Well, I think I’m finally at the tail end of my recent bout of flu (and it was flu, incidentally, not the cold I first imagined.) My chest has cleared and whilst I’m still pretty exhausted, I woke up today after a good night’s sleep with a definite yearning for adventure.
And so I am off on “a pioneering scientific expedition to help determine the lifespan of the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice cover” — from the warmth of my room, naturally, sitting in front of my computer.
The scientific element of this project is of course highly attractive to me, but, that apart, I’ve also always had a fascination with polar exploration. As bizarre as I sometimes consider it to be, the idea of people pushing themselves to survive at temperatures of, for example, -30 Celsius never fails to hold my interest. At heart, I suppose it’s a fascination with human endurance and survival — an underpinning of my belief/hope that we can always find ways of dealing with extreme circumstance.
So The Catlin Arctic Survey has a double appeal for me and I’ll definitely be following their blog religiously. Given the importance of the data they’re endeavouring to collect, you might also find it interesting. If not for the science then at least for what promises to be an enthralling story of adventure and possible adversity.
© 2009 Gary William Murning except for quotations.
