SP interview with Steve Bull "A cutting edge education"
Oct 17, 2004 10: 41 EST
Sun has arrived Antarctica and the ice of Gondwanaland is sparkling with diamond dust. The blue, purple, red and green shimmer will soon struck the lucky few 2004 South Pole explorers with awe.
But they don't really care at this point. The to-do lists are endless while the flight to Southern Chile won't wait
From New Cork City, team ExplorersWeb is ready to follow their tracks on the frozen continent. One of our editors, who never set her own foot on the ice (the rest of us were too involved), made a fresh five-question mini-interview and sent out to the Antarctic explorers.
Second up is Steve Bull:
1. - First of all, let’s be honest, guys. Polar expeditions are beyond suffering. Plus, media don't know much about hem. You’ll probably come back as unknown as you were before… but thinner and poorer. So … Why on Earth are you going there? WARNING: If you answer ‘Why not?´ or ´Because its there´, this question will be published as ‘Not answered’ -:)
We are going there with the aim of being the first educational establishment- we think world wide to get to the pole. We also run outdoor education courses at the pole and this is the best way of demonstrating we are at the cutting edge of outdoor education for young people in the UK.
2. - Tell us how you have been training
We have undergone polar training on the Greenland icecap for 3 weeks, an expedition to Europe’s highest icecap the Jostedalsbreen. Plus we have been training weekly now for a year, both in the gym and pulling tires.
3. - What do you fear most about the expedition?
a) Dying
b) Failing
c) Going desperate or loosing your mind before even reaching the middle point.
d) Realizing that the experience doesn’t fill your expectations
e) Coming back to daily life afterwards.
Flying. I hate flying. Yet the biggest fear is the fear of failure. We are going into over 400 schools on our return and are also part of a TV program in the UK about Antarctica. So we need to get to the Pole.
4. - For those going with no resupplies. In case of emergency, serious lack of fuel or gear damage… Would you ask for a resupply or would you abort the attempt?
We are only doing the last degree so we will crawl there if we have to
5. - Have you planned this as a once-in-a-life challenge, or is it part of something even bigger
(three poles, record breaking, etc.)
This is a once in a lifetime chance for the young people going, yet we are hoping to carry on this theme of extreme expeditions for young people in English schools and colleges.
In December the Outdoor Education Team of West Nottinghamshire College plan to be the first educational establishment to complete an expedition (with selected young people) to the South Pole, Antarctica. A party of one trained member of staff and up to three students will ski-trek the last degree to the South Pole.
Image courtesy of Steve Bull
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