10/03/07
Ian has just completed the Wuthering Hike ultra-marathon in the South Yorkshire. It was 31 miles traversing gritstone moors around Haworth, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge and included 4,400 ft of ascent/descent. A real challenge through beautiful scenery.

09/08/06
We've received confirmation that we have a team entered for the Original Mountain Marathon at the end of October. This year it will be somewhere in Southern Scotland, but we won't know the exact location until the day before the event.
The team are training hard in a variety of sports currently, enjoying the sunshine whilst sailing, cycling and running hard.

12/07/06
The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon was an excellent test of our fitness - 2 days running over the mountains of the far north of Scotland carrying our tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear etc in our rucksacks. Weight is a major issue, so kit selection becomes a big focus before the event as we endeavored to take only the bare minimum of essential equipment.
Despite the rest of the UK sweltering in a heatwave, we had high winds, dense mist and at times heavy rain. We didn't do too badly; 15th out of 132 teams in our class. The navigation was quite tricky at times, especially in the poor visibility when precise map and compass work was necessary.

16/06/06
Later today, we shall start the long drive up to the far north of Scotland ready to compete in the Lowe Alpine Moutain Marathon. This is a 2-day event with teams of two running and navigating around the mountainous terrain whilst carrying all food, stove, tent and equipment for an overnight camp having to be completely self-sufficient for the two days.
At the start of each day teams are presented with a course of varying numbers of control markers which are identified by 6-figure map references. We must visit each control in the prescribed order but may choose our own route between each marker.
Many checkpoints require accurate navigation, especially in misty conditions. All route finding on the event is by map and compass, but we shall definately be needing our sat nav to find the location of the event centre at Inchnadamph. This is about 5 hours north of Glasgow.

14/06/06
Plenty of adventure has been going on for the team since our return from the arctic, ranging from fell running to paintball battles; cycle races to weight training in the gym. The expedition had taken its toll on our bodies and it has taken some time to return to former weight and fitness, but we are now all back to peak health and looking forward to a summer of adventure events.

10/06/06
Sharyn and friends headed off to the Isle of Wight to do the Wight Diamond Challenge. The terrain was very muddy making the cycling difficult and causing a few problems with the bikes. Camping in the warm climate was much easier than the Arctic although Sharyn quickly discovered that Arctic sleeping bags really are for cold weather and not for +20oC conditions! This challenge was completed over 2 days as some preparation for the End 2 End race in the Isle of Man in September.

16/05/06
The training is going to step up again by the weekend as we only have a month to go before the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon. This is a tough 2 day event navigating through feature less terrain in the Scottish mountains, whilst carrying tent and cooking supplies. The other difficulty is even just getting to the event. It's location will only be announced the day before, so we will have to phone for the details whilst driving up north. Hopefully our sat nav will then guide us all the way up to the far north of Scotland. The actual event only allows navigation using traditional map and compass - no cheating!

15/05/06
The next challenges for the Pioneer polarKAT team are currently being sought. We already have entries for the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon in the far north of Scotland and the Manx End to End mountain bike race in the Isle of Man. Training has had a gentle start as our bodies are still recovering from the major stresses of the Polar Challenge.

14/05/06
The team have now settled back into normal life, although the after-effects of the environment are still apparent. Numbness in the toes, painful fingertips after frostbite, weightloss and general fatigue are still affecting each of us to differing degrees. We still can't believe what we have done - pushing our bodies and minds to the extreme in such an unforgiving environment. It is so difficult to explain just how harsh the Arctic conditions are. We are so proud to have completed such a trip, especially as although 47 people had started, only 26 were able to finish.

07/05/06
On reaching the pole we set up the tent up for a quick meal. We had some surprise visitors when a pair of Inuit Canadian Rangers turned up on skidoos and came in for a chat. We then headed to Iscalean Mine for the finish line. The journey across the bay was beautiful with the midnight sun illuminating the mountains wondrously. The last stretch to the finish camp was extremely hard work with fatigue setting in after such a long push with no sleep. We had now been on the go for 32 hours. Arriving at the finish was so exhilarating with other teams coming out to greet us. We had made it - we figure well in excess of 400 miles in some of the most harsh conditions the planet has to offer. An amazing adventure!.

Team reflections
Ian
This was the chance to fulfil a life long dream to follow in the footsteps of the early pioneers of arctic exploration. How they must have coped with poor equipment and navigation devices.
It was such a harsh unforgiving environment but beautiful and fascinating. Each day on the ice seemed completely different, with the views even on the ice changing almost by the minute. My most memorable moment was when a blizzard lifted for a short while we had a view of spindrift racing towards us and golden sunlight behind it. It really looked as though we were skiing over the clouds.
This was such a fantastic experience and I can honestly say I loved every moment. The arctic is so remote and harsh, it was an amazing privilege to share such an adventure with my team-mates, Sharyn and Bill. I’m now eagerly awaiting returning home to see my wife Adele as soon as we can.

