When we started planning for our nutritional requirements we immediately assumed that the expedition food on the market was the best that we could get and didn’t give it a second thought. There are quite a few different brands out there and so we set about finding the ones with the highest calories. Unfortunately it quickly became apparent that in order to get enough calories from these expedition meals alone the weight of our packs was going to be totally astronomical. To add to the problem some of the major manufacturers of these foods were being a little on the generous side with their calorie estimations and they don’t include the weight of the packet in their figures. So suddenly we have gone from having 800kcal in a 162g packet (as quoted by the manufacturers) to actually being ≈ 735kcal in a 206g packet (what we tested)!!!

Realising that unless we could solve this issue the expedition was going to be a non starter, we started to look at individual ingredients within the meals. You have probably noticed that I have been talking obsessively about calories however you will now probably be pointing out that it’s not just about how many calories but rather what form these calories are delivered in. After all if it didn’t matter how we got those calories we would just take bars of lard and be done with it.

We have been working tirelessly and it’s been a long slog but not only have we finally managed to fit ≈ 896kcal in a 181g packet, but we have managed to do it with an excellent blend of protein, carbohydrates and fat. As if all this wasn’t enough there is also a very real chance that our food will need to be rehydrated using cold water due to the very limited fuel rations we have.

We have used all sorts of ingredients including ground almonds and a variety of nuts and seeds, cream powder, AMF, Cheese powder etc. and it really have been a steep learning curve. Knowing what I know now I am positive that it is possible to go even further and increase the calorie density significantly. However one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is the psychological aspect of eating. As brilliant as it sounds on the face of it, if you increase the density of calories so far that all it takes is a mouthful for your whole days rations you will loss that all important moment in the evening after you have been facing the elements all day, your exhausted and cold and you get into your tent and have that hot meal and feel yourself come back to life.

[pro-player width="640" height="400"]http://vimeo.com/5873234[/pro-player]

If you are seriously considering an expedition that requires absolute nutritional control then I would seriously recommend visiting a nutritionist, getting a breakdown of exactly what you need and then go out and put it together from scratch.

The majority of the conversation with Thomas was based around the Fella Reichart. We have always known that this part is going to be truly terrifying. In fact with the knowledge that only 2 groups have ever managed to navigate safely through the mass of ice, I wake up regularly at night in a cold sweat. The few photos and satellite imagies have told as a far amount but, confirmed first hand by Thomas, attempting it in bad weather is quite simply suicidal. This simple and yet rather unnerving statement has really bought home that we need to stay on schedule more than ever, in fact we need to reach the Fella Reichart ahead of schedule to allow us to wait for a weather window.

As brilliant as it seems having increased our food allowance, our packs are now simply too heavy to ski with efficiently. So we have opted to take 2 tiny (1m) kids sledges which fit perfectly over the outside of the backpacks and only add 1.5kg to the pack weight. What we hope to be a small price to pay up the Jorge Montt , for the amount of effort they will save us later on.

To update you on the paddle situation we have decided to take two untreated wooden paddles through the first fjord and lake section. Just before we head up the Jorge Mont we will dry our kit around a nice fire (if not a slightly expensive fire!!!). Then on the other side of the ice cap we will be using our shovels, or if it gets really bad we will create something in the spirit of MacGyver.

We were very sorry to hear yesterday that Linda and Rob had to turn back before being able to complete their journey across the ice cap (www.icecapjourneys.com.au). This bought home just how tough getting up the Jorge Mont t Glacier will be, even more!.

For all you kit junkies out there, our Neo-Airs have just arrived and they are simply amazing. Not only are they tiny but they are seriously comfy. The other pieces of kit that arrived today were our TISSOT-T-Touch Experts… AMAZING. Aside from the initial panic on their arrival at finding that a box containing two watches weighed in at 2.5kg! I’m pretty sure that by tomorrow the watch will be updating this page for me it seems to have so many functions!

]]> http://www.rivers-of-ice.com/2009/07/24/change-of-tactics/feed/ 0 http://www.rivers-of-ice.com/2009/07/18/testing-out-the-pack-raft/ http://www.rivers-of-ice.com/2009/07/18/testing-out-the-pack-raft/#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:55:53 +0000 Tarka http://www.rivers-of-ice.com/?p=448 If you have read through the website and had a look at the equipment page you will know that we are carrying a pack raft with us over the whole ice cap. The first 73km of our journey from Caleta Tortel to the base of the Jorge Montt Glacier are through the river networks. Its then a bit of a hack through heavy (and sharp) shrubbery, over a few small lakes and to the base of the ice. This section isn’t exactly world class rafting and we even have a separate food supply in the boat so if we take a few extra days its not the end of the world. Then there is the tiny issue of navigating the ice cap!!! After we come off the last glacier we then have to get back into our raft and head down the rivers and rapids out into the fjords and 93km to the finish line.

