Anyone looking at going to ‘Adventure Travel Live‘ at the end of the month…
Save £6 off the ticket price by booking in advance quote ”Tarka” / “Katie-Jane” / “Rachel” (£10 on the door) visit www.adventuretravellive.com
Adventure Travel Live is the must visit, one stop shop for anyone planning an off-the-beaten-track travel adventure. The show is packed with inspiration and travel advice that will help you to uncover the journey of a lifetime. From once-in-a lifetime-travel experiences, small group adventures, trekking, family adventures, career breaks, safaris, overland expeditions, volunteering, gap years and much more.
There are over 60 talks at Adventure Travel Live and our impressive line-up of travel experts includes the likes of Simon Yates (Touching the Void), Ben Fogle, Benedict Allen, co-founder of Lonely Planet Tony Wheeler, Doug Scott, Tom Avery, Simon Calder, Paul Rose and many more, oh and us of course!
We will be presenting ‘The Great Walk of China: Proof that anything is possible!’ Recounting my colossal life-change from the world of commercial fashion to adventurer: surviving blizzards, temperatures of -35°C, frost bite, starvation, exhaustion and dehydration? In 167 days and over 4500km we became the first to walk the entire length of the magical Great Wall of China from its westerly terminus to its most easterly. The equivalent to over 100 consecutive marathons with a third of our body weight on our backs. With the hope of inspiring one or two others, that we are all more capable than we think if we are just brave enough to take the first steps!
Show features include:
- 5 x theatres packed with inspiration and advice; from Simon Calder’s weekend of adventure travel, wildlife adventures, overland & expeditions to the planning the ultimate career break
- Nat Geo Adventure explorers workshop
- Royal Geographical Society Map Zone
- The Big Earth expedition planning feature
- Travel Africa safari planner
- Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition
- Nomad Travel Health & Essential Kit Guide
Venue & Getting there
Royal Horticultural Halls, Greycoat Street, Victoria, London SW1P 2QD.
Friday 29 January, 6pm-10pm
Saturday 30 January, 10am-6pm
Sunday 31 January, 10am-5pm
On door price
Friday / adults / £10
(£18 for the evening with Simon Calder + valid any one day)
Saturday / adults / £10
Sunday / adults / £10
Under 16s free
Advance ticket offer
I am pleased to confirm that we have teamed up with the organisers of Adventure Travel Live to offer you a discount to the show when you book in advance. You can save £6 off door price for adults (i.e. £4 valid any day), under 16s are free. Add £1.50 postage and packing per order.
Tickets for an Evening with Simon Calder are £15 and takes place from 6pm to 10pm on Friday 29 January only. Also valid any one day for Adventure Travel Live.
Order online at adventuretravellive.com or call 0871 230 7159 and quote “Tarka” / “Katie-Jane” / “Caroline” / “Rachel” (please use reference code where relevant J).
Also dont forget 2 days letter we will be speaking about the Rivers of Ice Expedition at the quirky ‘Night of Adventure’ in the style of Pecha Kucha, 15 speakers, 20 slides per speaker, 20 seconds per slide on February the 2nd at 7pm, at the Roxy Bar & Screen, London. This will be great fun and not to be missed, with all proceeds going to Hope and Homes for Children.
We will be speaking about the Rivers of Ice Expedition at an exciting, unusual speaking event happening on February 2nd 2010 in London, which is open to anyone interested in adventure. Rather than the normal format of one long lecture, this charity evening is a bit different.
FIFTEEN speakers from across the spectrum of expeditions, adventure and travel will talk about their experiences (Tarka and I speaking as a pair being one of them) .
The subjects range from rowing oceans, climbing Everest, walking and cycling across continents, crossing ice caps (I think this is us!), trekking to the North Pole (and South Pole) all the way to flying cars, climbing Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair and spending six months living in a tree house.
