Helen Skelton : Her Mileage is Slowly Improving…
Published on 11.01.2012 - Helen’s Polar Challenge (Ski, Kite & Bike)
Helen Skelton practicing on the ice
© Expedition website
BBC TV presenter Helen Skelton seems to get accustomed dribs and drabs to the snow and ice conditions. Her mileage is slowly improving...
Let's take the last days figures : 36 nautical miles travelled on 6 January, 25 nautical miles on 25 January, 37 nautical miles the next day and finally 63 nautical miles on 9 January. Not bad for a polar neophyte.
Excerpts (8 January) : "... Last night I was feeling a bit dehydrated so I did a simple test - I looked at my wee. It was bright orange, which means I hadn't drunk enough throughout the day. It's really important for me to keep hydrated throughout the challenge. The body is a bit like a car - if you don't put petrol in it won’t go.
From now on I’ve got to drink more but it’s hard to drink regularly when you're skiing - sometimes the bottle top is frozen on!"
(9 January) : "I'm in the highest and driest desert on the planet, but as usual it was freezing. My toothpaste was frozen solid this morning! "
Niklas and I decided to take full advantage of the high winds today and put some miles in the bank. We were going up to 15 mph at some points, meaning that the film crew - who follow us in huge 4x4s - couldn't keep up! Check out the photo below - they’re not exactly old bangers."
