BBC StorySo what tyres for south pole? 8″ width??

I bet there’s a fair few Alaskan/Canadian adventurous types who’ll claim to have already done much longer rides on snow.

Not to belittle her achievements at all, but they don’t half overhype what she’s done. “solo kayak voyage down the length of the Amazon” where solo means she was in the boat by herself, but had a full support crew alongside in a big boat. To me a solo kayak voyage is what Freya Hoffmeister does with no support crew at all. I have to wonder if Helen’s latest trip will be more of the same, with full camera crew support etc.

I bet there’s a fair few Alaskan/Canadian adventurous types who’ll claim to have already done much longer rides on snow.

Indeed – Iditabike is further than she’s planning on doing. I presume they’ve now heard about Freya as they’ve dropped previous claims for her Amazon trip being the longest ever kayak trip by a woman (around Australia was a tad further).

Jill Homer for one, reading Ghost Stories at the mo, anyone remember which issue of STW featured the Alaska’s Iditarod Trail?

Good on Helen though, very brave.

they don’t half overhype what she’s done

it’s called fund raising

All these celeb charity challenge things are made for TV and have to look impressive for the masses of vegetating slobs on the sofas watching. If there wasn’t a support crew, the film would be too blair witch to make a real impact and the amount raised would drop significantly.

Just Googled Iditarod Extreme and its 1150 miles, not sure how her claim for the longest bike journey on snow will stand up.

She’s hot, so it’s fine with me.

anything is better than eastenders

For a good Polar trek book try ‘In The Footsteps Of Scott’ by Roger Mear and Robert Swan, the account of their 1985 unsupported walk to the South Pole. I’m currently re-reading that with my 10 year old as a bedtime story, which he’s enjoying. Even with full support going there is hardly a walk in the park.

i think its just the current “in thing” to do with celebs, get them to do a “challenge” then film it so that people can see their “ups and downs”

more impressive i find are watching the ex service men and women doing proper challenges most of the time showing proper grit and drive.

either way she is hot as hell and il watch it 😀

“either way she is hot as hell and il watch it”

She wont be wearing a bikini though will she 🙄

I’ll be interested to see how far she gets pulling a 82lb sled with a bike on snow.

Surely a bike trailer would be a better option if the conditions suit riding a bike

She’s done some impressive things, but her PR team are overegging them a bit. They were claiming her Amazon trip was the longest kayak trip by a woman, until someone told them about a longer one.

So she was supported paddling the Amazon, so what. Still a great achievement.

Her tightrope walk at Battersea power station was impressive.

Riding to the South Pole will be hellishly difficult – perhaps that’s why no-ones managed it yet. Thumbs up to her.

Pull an 80kilo sled on snow and ice with a bike? Thats not possible is it?

“Pull an 80kilo sled on snow and ice with a bike? Thats not possible is it?”

I was thinking that even turning the pedals for 400 miles with 8″ wide tyres on will be hard enough.

She’s done some impressive things, but her PR team are overegging them a bit.

This really. Hats off to her for the things that she’s done, TV crew in attendance or not. But when it gets bigged up too much it lessens it rather than enhances it, at least for people who maybe have a bit more insight into doing that sort of stuff.

But people who never walk/ride/climb/kayak and never will are the target audience and they’ll be suitably impressed.

Will she be doing a pole dance ?

miketually – Member

She’s done some impressive things, but her PR team are overegging them a bit. They were claiming her Amazon trip was the longest kayak trip by a woman, until someone told them about a longer one.

Seems reasonable enough?

For the lechers, I bring a gift:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEJ_0jifwGQ[/video]

Having watched this – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16161062 it sounds like they are taking a bike but have no idea if it will work. It’s mainly going to be skis and kites that are used.

They’ve not tried riding the bike on snow/ice yet and will try it when they get there. Doh!

What’s the old adage – Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

There’s probably some quip I could make including the words ‘her’, ‘riding’ and ‘pole’ that will get me banned, so I’ll resist.

Anyway, good on her for doing seomthing that will obviously take a huge amount of determination and will raise a huge amount of money. I’ll probably text whatever money-raising number they advertise

If any of the nay-sayers on here would be man enough to do it to, supported or not, then I’ll sponsor them as well.

Surely a bike trailer would be a better option if the conditions suit riding a bike

Possibly not. Even in conditions where it’s possible to ride, I’d imagine unless it’s a very hard surface that a sledge would glide better than wheels would roll. I say that from experience of riding on snow and XC skiing – given the same conditions, skis normally glide a lot better than wheels roll. This is always assuming it’s warm enough for the sledge to glide – not necessarily the case down there.

So she was supported paddling the Amazon, so what

So they shouldn’t describe it as “solo”. Lots of credit to her for the achievement, no credit at all to the publicity machine at the BBC (who couldn’t even be bothered to do a bit of basic research about the longest kayak trips, which would have taken all of 5 minutes with Google). Are they going to describe this Antarctic trip as “solo” if she’s not riding a tandem? I know what they mean by “solo”, and they presumably do as well, but it’s deliberately deceptive. As I say, if you want a really impressive trip look up Freya.

Seems reasonable enough?

That they couldn’t be bothered doing even the most basic research? Anybody seriously into sea paddling (doubtless including some of her instructors) has heard of Freya.