Each one is an amazing story. But the twist is that each speaker is allowed just 20 slides. And each slide scrolls on automatically after just 20 seconds!! Tarks and I have never spoken before in this style and i think its going to be quite a challeng but great fun for the audience to watch. This format, originally called “Pecha Kucha” in Japan, makes for a high-paced, varied, original evening.
The Roxy Bar is a really good venue for a night out. The setting is informal so you can sit on sofas with a beer or eat a light meal while watching the event. Friendly heckling will be encouraged!
This evening of adventure is being held to raise funds and awareness for Hope and Homes for Children. All the proceeds from the event will go to support the work of this charity. So please come along, bring a few friends, have dinner, and make an evening of it. Put it in your diary today and buy your tickets here!
February 2nd 2010, www.roxybarandscreen.com, London, 7pm
15 speakers
20 slides per speaker
20 seconds per slide
£15 minimum entry. Buy your ticket online here (or below) and just bring ID on the night. There will be a few tickets available on the door for cash only. All proceeds from the door go to charity
Dinner and drinks available at the venue
On a seperate note our Great Wall of China documenatry won the people’s choice award at Dundee Mountain Film Festival…yippie! the weekend before last and was well recieved at the Autrans Mountain Film Festival in France this weekend.
We are so sorry for the lack of updates since we returned, we truly haven’t stopped. We have been here, there and everywhere giving talks, interviews to the press and TV, sorting footage and visiting sponsors etc. Oh and the small matter 
of organising a wedding on a fairly short timescale.
We have been over whelmed by the level of press interest in the expedition, especially as the coverage has been over such a broad spectrum of readers and amazingly it is still coming. I have attached just a small sample below.
As we have mentioned previously we are disappointed in the limited film footage we were able to capture out there, and are already looking at alternative camera equipment for next year, to depict the unfathomable conditions and drama that the ice cap provides. However, from the little footage we were able to capture, we will be creating little film snippets over the weekend, so keep an eye out of the multimedia page.
Tarka has now, a little over a month since we came off the ice, fully recovered physically. I however am still a little behind. The numbness in the toes has gradually disappeared bar my left big toe which I still can’t feel…very strange sensation, especially as I keep tripping over it! This week I have been shedding layers and layers of skin from my hands although that seems to be clearing up now. But problematically my knees are in a bad way. They hurt continually especially up and down stairs and don’t seem to be improving. For this reason we have been delaying getting back into training. Although I think it’s about time to dust off the bike and see if exercises will actually help the old knees.
As well as wrapping up from this expedition we have already started planning and organising for next year’s expedition…Rivers of Ice – Take 2!
As you will see from the table that we were incredibly happy with our choice of equipment and nearly all of it performed amazingly, leaving very few things to change or modify for next year.