Sharyn
Participation in this event has been the greatest feat in my life so far and exceeds any previous physical or academic achievements. Coping with the harsh environment, the exertion and exhaustion has brought a strength to succeed that makes the end result phenomenal. I have enjoyed the time to have undistracted, uninfluenced thought to make life shaping decisions.
Pushing my limits to these extremes has been challenging but the experience will remain a key element in my
life for the future as an enriching and great time with a fantastic team. I hope to do similar challenges in the future and continue to experience life with some cool risks!

Bill
The arctic experience has been a truly inspirational and incredible journey - I don't think I will ever attempt anything quite as physically and mentally challenging again. From frostbite to fatigue - from unbelievable lows to incredible highs, the whole adventure has been amazing and a truly emotional and inspiring trip.
I can’t wait to see my family now and in particular my son Ben who has followed all the teams progress on the internet. I have kept a journal and will read this to him when we set off for our own mini expedition soon.

04/05/06
After a very long day, the Pioneer PolarKats have arrived at the Magnetic North Pole. It looks the same as every other piece of ice anywhere in the Arctic. No one had warned us about this!
We've set up the tent for a while for a quick bit to eat before we push on through the night to ge to our flight at Isachsen. Yes, it is possible to fall asleep while skiing. Bill's bent ski pole proves this. We'd like to thank all our families, friends and sponsors for making this amazing journey possible. It has been such a great challenge both physically and mentally. Now can't wait to see our loved ones.

03/05/06
We are looking forward to getting to the Magnetic North Pole and going straight to the finish line from that point. We are progressing through the night tonight to try to get to the finish line before 9am on the 3rd of May. We have had a great time and thanks to Pioneer for giving us this great opportunity.
Happy Birthday Adele. Ian misses you lots and is very sorry that he can’t get home on time, but we hope that you have a great day.

01/05/06
Ian and Bill weren’t sure if it was the drugs they had for breakfast or the lack of sleep last night but both of them have been falling asleep while skiing today which has been quite a bizarre experience. The PolarKats are getting quite tired now but are looking forward to getting to the Pole sometime tomorrow, but Bill is still declaring that today is the worst day of his life. Ian is almost at the end of his drawcord on his trousers as he has lost some weight. But we are all well and good and looking forward to getting to the finish line sometime around the 3rd of May. We are just heading to the island now and are looking forward to having a big meal and some nice sleep before we get to the Magnetic North Pole which is our main aim, and we are really excited about it.

30/04/06
We were really glad to arrive at CP2 last night with bacon sandwiches and hot chocolate. We really enjoyed seeing some of the other teams, and are really glad that we have managed to escape from frostbite and injury but in some ways we would be grateful for it! The weather has been great today and we have been crossing the sea ice on the way to the Magnetic North Pole and we’re very excited about that. Sharyn would like to send her love to her parents and also to Michelle and Peter whose messages have been very encouraging and hopes that they have a great time in Los Angeles.

28/04/06
The Pioneer PolarKats are going to be sleeping at CP2 tonight, where they will get more food and hopefully lots of sleep. We have been doing long days to try and get to the end of the race as quickly as possible. The terrain today has been quite tricky but we have really enjoyed it. Sharyn’s hair has got a life of its own and has got beyond control, she is worried that when she gets back to the UK she will still have some crazy hairstyle. Ian was very happy today when he had white chocolate. And Bill sends his love to Sarah, Ben and Grace and is really excited about telling Ben about his Arctic Adventure when he returns.

26/04/06
Today we have been skiing through ice boulders and are nearly half way to CP2. In celebration Ian is making Sharyn and Bill some jelly tonight to have in the tent with some balloons. The Pioneer PolarKats are sick of eating noodles now and hope that no one takes them to a noodle bar when they get back to the UK. Bill almost flipped up today when he said that he might be enjoying the day but then he returned to normal and basically he hates camping! PolarKats are all well and really enjoying our time in the Arctic.

24/04/06
The Pioneer PolarKats are heading off towards CP2 the progress has been very slow today as the snow is very deep but we now have new pulks and new equipment and hopefully we will move faster over the next few days. Bill and Sharyn have christened Ian Ebeneezer due to his restriction on battery power. Sharyn loves jelly babies so much she is scared that she will turn into one and Bill got a fright the other night when he went to the toilet and the ice started to crack around him. All in all we are feeling way and looking forward to getting to CP2.

