Norway, mountains, friends and stuff
Minus thirty. Eyelashes tipped with mini balls of ice. Fingers numb. The cold gnawing at my cheeks so they feel that skin has been stripped from them. I wish I could feel my legs and wonder if my toes are blue; and we’re planning to head for Antarctica? It seems a mad plan when even a Norwegian winter feels so harsh.
At minus thirty, the sit-ski has no glide over the snow, as if there’s a layer of superglue between it and the white stuff. Pulling on my ski poles with all my strength, I barely move, and suddenly the prospect of a mountain sk-tour seems like a sentence for torture.
My friend Kristina straps on a harness, normally for towing sleds, and hooks me in. She’s hardy, born on skis and used to the Norwegian winter. The ‘stick’ of the cold snow is broken, and we start moving. My arms work like pistons in rhythm with her legs, and the intermittent tug from the tow-line keeps my momentum going. Slowly but surely we follow a skidoo trail, up, up and up into the mountains.
Way up high, its warmer; some kind of temperature inversion. There is pristine snow, peaks and valleys blanketed in ice, the sky blue, a sparkling landscape. I’m glad for friends mad enough to help me be there.
Without friends none of the stuff I do would be possible. So thanks to all of you, and for being a little bit crazy to trek high and far with me. That’s the stuff that brings life to life.
— February 17, 2010 12:39 PM
Into the Unkown
Over the last few weeks I’ve donned my very best BBC voice, presenting a new series for BBC Scotland called ‘Into the Unknown”; interviewing explorers such as John Blashford-Snell, John Ridgeway, Pen Haddow and Benedict Allen. It was a real privilege to hear their stories, and perspectives on adventure and exploration.
You can listen to the programmes by going to BBC radio Scotland ‘Into the Unknown’ page.
— February 09, 2010 11:21 PM
Remarkable New Year
Happy New Year! Its snowing like I’ve never seen it snow in Inverness before. Scotland has the best ski conditions in Europe, as demonstrated by skiing along the canal towpath this afternoon. Had to remove the Air Greenland tag from the back of my sit-ski, which is really sad because it means I haven’t sat in it since then…that’s three and a half years since the most incredible journey of my life, skiing across the Greenland icecap. Big skies, open space, pure wilderness, the kind of place that empties you, so you can stop doing and start being.
At the end, I was hooked, reluctant to return to ‘normal’ life, and was sure I’d be hard parted from the ice for long. So what happened? Work, family, commitments, daily chores, miles of biking…the kind of stuff that although important, can easily squeeze out a few vital blocks. The blocks that hold all the mortar together; the adventures that give us the space to breathe amongst all the busy-ness of the business of life, and remember that we’re a little being in a big universe.
Our ski tracks across the pristine surface of the Greenland icecap are marks I’ll never forget. Simple marks that made life feel remarkable. It is, but sometimes we get too busy to remember.
To all I know and all I don’t, Happy Adventuring in 2010, and may you find yourself feeling the remarkable-ness.
— January 01, 2010 08:09 PM
Fit for Purpose
Fit for Purpose
I spend dark winter hours like a hamster, pedaling my handbike on a turbo-trainer, occasionally strapping on a heart rate monitor to try and keep a pace. I watch something on iplayer – great that ‘Spooks’ is back - to distract myself from the boring labour of pedaling a bike when there’s no view whizzing by, no wind or rain to distract me from the pain of burning muscles.
It’s all in pursuit of this slightly mad idea of making the handcycling development squad with a view to 2012. Apparently UK Sport is eager for aspiring Paralympians, but my eagerness is falling on deaf ears at British Cycling. Maybe they just think I’m too old or no good. But strangely, just when I’m wondering how to train smarter and get stronger, I get a call from John and Christine at ‘Fit for Purpose’ , offering me some sports performance testing, nutritional advice, and coaching. Perfect timing if I’m to sustain the hamster wheel any longer.
A torturous 40 minutes on the turbo, with minute intervals to prick my fingers and squeeze blood out for testing, I now at last know more about the text book training measurements I’ve so often read about, but never known how to get. Lactate threshold, maximum heart rate, body fat percentage (yikes), peak flow measurements etc. I’ve struggled to get into these more ‘serious’, perhaps slightly geeky aspects of training, but as I’m serious about getting faster on the bike, and training smarter, then it couldn’t have been more perfectly timed.
