Post holiday blog

Hi All,
Sorry for not writing for so long. Not for lack of thought or desire,
but I was enjoying some brief time with my fantastic family on the
lovely Isle de Noirmoutier on the Vendee coast of France - camping
with very basic facilities, but not as basic as I will have on the
ice!!! My holiday fitness regime was interrupted slightly by a throat
infection - I have been working so hard in the last few months,
balancing fund raising with money earning, that when the moment came
to relax, my body just went "bleurgh" and shut down. It was a good
wake-up call to keep me focused on ensuring my fitness is not
compromised by the extra strains and stresses of trying to do to much.
My agreement to myself was to keep pushing as hard for a few more
months, then to re-prioritise my efforts.

The pressure to secure the rest of the funding is really on now. If we
are to fly in through South Africa - my preferred route - then we have
but a few short weeks to secure the deposit for the flight. If we are
to fly in through South America, it gives just a couple more! Either
way there is now not much slack. When I first conceived of the idea of
the expedition it was to celebrate the 99th year since Scott went
South - some humour in that I thought! The delay to the centenary
"season" was an inevitable corollary of the economic meltdown, but
with a positive outcome of timing much to the joy of i-Catchingmovies,
the film makers, and Primal my PR agency. To delay yet another year is
too painful to consider right now. My focus is very much on a 2010
expedition.

I will keep you posted as news comes in! Hurrah

Manley

Lovely weather today

It may be a damp, overcast and windy Summer's day here in Lymington, but at the South Pole they're coming out of the winter season where today it's also cloudy....but -87C with wind chill. Roll on December/January when it'll be a balmy -35C!

Rupert

That's not a Polar cooker....

...it's a flippin' rocket booster!

With glorious weather on Sunday I took the opportunity to cook breakfast on the beach for family and friends using one of our expedition cookers. Crikey! I had bacon, sausages and eggs for seven cooked in minutes on a cooker the size of a saucer. Given that we'll be melting snow and ice every day for water, and then boiling water for our freeze-dried food this is one piece of kit that has to work every time.

Rupert

Holiday blog

Dear Best of British South Pole (and Foundation) bloggers and followers,
I write this from the beautiful French island of Noirmoutier in the
Vendee Region. This Region of France is famous for many great
explorations of the seas from ancient time to the modern day with the
Vendee Globe - the ultimate around the world sailing race, non-stop
and single-handed. The inspiration I am gaining from it come in the
form of the sunshine, the beaches, the "huitres" and the "fruit de la
mer", good time with my family and a chance to re-charge my batteries
before the the autumn work to secure the sponsorship needed for the
2010 expedition, and to finalise the logistics and fitness. There is a
fixed date by which, if we have not paid for our flights in
Antarctica, we will have no option but delay another year. Our full
focus is to make that date an irrelevance and, whilst we still have
time, to maximise that time to ensure a successful expedition.
Regardless, the Foundation is bigger than the Expedition and has begun
its long-term journey of instilling the "Best of British values" are
recognised, encouraged and rewarded - Hurrah

On On!

Manley

Training restarts

Hello,

The good news is I've got the all clear to restart training again, so did a six mile run on the coastal path around Fowey, Cornwall while staying with friends. The lungs felt good but the legs were heavy. I've got to be really careful that training is a gradual build up and very structured otherwise I could end up damaging myself again. Thanks to all those who have given me support and advice in recent weeks - very, very much appreciated.

Rupert