norway in August and may even come out for the first few days to Patriot Hills; our first stop on the Antarctic continent. Steve believes that he can better look after our interests and safety from the UK, rather than coming with us for the whole duration of the expedition. He has found a couple of superbly qualified people, one of whom might replace him as leader.
We all felt a considerable tension about this change of plan. On the one hand, his arguments about the need for the change seemed very sound. On the other hand, we like and trust Steve and have confidence in his and Carl's abilities, as a well-balanced team, to look after us in this extreme environment. We would all need to develop, very quickly, a similar confidence in whoever took over. We only have the trip to Norway to achieve this. More about this in the future, I'm sure!
I managed to get back to Hertfordshire by about 5.00 pm. and brood on all the developments of the day.
Here we were all finally kitted out with the magnificent Scarpa 8000 boots that we will need in Antarctica. The boots are designed in several interlocking layers and with a snow valance just below the knee. They need to be able to take crampons and ski bindings and will be essential when we head up into the mountains. These boots are a staggering £550, although Cotswold are giving us an impressive reduction as part of their sponsorship of the expedition. They will cost each of us £390. However, returning with all my toes is a big priority and I don't think you can put a price on your health in such a dangerous environment.
Teacher's TV were on hand to film us being fitted for the boots and to interview each of us who were there. Amy, who had already been fitted successfully in Harrogate, was absent for a Metallica concert!
We retired to Phil's old local for a drink and some experimentation with the communications gear that we will use on the ice to link up with our schools in the UK. We also had some serious discussion about the make-up of the team that will go to Antarctica. It now seems that Teacher's TV are keen to go with us to Norway in August and may even come out for the first few days to Patriot Hills; our first stop on the Antarctic continent. Steve believes that he can better look after our interests and safety from the UK, rather than coming with us for the whole duration of the expedition. He has found a couple of superbly qualified people, one of whom might replace him as leader.
We all felt a considerable tension about this change of plan. On the one hand, his arguments about the need for the change seemed very sound. On the other hand, we like and trust Steve and have confidence in his and Carl's abilities, as a well-balanced team, to look after us in this extreme environment. We would all need to develop, very quickly, a similar confidence in whoever took over. We only have the trip to Norway to achieve this. More about this in the future, I'm sure!
I managed to get back to Hertfordshire by about 5.00 pm. and brood on all the developments of the day.