Polar Expedition

On Thursday evening, 5^th November, Rotarians were treated to a fascinating talk by Catherine Havard of Llanegryn. She is a member of a team intending to walk 800 miles across the frozen Arctic Ocean in February next year to reach what is at present known as ‘The Inaccessible North Pole’, the point furthest from any Arctic land mass. Details of the expedition can be found at www.catherineinthearctic.co.uk. This Pole has not yet been reached, hence the name: it is particularly challenging because of the distance to be walked over sea ice that will be melting towards the end of the trek. The expedition has an important role in, amongst other things, determining the exact nature of the Arctic ice and how it may be changing with global warming, information that cannot be determined from satellite observations. Melting of the Arctic ice will not affect global sea levels, but the cold pure water entering Northern seas could have a major impact on Britain’s climate – so it’s very much in all our interests to know exactly what is happening to the Arctic Ocean. At present Catherine is undergoing the hard physical and mental training necessary for the expedition and is also trying to raise the money needed to fund her participation. If you, or anybody you know, is interested in helping to raise funds for this important expedition, then contact Catherine at catherineh@ice-warrior.com or through Catherine’s expedition website stated above.