The problem that arises here is that in order to paddle efficiently and cover the distance we need paddles. However the lightest paddle we can find weighs in at a rather painful 800g (approximately) and I am truly loathed to carry an extra 800g right the way across the ice cap that can’t be used at all while on the ice.

In the spirit of ultra light travel the most obvious thought is to reuse another piece of equipment that we have to take on the expedition. So what could double up as a paddle?

We are heading back out next weekend to try and iron out some of the problems we have discovered. Unfortunately there aren’t that many options, the best solutions we have come up with so far are:

1. We use our shovels as efficiently as possible.
2. We take a paddle and carry an extra 800g across the icecap.
3. We make a paddle out of wood and an ultra-sil dry bag when we get off the glacier.
4. We take a wooden paddle for the first section and leave it at the base of the glacier and use either option 1 or 3 at the other end.

Now we know that the raft and equipment works we off to a slightly more impressive piece of water to test it out.

Thanks for joining us on our new website. Please let us know what you think of it and if there is any additional information that would be of interest. For the next 5 weeks we will update the website in the traditional text format. Once we have departed for Chile, this page will become an interactive map presenting daily audio podcasts. For those of you who don’t have speakers there will still be a standard transcript as well. Updates will come through every evening during the expedition, summing up the juicy details of the days events and how we are feeling about the situation.

A little over a week ago we returned from a fantastic 2 weeks training trip on the Mont Blanc Massif. As I have no previous glacier travel experience, it was a real eye opener as to the size of some of the crevasses and seracs and just how to get across them when carrying such heavy loads. Tarka with his wealth of alpine experience was, as ever, a thorough yet patient teacher.

There were numerous terrifying moments at the start of the fortnight, as everything felt completely alien. For example, I would spend 2 or 3 minutes (okay nearer 5) whimpering trying to pick up the courage to cross a 2ft wide snow bridge over a gaping chasm below, cross, look back with a mix of relief and pride as to what I had accomplished, only to see the bridge plummet to the depths below. On climbing the ice walls I would

weaken so quickly from the adrenaline and fear pumping through me as I tried to cling to the face with just one axe and the front 2 spikes of my crampons that I made falling an ever more likely possibility. Trusting your equipment is such an important part of ice climbing but something that took a while to get my head round. All in all I spent at least the first four days feeling completely inadequate and thoroughly doubting my ability to achieve our goal in Patagonia. But Tarka kept picking me up and telling me to stop being so hard on my self, I was learning new skills on an extremely difficult section of ice with a 35Kg bag on, it was never going to be easy!

One of the biggest lessons I leant during the training was the speed at which I must react if Tarka is to fall down a crevasse! We went over the routine of making your self safe, tying off the faller, descending the rope to put the faller into the safe position in the circumstance that they had become unconscious during the fall, ascend the rope, before finally hauling, using a set of pulleys, the casualty out! There was a large amount to remember, but after a few run-throughs I felt I had it, so next we were to practise for real. I stood a full 8m back from Tarka with the rope tort (you would always be roped together in a crevassed region), he stood at the edge and on the count of 3 was going to let himself fall in! The plan was, as soon as I felt the rope move, I should drop to the ground backwards so that my feet were facing the direction of the fall and that I could dig my crampons and axe into the ice and stop Tarka falling any further. Despite the 3, 2, 1 countdown (which Tarka described as being kind, incidentally) all didn’t go quite to plan! He was gone so quick and I shot forward at one hell of a speed, falling to the ground forwards smashing my knees on the ice, only coming to a stop by a fortunately placed, raised lip on the crevasse edge, which I lay over looking down at Tarka who was screaming up at me as to weather I was okay, despite the fact he was supposed to be the unconscious patient! I am now fully aware how heavy Tarka is with his full pack on, and how I need to increase the weight of the dumbbells back at home. Thankfully after a few painful and panicked moments I righted the situation and some considerable time later Tarka was hauled from the hole!

You will be pleased to here that as the days went on my skill level and confidence rose drastically and we are both fully back on track with confidence and enthusiasm as to our chances in Patagonia. In addition Mont Blanc provided us with an excellent opportunity to put nearly all our new expedition kit through its paces. There are a few alterations and modifications to be made but on the whole we are thrilled with everything and are completely happy that we have the best gear for the job. In the next day or two we will be out on the river putting the rafting/ kayak kit to the text and let you know how it goes asap.