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Media Centre > Wavefinder
7th April 2009
Wavefinder founder sets off on first leg of challenge to ski to North and South Poles.
The founder of a leading travel publisher is preparing for the first leg of his challenge to ski to both the North and South Poles this year.
After months of training, Wavefinder’s Jo Oliver leaves London for the Arctic on 8th April for the first leg: to ski and walk to the North Pole.
Jo will then follow in the footsteps of Scott and Admunsen to travel to the South Pole in December, and is hoping the dual expeditions will raise over £100,000 for two charities which support illnesses that have profoundly affected members of his family.
“My motivation for each trip and the challenge overall is to raise awareness and money for MIND, a leading mental health charity in the UK, and the Huntington’s Disease Association,” said Jo, who will depart for the Arctic the day after his 40th birthday.
“Without either understating or underestimating the anticipated hardship and risks that I face during both of my challenges, these pale into relative insignificance when compared with those faced by both sufferers of mental health problems and Huntington’s Disease, and their carers, on a daily basis.”
Jo has followed a rigorous programme of preparation to make sure he is in the best possible physical condition to make the trip.
As well as the mental and physical exhaustion from skiing up to 16 hour days pulling a 60kg (130lb) sled in some of the world’s most extreme conditions, both of the polar trips will expose Jo to a number of risks, including hypothermia and frostbite from the intense cold; snowblindness from the reflected sun; polar bears and open, icy waters (leads) in the Arctic; and substantial crevasse fields in Antarctica.
After flying to Longyearbyen in North Norway where final preparations and acclimatisation will take place, Jo and three team-mates will fly to Camp Barneo, a temporary camp set up on the drifting ice in the Arctic Ocean at an approximate latitude of 89 degrees north.
From Camp Barneo the team will immediately commence their ski to the North Pole on 13th April, scheduled to reach their destination on 21st April.
“Camp Barneo is approximately 65 miles from the North Pole, suggesting an average 6-8 miles skiing a day. However, in reality this will be more like 10-15 miles a day once the ice drift and the circumnavigation of leads (tracts of open water) and ice rubble fields have been taken into account,” said Jo.
“Once the challenges of climbing through the less severe ice rubble fields have been factored in, we anticipate skiing and walking between 8-16 hours a day. The day doesn’t end with the skiing, with camp duties including pitching the tent; boiling water for both food and drink requirements; clothing and equipment repairs; and communication required before nestling into a sleeping bag for a night of freezing.”
Jo’s progress can be followed on his website and blog at www.mypolarchallenge.co.uk, which also gives details on how to make a donation to his charities.
His quest to ski to the South Pole in December is dependent on achieving funding support. Any organisations or individuals interested in becoming involved through sponsorship are requested to contact Jo on jooliver@btinternet.com.
Jo Oliver is one of the founders of Wavefinder Ltd, a leading publisher of adventure sports guidebooks and how-to manuals.
The company publish a series of pocket-sized Snowfinder ski and snowboard guidebooks covering the USA, France, Canada and Austria. Their Wavefinder surfing guides include titles on Australia, Indonesia, USA & Hawaii, UK & Ireland, Central America and Mexico.
Links
Jo Oliver's Polar Challenge website
Just Giving - 2009polarchallenge
Huntingdon's Disease Association
MIND
ENDS
Images
High resolution images for print use can be downloaded here.
Jo Oliver's Polar Challenge 2009
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| Wavefinder founder Jo Oliver training for his challenge to ski to the North and South Poles in 2009. |
Wavefinder founder Jo Oliver training for his challenge to ski to the North and South Poles in 2009. |
Notes For Editors
Wavefinder is a leading publisher of surf, snowboard and action sports guide books. The company publish a series of pocket-sized Wavefinder surfing guidebooks covering Australia, Indonesia, USA & Hawaii, UK & Ireland, Central America and Mexico. Their Snowfinder ski and snowboard guides include titles on the USA, France, Canada and Austria. The latest release, Surfing: The Manual, is a ground-breaking guide to advanced surfing techniques written by some of the world’s best surfers.
www.wave-finder.com
Wavefinder Limited
Suite 16, Parsons Green House, 27 Parsons Green Lane, London SW6 4HH
Media Contact - PR on behalf of Wavefinder.
Jim Michell at Barefoot Media.
Telephone: +44 (0)1208 895089 Email: jim@barefootmedia.co.uk |
