Case studies

Reach the South Pole

A team of young adventurers from West Nottinghamshire College is hoping to make history as the first educational establishment to reach the South Pole.

Following a gruelling selection programme last month, Dan Geraghty was picked to join organiser Steve Bull on the full 700-mile odyssey across Antarctica in December 2004.

And the intrepid pair will meet up with tutor Gary Dodds and student Robert Dunn, from the College’s programme for students with learning disabilities, for ‘the last degree’ around 100 miles from the Pole.

But Steve explained there was so little to separate the Polar Challenge candidates that he hoped all four would be able to take part in the expedition.

And at the very least, Carl Alvey and James Trehane will join Steve and Dan on a training trip to Greenland next April.

“In the end they all came out equal, so Dan was picked because he was that little bit older and more experienced, that was it,” said Steve. “This is why we’ve offered the other two places, depending on sufficient funding.”

Last month the team was put through a series of rigorous tests of their stamina, teamwork and attitude, culminating in an arduous overnight exercise at Kinder Scout in Derbyshire.

Steve Comments:

“They were split up into teams of two and were given grid references to walk to. They set off at eight in the evening and walked through until ten o’ clock the next day. It was horrendous weather conditions as well. They had done 20 kilometres in the dark. It was seeing how far they could go really.”

In the next stage of their preparation the team will undergo a series of performance tests with the College’s Sports Science Unit, working out a training regime and nutrition programme as they gear up for their ‘trial run’ across Greenland in April next year.

Said Steve:

“We are going to ski across the Greenland ice cap from the east coast to the west coast, which is about 300 miles. It’s a training preparation trip but it’s also viewed as an arctic phase. It’s the same sort of weather conditions and similar altitudes of 10-11,000 feet.”

During the month-long trek across Greenland the team will learn at first hand the adversities they are likely to face in Antarctica.