| SLEDGE | KIDS STUFF | 1 METRE | BRILLIANT | |
| ROPES | BEAL | ICE TWIN 7,7MM | BRILLIANT | KNOT-UP QUICKLY BUT, TO BE EXPECTED WITH SUCH A THIN ROPE |
| ICE SCREWS | PETZLE | LAZER 10CM | BRILLIANT | |
| ICE AXE | PETZLE | SNOW RACER | BRILLIANT | |
| HARNESS | BLACK DIAMOND | ALPINE BOD | BRILLIANT | |
| CRAMPONS | PETZLE | SARKEN | BRILLIANT | |
| SCREW GATES | PETZLE | OK OVAL | BRILLIANT | |
| CARABINA | PETZLE | ATTACHE LOCK | BRILLIANT | |
| ASCENDERS | PETZLE | VERSO | BRILLIANT | |
| PULLEY SYSTEM | PETZLE | ULTRA LEGERE | BRILLIANT | |
| SLINGS | BLACK DIAMOND | NYLON | BRILLIANT | |
| SNOW TUBE | PETZLE | 55CM | BRILLIANT | |
| PRUSSIC | BEAL | 4MM X 10M | BRILLIANT | |
| SKIS | DYNAFIT | FT MANASLU 169CM | BRILLIANT | |
| SKINS | DYNAFIT | SPEED SKIN | BRILLIANT | |
| BINDINGS | DYNAFIT | TLT SPEED | BRILLIANT | ICED UP WHEN THEY HAD A TAIL WIND |
| BACKPACK | GOLITE | ODYSSEY | BRILLIANT | DESIGNED FOR 23KG THEY HAD 50KG SO A FEW MINOR RIPS BUT STILL THE BEST BAG FOR THE JOB |
| DRY BAGS | SEA 2 SUMMIT | PACK LINERS 70 LITRE | BRILLIANT | A BIT TO BIG FOR THEIR NEEDS, THEY WILL TAKE SMALLER BAG NEXT TIME |
| DRY BAG | SEA 2 SUMMIT | 13L | BRILLIANT | |
| WALKING POLES | SWIXX | MOUNTAIN | BRILLIANT | |
| TENT | HILLEBERG | NAMMATJ 2 | GOOD | NORMALLY A FANTASTIC TENT BUT ON THIS OCCASION WAS BEATEN BY THE STORM |
| SHOVEL | BLACK DIAMOND | SHOVEL | BRILLIANT | |
| SLEEPING MATT | THERMAREST | NEO AIR | GOOD | WEIGHT AND COMFORT FANTASTIC FOR 2 WEEKS THEN INTERNAL WALL STRUCTURE FROZE AND BROKE |
| SLEEPING BAG | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | XERO 350 | GOOD | SLEEPING BAGS DID EVERYTHING THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR BUT NEXT TIME WE WILL USE SYNTHETIC |
| HEAD TORCH | PETZLE | TACTIKKA PLUS | BRILLIANT | |
| MSR | COOKER | WISPERLITE | BRILLIANT | |
| PAN | MSR | REACTOR | BRILLIANT | MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE |
| SPOON | SEA 2 SUMMIT | TITANIUM SHORT HANDLE | BRILLIANT | |
| WATER BOTTLE | NALGENE | 1L | BRILLIANT | |
| PUMP | MSR | FUEL | BRILLIANT | |
| SAT PHONE | IRIDIUM | 9505A | BRILLIANT | A FEW ISSUES WITH THE INTERNAL BATTERY BUT PROBABLY JUST DUE TO OLD AGE |
| GPS | GARMIN | GEKO | BRILLIANT | |
| PLB | MCMURDO | FAST FIND | BRILLIANT | DIDN’T NEED TO USE BUT SIZE AND WEIGHT ARE FANTASTIC |
| MAPS/SAT IMAGES | CUSTOM | CUSTOM | BRILLIANT | PRINTED ON WATERPROOF PAPER AND LASTED THE DISTANCE |
| MULTITOOL | LEATHERMAN | CHARGE TTI | BRILLIANT | |
| MULTITOOL | LEATHERMAN | SKELETOOL | BRILLIANT | |
| WHISTLE | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | IN JACKET | BRILLIANT | USED MANY TIMES, CLIP TO JACKET COLLAR – GREAT FEATURE |
| BATTERIES | ENERGIZER | LITHIUM’S AAA (PK 4) | BRILLIANT | |
| FIRST AID KIT | LIFESYSTEMS | MOUNTAIN PLUS ADDITIONS | BRILLIANT | NEED TO TAKE MORE MEDICAL TAPE AND PLASTERS….MANY BLISTERS!! |
| REPAIR KIT | CUSTOM | SEE APPENDIX | BRILLIANT | COULD DO WITH EVEN MORE GAFFA TAPE |
| BOOTS | DYNAFIT | ZZERO2 C-TF | BRILLIANT | INCREDIBLY LIGHT FOR A SKI BOOT, BUT DID FREEZE BADLY AFTER GETTING WET – INEVITABLE |
| SOCKS | THORLO | MOUNTAINEERING | BRILLIANT | |
| GOGGLES | BOLLE | BRILLIANT | GREAT UNTIL I KATIE ON THEM AND SPLIT THE LENSES | |
| SUNGLASSES | TAHO | CHANGEABLE LENSES | BRILLIANT | |
| GILLET | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | COMPRESSOR VEST | BRILLIANT | |
| GLOVE | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | G2 ALPINE | BRILLIANT | |