John and Christine have years of experience but have only recently put it together to establish ‘Fit for Purpose’, Aberdeen-based and offering a personalized service for anyone who wishes to get fitter, better. I’m hooked now and have just bought some electronic scales to help me keep a food diary for the week…probably so they can tell me to eat more protein, and less chocolate biscuits. Hmmm.
Watch this space to see how it develops, as ‘Fit for Purpose’ help me get fit for 2012, whether that’s handcycling at the Paralympics, or skiing to the South Pole. They’ve offered Andy a diet analysis too, but he’s not up for it…it would be goodbye to bacon butties and mountains of chilli, chips and cheese.
— December 07, 2009 07:20 PM
Cosmo Fearless Woman Award?!
Just home from glitz and glamour of the Cosmopolitan ‘Ultimate Women of the Year’ Awards for ‘Fun Fearless Females’. What’s one of them, I wonder? Certainly there was no fear of showing legs or cleavage, and amongst the glittering celebrities, it was with some bemusement that I was privileged to receive the ‘Fearless Woman of the Year’ award. Absolutely not true – Andy has seen me quivering beneath a climb, shaking with distress at the sight of surf whilst out sea kayaking, and jumping at the scurry of a fat spider.
I’m not sure whether being viewed as fearless is an honour or a representation of my tendency to launch foolishly into potentially dangerous situations. It is certainly a humbling experience, to be gathered with a group of women doing incredible things, inventing equipment to help the world’s waterless population, humanitarian work in far and dangerous places, giving opportunities to teenagers who might otherwise go astray, fighting cancer, etc. – a room full of people doing really good and hard work, which make climbing mountains and crossing icecaps look like sheer, indulgent, adventurous idiocy (but that still won’t stop be from doing it).
Ruth Jones (‘Nessa’ in Gavin & Stacey) seemed unsure what to make of her Ultimate ‘Funny Woman’ award (quote ‘is that funny ha ha or funny strange’?). I was typically envious of the Ultimate ‘International Angel’ award…having that spiritual slant to life, I like the idea of being an angel.
The thing that connected everyone in the room is that we all do things we love doing, and have travelled the roads that those passions have led us along. We probably all think we’re just doing what we do, and feel lucky we are able to.
As I stood on the stage, I could see beside me the friends, family and strangers that over the years have helped me do more than I’d once dared to dream, and it is to all of them that I owe my experiences. If you’re reading this, you know who you are, and thank you!
Meanwhile, the Pole of Possibility plan is getting underway…watch this space for news of ‘Operation Snowball’ – our master plan for involving young people, helping them towards their aspirations, and raising £1 million at the same time.
An inbetween, cycling, writing, cycling, writing….plans for the new book, ‘Dizzy Fingers’ are getting closer (but not in time for Christmas)!
— November 15, 2009 11:14 PM
Sport mad week
Last week was a mad one for travelling and sport.
The 15th August was the London World Triathlon Championships, where bizarrely given my minimal experience of triathlon, I was asked to go and compete for Britain…apparently my one half-iron-man effort in Scotland two summers ago qualified me for an entry! It was a bit of a showcase event for Paratriathlon as a sport – that means a range of disabilities such as wheelchair users, amputees and those visually impaired - and the largest race ever held in Europe with 42 competitors from 7 countries. It was centred in Hyde Park, and involved a 300m swim in the Serpentine Lake (I tried not to swallow but failed badly), a 10km cycle (using a hand-bike) and a 3.3km run (for ‘wheelies’ that means pushing a racing wheelchair).
The event was watched by Olympic representatives looking to include Paratriahlon into 2016. Despite swallowing a lot of murky water, it was great fun & I somehow managed to win a Gold medal for the wheelchair women’s section (though there were only 2 of us!), but most fun of all was watching Andy’s kids Ella (10) and Ewen (7) getting interviewed for TV about what it was like to be there. More info at http://www.britishtriathlon.org
Then it was off to Hungary for the World Orienteering Championships. I was one of six in the British ‘Trail Orienteering’ team, that is an adaption of orienteering for anyone who can’t run through the forest: it’s not a race, more of a mental challenge reading maps and problem solving, sort of like suduko in the forest. With thirty five degrees, and two of the courses around a zoo, it was an interesting week.
