Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
We all flew south from Ward Hunt Island to Radisson, Québec,
in north-eastern Canada. Radisson is a small town of just 300 people,
but it has the amenities we needed, such as an airport, petrol stations
and mechanic garages, motels for me and the crew, cafes, and a good
road, the James Bay Road, to take us directly south the 600 kilometres
to the next major town, Matagami.
Waiting in Radisson for us, a sight for sore eyes, was my new
team, who will accompany me south. Bernie was there, of course,
and with him were my niece, Katie Walsh, who will be my fitness and
movement specialist and general crew member, camera operator
Nick King, film editor Jake Simmonds and cook, nurse and masseuse
Emma Cohen. All will be combining their specialised roles with every-
day duties that must be carried out to keep the run rolling smoothly.
They had already driven across Canada from Yellowknife in the vans. I
discovered that a third van had had to be bought to house everything.
One will be driven by Bernie, which he, Katie and I will sleep in; one
will house Nick, Jake and all their gear; and the third, which has a
kitchen, stores a tonne of equipment and tows a hyperbaric chamber
to aid my recovery after each day's run, will be driven by and slept
in by Emma. Nick and Jake's media van is amazing. Inside, as well
as bunks, toilet, sink, table, chairs and shower, are a satellite termi-
nal, computer, printer, tangles of wires, double adaptors and video
camera positioned so it can be pointed out of the back of the van, to
capture me running and talking.
If I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I was munching
those sandwiches on the plane to Ward Hunt Island, I
knew
I was in
paradise when I climbed out of my Arctic gear, took a hot shower and
sat on a real toilet. After a debriefing session, we prepared to set off
into the wilds of Canada.
may 20
I said goodbye to my North Pole comrades. Clark and Jose were profes-
sional in their work and friendly, good-natured colleagues and mates.
Quite simply, I could not have negotiated the pole without Eric. He
was worth every cent of the money that we'd paid him. My farewell to
Eric was simple and brief; there was no time for fanfare. 'See you at the
South Pole,' were my parting words.