| MITT | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | PINICLE | BRILLIANT | |
| BASE LAYER TOP | PATAGONIA | C4 | BRILLIANT | |
| BASE LAYER BOTTOM | PATAGONIA | C4 | BRILLIANT | |
| JACKET | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | KONGUR | BRILLIANT | |
| TROUSERS | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | CHANGABANG | GOOD | TROUSERS DID WHAT THEY WHERE ADVERTISED AS BUT ICE CAP WEATHER WAS JUST TOO WET! |
| WOOLY HAT | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | BENNIE | BRILLIANT | |
| FLEECE | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | MICRO | BRILLIANT | |
| HEADBAND | MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT | POWER STRETCH | BRILLIANT | |
| FACE GUARD | PO | BRILLIANT | ||
| WATCH | TISSOT | T-TOUCH | BRILLIANT | |
| FUEL CANISTER | PRIMUS | 1.5L | BRILLIANT | |
| FUEL | WHITE GAS | N/A | GOOD | NOT AS EFFICIENT AS WHAT YOU CAN BUY IN THE UK, BUT STILL BETTER THAN EXPECTED |
| FUEL CANISTER | MSR | 325ML | BRILLIANT | |
| BREAKFAST | HOME MADE | CUSTOM | BRILLIANT | |
| 9BAR | WHOLEBAKE | VARIOUS | BRILLIANT | |
| MEAL | EXPEDITION FOODS | VARIOUS | GOOD | UNFORTUNATELY KATIE’S STOMACH DIDN’T AGREE WITH ALL THE FLAVORS |
| CHEESE | HOME MADE | CUSTOM | BRILLIANT | |
| AMF | HOME MADE | CUSTOM | BRILLIANT | |
| CAMERA | CANON | 350D | GOOD | ALWAYS MISTING UP |
| CAMERA BAG | LOW ALPINE | BRILLIANT | ||
| CAMERA BATTERIES | CANON LITHIUM | BRILLIANT | ||
| CAMCORDER | SONY | A1 | AVERAGE | NORMALLY A GREAT CAMERA BUT JUST DIDN’T COPE AT ALL WELL WITH THE CONSTANT MOISTURE |
| BATTERIES | AUTOMATED MS | LL – 77 | BRILLIANT | |
| CABLES | ASSORTED | CUSTOM | BRILLIANT | |
| MIC | SENNHEISER | EW 100 | BRILLIANT | |
| MIC BATTERIES | ENERGIZER | LITHIUM AA | BRILLIANT |
Hello everyone, just a quick message to say we are both very well and fattening up nicely with all the fabulous Argentinian food. We have had a wonderful stay here in El Calafate, the hospitality has been quite unbelievable. On the 4th we will be making our way back into Chile, firstly to pick up our belongings in Puerto Natales, and then onto Punta Arenas, before landing back in the UK on the 8th.
As soon as we are home we will start replying to the hundreds of personal messages we received offering kind help and support, as well as updating the website with photos and video footage of our epic journey. For the kit junkies we will do a full equipment review and take a look at the few changes we will make for next year (predominantly the camera equipment).
Another quick thing, currently our first public talk about the Ice Cap crossing will be at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival on the 20th of November.
Right. Everybody this is our last Pod cast. It’s been a amazing journey. It’s been an extraordinary journey really. And it’s been a real emotional roller coaster much as anything else and seeing that we are here in a once in a life time place I thought it was seemed as good as place as any for once in a lifetime gesture. And I hope that this whole trip can finish in a high so here goes. Katie Jane Cooper, although we didn’t quiet achieve exactly what we came here to do, if for the rest of my life, I swear always to show you the same courage, commitment, passion and dedication that you have done on this journey. Would you do me the true honour of the lifetime and accept to be my wife?…. I think thats a yes, she’s smiling and crying!