I was 8th in the Paralympic class, and our team were 8th overall: it’s hard to beat the Scandinavians where orienteering is more popular than football in the UK! For more info see http://www.woc2009.hu; http://www.trailo.org and http://www.orienteering.org and follow links to Trail O. The British team are always on the look out for new recruits, and you don’t have to have a disability to take part.
Next on the whirlwind week of sport was a day in Preston with British Cycling. They’re looking for a hand-cycle development squad to work with over the next year, in the build up to 2012. The day involved physiological testing i.e. torture on a handcycle with a power meter attached, some explosive power tests, a time trial on the track and some racing around a bike circuit.
I was the weakest and the slowest (consoled by the fact I was the only female there as Rachel Morris, Beijing gold medalist is busy training for the forthcoming World Champs in Italy). Anyway we’ll find out in mid-September whether we’ve made the squad…
— August 30, 2009 10:22 AM
Paddling and hand-cranking
Any kind of adventure would have seemed great after a week in bed with swine flu - good to have some antibodies now though in case of a more vicious winter version. We chose the Caledonian Canal. There were three in a boat (Andy and his kids, Ella, 10 and Ewen, 7) and me in a sea kayak. It was four days of wind and rain, singing, cajoling, midge-biting, wet-tent antics, fearing for the safety of Andy, the kids and my wheelchair as they bobbed merrily on the rolling swell of Loch Ness. No monsters. Two-thirds of the route from Fort William to Inverness is along lochs, the waves quite bouncy at times, and only one-third on canals, where you hope the lock-keepers will let you through in the kayaks. We only got lucky once. I thought the Caledonian Canal would be a dull paddle compared to the mountains and lochs of the west coast, but its a fantastic journey, with free camping and good facilities offered by British Waterways - who market the canals as ‘your outdoor gym’. There’s a map and info about it on the Scottish Canoe Association website.
On the hand-bike front, the National Disability Cycling Championships, a colossal sixteen hours drive to sunny Kent, saw a big field of handcyclists turn up (well, big for the UK at around 20, but apparently they get hundreds in mainland Europe races). Rachel Morris, gold medallist from Beijing, and in the same category as myself (though she is a double amputee), made an appearance after months in hospital, and some intimidating competition for everyone. After a promising start, I couldn’t stay on her wheel, and she pulled away, cranking up an increasing lead to win the race. She’s either a natural or has been pumping iron in the hospital gym, or both. Well done Rachel. Next race in Warwick town centre, 6th September, then the final round of the UK paracycling series in London on the 26th.
— August 11, 2009 10:08 AM
Skwooshing by…
The last month seems to have gone with a skwoosh! (check out http://www.skwoosh.com if you never want to get a sore or numb bum again – brilliant products that I’ve used loads this month for kayaking and biking - thanks Skwwosh!). Spent a week in Italy for the ‘Bibione sea kayaking event’, which started with a fantastic carnival atmosphere at the Venice ‘Vogalonga’ – a tour (or race if you feel like it) around the canals and islands of Venice for any non-motorised boats. There were giant gondolas with teams of gondoliers, rowing boats, dragon boats with drums beating, and amongst all that some small fry kayaks and canoes. Sadly it was the wettest / windiest weather ever known to summer in Venice (and a heat wave in the UK), and only 600 of the 2000 boats entered actually started…and 50 of those capsized (luckily we weren’t one of them). If you like water and boats of any description, it’s a great event, and happens every year.
Bibione Kayak week is in its second year (see http://www.bibionekayak.com), based on a fantastic campsite an hour or so east of Venice, on a small peninsula between the Adriatic Sea and a lagoon. So whether you like surf and sand, or grass and calm blue waters with a network of channels to explore, it’s a great event for water lovers, ice-cream and food lovers alike. There were plenty of kayaks to choose from – mainly by Sweden’s Point 65 and Italy’s CS Canoes, and the foldable Klepper boats from Germany too. There are some great designs out there for anyone in a wheelchair to paddle, with more stability – for example the Point 65 Double Shot (2 person kayak), CS Canoe single kayaks have a great range with good stability, and Klepper have a new ‘XXL’ design that even fits a wheelchair in it, and still handles really well.