23/04/06
The Pioneer PolarKats have arrived at CP1 and are in great spirits. The weather and the terrain have been tough, but we now have resupply and are good to leave for CP2 tomorrow morning. We have seen amazing ice sculptures but the flat light makes it spooky and we’re imagining polar bears around every corner. All of us fall over all the time now as we can’t even see the ground. We are now enjoying friendly banter with some of the other teams at CP1 and are looking forward to an evening in the tent where we can chill out.

22/04/06
The Pioneer PolarKat team are currently crossing the sea ice towards the CP start line. They are quite devastated by the slow progress which has been hampered by storms, polar bear incidents and other problems with our kit. Our morale is still very high and we still hope to complete the challenge. We are expecting to speed up and get a new lease of life when we get to CP1, which we expect to be either later today, or early tomorrow morning. We are all well and fine, and trying to move as quickly as possible despite the conditions. We wouid like to say hi to everybody at home, and let them know that we’re all ok, and hope to finish the challenge very shortly.

21/04/06
The PolarKats are in their tent tonight waiting for a storm to clear. They want to reach Check Point 1 tomorrow. The storm is frustrating our attempt at progress. And we hope to move faster when the storm clears either tonight or tomorrow. During the storm, they encountered a polar bear which they had to scare away with shots and noise. The polar bear was very yellow in colour and easy to see, but the conditions made it very difficult to determine where it was after we scared it away. Bill has resorted to falling over when he’s tired and spends life covered in snow. Ian has had a couple of pulk white outs and Sharyn has been trying to catch all of them on movie. This is the hardest physical challenge any of us have undertaken and we are making our best attempts at progress. We are listening to our tunes in the tent tonight as we try to rest but the mysterious noodle saga continues.

20/04/06
The Pioneer PolarKats have finally made it off of Bathurst Island which is a huge relief as it has been a very gruelling few days. The most exciting part was crossing polar bear pass through icy ravines down to the lake which proved to be very exciting. We’re hoping to progress a little bit over the sea ice tonight and find somewhere to camp. The Pioneer PolarKats are finding noodles absolutely everywhere, including in their sleeping bags, outside the tent and also in their coffee cups. We’ve got no idea where they are coming from. The weather has been fantastic over the last few days. Sharyn would like to say a huge hi to Kim, Sheila and Michelle and all her friends.

18/04/06
The mountainous terrain across Bathurst Island is challenging and tiring. Much to Ian’s dismay, Sharyn is even worse than Bill at getting up in the morning! The Pioneer team is going through Polar Bear Pass and will be looking out for Snowy the Pioneer bear. Strange sounds were heard as we crossed a valley where the snow shifted and re-formed. We have amazing respect for the early pioneers who crossed this terrain without GPS technology. The team is continuing up the terrain today, and hopes to reach the sea ice sometime tomorrow. Bill says hello to Ben, Sarah and Grace all the way from the Arctic.

17/04/06
After travelling for 10.5 hours we finally set up camp on the shores of Bathurst Island. After an extremely cold night, in the early hours our food store was raided by a white furry intruder. Ian came face to face with a beady black eye.and sharp teeth. We thought it was snowy, but no it was actually an Arctic fox! Problems with our stoves are delaying the Pioneer team but we are trying to find a fix. Mountainous terrain is extremely challenging, and Sharyn is a bit battered from an alteration with a pulk cable which turned both her and the pulk upside down. But all is well in the Pioneer tent and the team enjoyed Easter Eggs and coffee after dinner. Ian sends his love to Adele and misses her.

16/04/06
The PolarKAT's enjoying a bit of light hearted fun before they begin the 350 nautical mile race to the Magnetic North Pole and beyond, in which they will face temperatures and wind chill that could drop below -70C. A few Easter Eggs will make up only a tiny proportion of the calories the racers will need to get to the North Pole – they will consume over 5000 calories per day and have taken over 15kgs of chocolate with them each!

15/04/06
All members of the team are excited that they will finally be at the start line tomorrow. Already in sight of Bathurst Island. They are currently making final preps for race and have been travelling through almost lunar icescape amongst amazing ice boulders, and these are amazingly tricky to cross. We saw many Polar Bear tracks but no sign of snowy the pioneer Bear last night. Last night was party night in the Polarkats tent as we tried to see how many visitors you could get in at one time. The teams were playing, and the laughter was loud. Despite this Bill still hates camping.