It’s really good her doing this stuff – most experienced paddlers wouldn’t contemplate that Amazon trip, and she was a novice when she started training for it – if only they didn’t oversell it so much.

aracer – Member

So they shouldn’t describe it as “solo”.

So, all those people doing solo endurance races with their mates or other halves in the pits helping keep them fed and sorting their bikes out, packing the vans etc, they’re not really soloing either?

a sledge would glide better than wheels would roll

Sledges (and ice skates, and skis) glide due to a thin layer of water that is formed when they compress the surface of the ice or snow. However, when it gets proper cold, like in the Antarctic, this water doesn’t form, so it’s more like pulling a sledge over sand. So, in that case, wheels might be better

This is always assuming it’s warm enough for the sledge to glide – not necessarily the case down there.

Hats off to her for the things that she’s done, TV crew in attendance or not

not really i suspect a high percentage of this forum would kill for the chance to do something similar, but its handed to her on a plate, planned, kitted, sponsored, tv coverage and she gets to say she did it all for the money the sofa surfers give to charity

So, all those people doing solo endurance races with their mates or other halves in the pits helping keep them fed and sorting their bikes out, packing the vans etc, they’re not really soloing either?

Context. That’s in an event where most people do it as teams. It’s not really normal to do an expedition paddle as a relay. That’s not what solo normally means for paddling.

i suspect a high percentage of this forum would kill for the chance to do something similar

On the contrary, I suspect most of the keyboard warriors would run away kicking and screaming (having an idea what endurance events are like, I’m not sure I’d be all that keen).

IHN – Member
Sledges (and ice skates, and skis) glide due to a thin layer of water that is formed when they compress the surface of the ice or snow. However, when it gets proper cold, like in the Antarctic, this water doesn’t form, so it’s more like pulling a sledge over sand. So, in that case, wheels might be better

That’s why I asked the question.

IHN – Member
…If any of the nay-sayers on here would be man enough to do it to, supported or not, then I’ll sponsor them as well.

If you’re serious and can raise a few more sponsors. I’ll do it. 🙂

Always wanted to get to the Antarctic – nearly went once (with Oz govt) but my wife said not to expect her to be there when I got back.

aracer – Member

That’s not what solo normally means for paddling.

And if it was being broadcast solely to paddlers, I’m sure that’d be important.

Hats off to her for the things that she’s done, TV crew in attendance or not

not really i suspect a high percentage of this forum would kill for the chance to do something similar, but its handed to her on a plate, planned, kitted, sponsored, tv coverage and she gets to say she did it all for the money the sofa surfers give to charity

Maybe, but she’s not somebody off this forum- she’s not a keen, kayaker, tightrope walker or cyclist. Sure somebody else could do it better/faster/further/whatever-er and it wouldn’t be such a big deal for them, but they’re big things for her to take on so fair play to her.

But it’s not taking away from her to say the BBC needs to reign it in a bit with the hyperbole.

She’s clearly got guts and determination aplenty and an adventurous spirit which should be praised not put down simply because she’s got the BBC behind her.

How many of those knocking her have tight-roped 150m, paddled the Amazon, run 3 marathons in 24 hours, etc?

I know some guys who travelled a stretch of the Yukon towing sleds with bikes. They rode almost none of it because sleds are terrible on the back of bikes. If their team are silly enough to not even try it before they land in Antarctica, they’re probably in for an unpleasant surprise.

I don’t think it’s worth getting stressed about the excessive claims of celebs doing endurance. It’s kind of like the X-Factor compared to hard-working bands that get nowhere. Both avenues take work, one gets disproportionate rewards, but that’s not the fault of the people getting all the adulation.

My blog wittering on the subject here.

How many of those knocking her have tight-roped 150m, paddled the Amazon, run 3 marathons in 24 hours, etc?

Does that exclude me from having an opinion about it? What have you done to earn your opinion??

A colleague of mine has cycled on the Brunt ice shelf down Antarctica way – he has a Surly with 3.5 – 4 inch tyres. Plan to do it myself when I go back to work down there.

Does that exclude me from having an opinion about it? What have you done to earn your opinion??

I don’t recall you actually knocking her.

I didn’t suggest that those commenting had no right to do so. Just wondering if they had done any of the things they were knocking her about.

Good on her! I’d love to make that trip.

The bike will need to have completely different bearing grease etc to keep moving, and what about the chain, how will that be lubed?

On Frozen Planet the other week they were saying the south pole is by far the coldest place on earth.

I would knock her. Just saying.

I wouldn’t go near that tight rope walk thing though, and I suspect I’m not the only person on here that wouldn’t.

You wouldn’t even get me up to step out onto the tight rope platform.

Not saying I would could do it, but she cheated and had a safety rope on!

Back in the day folk used to do it without safety ropes.

Frenchman Philippe Petit stunned the world in 1974 when he strung a cable across New York City’s twin towers and walked across.

One slip and he would plummet 10,000ft to the ground below. Yet Freddy Nock took his most hair-raising stunt nonchalantly in his stride. These stunning images show 45-year-old Freddy Nock completing his latest feat – walking more than 5,200 feet down a mountain cable car wire – without a safety net or a harness in the Swiss mountains. Using only a balancing stick, he walked down the wire of a cable car line on Mount Corvatsch – which is 9,908 feet above sea level.