Early June also saw the first bike race of the British Para-Cycling series. A pretty good turn out (about 20 riders I think, including about 12 handcyclists), and a great tarmac loop specially designed for cycle racing, at Salt Ayre in Lancaster. I averaged 16mph, so not bad for a ‘weeble’ and came in second. It was interesting to see how disability bike racing works. We all got a ‘handicap’ allowance, and were set off at intervals depending on this (calculated in relation to each persons disability and level of function). It meant a couple of us were like rabbits being chased by the greyhounds – an intimidating bunch of guys with bulging muscles and a fair number of tattoos, trying not to be lapped too many times. All good fun.
Roll on more summer.
— June 17, 2009 01:09 PM
Toured Out
This week is the last date of the ‘If You Fall…’ tour I’ve been doing – ending in Caernarfon. Touring some of Britain’s arts centres and theatres has been a great way to see family and friends around the country (a special hello to Luisa and Joel who I sadly haven’t managed to see), but I’ve definitely had enough of the UK’s trains, planes, motorways and dodgy hotels. It’s been very rewarding hearing from people who’ve got something from listening to my tales, though it’s pretty strange talking about yourself for a few hours at a time. By the way, on the topic of latest adventures, the BBC Scotland programme about Andy Kirkpatrick and I sea kayaking in Patagonia is on air the evening of Sunday 24th May…at least that’s when its scheduled for just now. Not sure if it will be on BBC i-player or make English TV yet.
Back to the tour, the things I’ve enjoyed about it have been re-connecting with old friends, meeting some lovely and inspiring people, getting nice emails from people, and seeing some hidden corners (and cafes) of Britain.
Not so good things? Dull hotel rooms, lumpy mattresses (there’s nothing like your own bed hey), listening to a Sat Nav for hours each day, and the pre-show nerves. Oh and there was being ill and losing my voice in Poole and London, then having to cancel Kinlochewe. Serious stamina is needed by those bands that go on year long tours.
So after trying to squeeze in some training on the back alleys behind theatres, its back home now, and training as much as my little arms will let me, for the first hand-bike race of the summer series – June 7th in Lancaster. Better get off to the gym…
— May 04, 2009 06:42 PM
Quality not quantity
Tired out after my first time at touring theatres, we decided to head west for a day out. It was only two months since we sea kayaked through Patagonian seas, but two months off the water felt like a lifetime. The weeble that I am (with no muscles that work below the chest) felt very wobbly as I nosed my way out of the jetty in Laide - a west coast Scottish village, its sands gleaming in the rare sun. Within the first kilometre, my back support had slipped down and I watched Andy, the not-so-long-ago novice kayaker, skilfully powering his way into the distance.
We reached a rocky point, and I was surprised how fast we were covering ground. But rounding the corner, a series of headlands fingered into the horizon, telling me I’m got it all wrong. I’d been forcing the coastline to fit the map. We’d only done 5 km, so there was still a long long way to go.
“Andy, I think we should turn round”
“What for? Let’s carry on”
I should have insisted, persuaded him otherwise, pointed out we’d be there at sunset, if we were lucky. But it was windy, and I was too tired to debate. So we paddled on.
Tendonitis from the Patagonian paddling adventure kicked back in, and my wrist creaked with each stroke into the wind.
At the next headland,
“Andy, can you put me on tow?” I needed to ease my wrist.
At the next headland.
“We’ve only done 10km? Still 25 to go?”
On we went, eager for the kilometres, straight-lining from point to point, no time to explore and enjoy. The sun sank low. We paddled faster, chasing the headlands before dusk ate them up.
Lured by the day’s bright sun, it had been easy to forget it was still March, the air still raw with winter, the water icy cold, that darkness came fast.
In Loch Ewe, we paddled exhausted in darkness, towards shore-side silhouettes, eager for a place to land…too tired to appreciate the stillness of evening, too numbed from straight-lining the day. It had been a long day out.
The best parts of being out adventuring are exploring, noticing, enjoying good friends, and having good times. Quality not quantity…sometimes its good to turn around.