14/04/06
Blue skies and sunshine were welcomed by competitors today on their fourth day of walking to the startline. They made their first diary update directly from the ice and now have only one more day before they reach the Start Line! The race is due to start on Easter Sunday, 16th April.

13/04/06
The PolarKAT's continue their journey to the startline. Tom from Team Cotswold has has some mild frostbite on his fingers but he is managing it well and continuing on the challenge. Today all teams completed their first schedule call - during the challenge that will update base camp with their position once every 24 hours. The mobile team fought their way through rubble and joined teams at Camp 3.

12/04/06
The PolarKAT's have begun the 'short' 65 mile trek to the race start after 6 days of training in Resolute, the base for the challenge in the High Arctic. Spirits were high this morning as teams gathered for a good luck ceremony with traditional throat singing from Resolute's community. All competitors are optimistic after successfully completing training in blizzard conditions and still air temperatures as low as -35C over the last few days. Their departure from Resolute was greeted with blue skies and bright sunshine. On their journey to the start line the team will still be in training – they will be traveling with Arctic instructors, to give them help with ski techniques, tent routines, keeping warm, polar bear safety and more.

11/04/06
Home for the second night consisted of pitching the tent upon the sea ice; very unsettling knocking 9 inch nails directly into the sea ice to hold the tent up. A mental note - don't let Bill cook again! We're sure that too much carbon can kill you! Last night was very cold - about minus 35 C; waking to ice crystals across the tent walls and upon the sleeping bags. An uncomfortable night even with all our high tech equipment - it is amazing how the early pioneers managed it. Thanks to everyone who sent us messages; it was wonderfully uplifting to read these whilst on the ice when we had a visit from the telegram girl!

10/04/06
We have just returned from our 3 day practice expedition. The first day, we headed out in whiteout conditions and were forced to put up the tent in gale force winds. With relief we dived into shelter and got a brew on. With a fine meal and the music system on, spirits in the polarKAT team were high. Some of the other teams reported hearing our laughter late into the night. The next morning, with clear skies, we headed off out to sea over the frozen ice through an ice boulder field. This is where the tidal flow pushes the ice into large masses of frozen blocks. We purposely tried to find a difficult way through them for a bit of fun before some more shooting practice. The last thing we would want to encounter in a white out would be a curious polar bear.

09/04/06
Blizzard conditions surrounded the team this morning - they awoke to strong winds and poor visibility - a new challenge in this Arctic environment. They dropped their tents and moved inside to finish preparation for the mini expedition. All teams departed on the 1km route to camp with their Arctic Instructors, but due to conditions stopped early and set up camp. Many were shocked but all are now smiling and warm inside their tents.

08/04/06
First night under the canvas and Bill declares how much he hates camping! Withgale force winds and temperatures below 40 degrees, it was a cold noisy night. As our breath condensed on the tent walls, it froze instantly. The flapping fabric walls then shook it off allowing it to fall upon us as a dusting of snow. Getting out of the tent in the night for the toilet is also quite an experience - not something that you want to take too long over. After further weapons practice this morning, we shall be heading off for a short 3 day expedition as further training before we start the push to the start line at Polaris Mine.

07/04/06
Due to high number of polar bears in the area through which the event will be passing, shotgun training is essential. The team armed with pump action shotguns headed off for target practice in the frozen landscape in -40 degree winds. With the polarKATs trying to shoot with smarting eyes due to the icy blasts, no polar bear would dare approach! Accomodation tonight will be in the tents outside the hotel, before heading off tomorrow afternoon on a practice expedition.

06/04/06
The team have arrived in Resolute Bay in the frozen north after a refueling in Hall Beach. The approach was over frozen seas with gaps in the ice at times as leads opened - an awesome sight. Conditions like this would not be good to ski across. Weather conditions are amazing - crisp clear skies with a mini-heatwave of -22 degrees. The air freezes in the nostrils giving a strange sensation when breathing in. First Air have succeeded in losing the hand luggage; hopefully it will arrive tomorrow and not be sent back to Ottawa. The town of Resolute is small with about 200 inhabitants. It is a frontier town for scientists and the starting point for many arctic expeditions.

05/04/06
After a nights rest in Ottawa, the team are travelling north to Iqaluit, before changing to fly to our final destination of Resolute some 5 hours later. It will be in Resolute that the team will finish their training before the race starts in 5 days time. The aiport was was great place to stock up on chocolate croissants.

03/04/06
The team are finally on their way tomorrow flying out to northern Canada, where they’ll be training for about ten days before starting the race from Polaris Mine to the Magnetic North Pole. They have had a busy last few days with final last minute adjustments to kit and packing and repacking of the pulk bags. Items of clothing have now got tags on all the zips to assist when wearing big gloves. The local supermarket thought they had gone mad when buying 10kg of jelly babies each.

02/04/06
The team had a fantastic send off last night at the Polar Bear Dance with the Sons of Erris playing. It was a lively night with music still playing until the early hours. The team would like to thank everyone who came along to offer their support and best wishes. The venue have reported massive takings behind the bar! It is with sore heads that the gear is being sorted and packed today.

30/03/06
The Ice Bar in London was the perfect location to say goodbye to friends and colleagues. The team were drinking Arctic Blizzards in the -5 degrees bar, where everything is made from crystal clear ice, even the glasses. As you enter, you are given a thermal cape with thick gloves; these are definately needed to hold your drink in comfort. Thanks to everyone who came out - it was a great evening!

26/03/06
Final testing of the gear is currently taking place, with trial runs of packing and unpacking of all the equipment so that the team is as efficient as possible once in the arctic. Fortunately, both the stoves are working well - if these were to fail, then there would be no water and hence no food. All water used whilst in the arctic will have to be melted from the surrounding snow.
The next week will be spent buying food and last minute adjustments before we fly out to Resolute Bay in northern Canada. Bill has the added hassle of sorting out the gig on Saturday in Birmingham.

22/03/06
The polarKATs are very excited about the proximity of the Polar Challenge. Sharyn and Ian are working in Edinburgh but managing to sightsee and chill out. Bill is getting ready for the next polarKAT concert on April 1st - join us if you can!
Sharyn and Ian also have events planned at the ICE BAR in London on 29th March and at the RIver House, Windsor on 31st March which everyone is welcome to come to!

20/03/06
Whilst Ian and Bill were out running, Sharyn has been in London with 2 other teams, dragging tyres and raisingmoney for charity. Most tourists were highly amused and the Community Police tried to stop the teams but it was a good day out. Zander and Sharyn have been sailing catamarans and running in the rain to help each other stay fit despite the all the pre-polar parties and fund-raising events.

19/03/06
Plenty of action for the team this weekend with Bill hill running, Sharyn tyre dragging around London and Ian caught in gale force winds high in the Welsh mountains.
There is still plenty of snow in the hills with relatively good ice conditions in Cwm Idwal in Snowdonia. There were surprisingly few other ice climbers out this weekend considering how rare it is for decent ice in England and Wales in the last few years.

15/03/06
Tougher training is now tapering off - the last thing any of the team needs is an injury. This will give time to put on extra weight as insulation and to ensure that we have all the necessary kit.
The team are also trying to make all the appropriate arrangements for our leaving bash - the Sons of Erris will be playing once again; this time the venue will be the Three Horseshoes in Stirchley, Birmingham on Saturday 1st April. It should be another lively night - the chance of any training being done the next morning is very unlikely!

14/03/06
After more running last night, the team have been reflecting on the Austria trip. The skiing was hard and the marines who trained us pushed the limits and pace as we pulled our pulks across the Austrian mountains. The scenery was spectacular though and lifted our spirits over the steeper terrain. We had some hilarious wipe-outs, collapsing tents, exploding stoves and consumed a mountain of jelly babies along the way!
The ice breaking drill was quite a chilled experience to say the least, but had to be done! Hopefully that won't happen out there as 3 minutes is all we'd have to sort it out or chances of survival would be minimal.

13/03/06
Team polarKAT have now returned from an intensive weeks Arctic training in Austria. After an initial issue of kit, this consisted of cross-country ski tuition, pulk pulling, campcraft and the famous ice-breaking drill. The ice break procedure demonstrates what to do if the sea ice were to break and the individual falls into the arctic waters beneath. The massive temperature drop the body receives causes confusion and the individual to potentially go into shock, so a rapid response by all the team is required.

06/03/06
The team headed for the mountains to the west of the Brecon Beacons for a long walk over the remote Fan Hir and surrounding pot-holed landscape. The area of Carmarthen Fan lies above the huge limestone cave system of Dan-yr-Ogof and evidence of the subterranean world lies with the ground liberally sprinkled with shake holes.
The soft snow was several feet deep in places adding to the workout. With strong winds and drifting snow, the team was given an impression of what the Arctic may be like. The day was used as endurance training and further GPS practice.

04/03/06
After a stressful week at work, Sharyn's boxing strength seemed to improve dramatically; her sparring partner underestimated the strength and speed of her right hook and can't decide whether its his black eye or ego that is more bruised! The rest of the team are trying to keep away from her.
Last weekends gig was so successful, that, by popular demand, there will a Farewell to the Fools gig on April 1st. More details to follow.

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