A dog sledging expedition to the North Pole requires a different approach to fitness than a mountaineering or man-hauling expedition. Heavy sledges topple and jam in rough blocks of ice, requiring much lifting, pulling and righting to get the 500-pound loads moving again. Legs get tangled in dog ropes and arms are yanked in all directions. Sprained muscles, tendons & ligaments are the major hazards of a dog sledging expedition.

The team will be thrown in at the deep end when the expedition gets underway from Cape Columbia. The most severe rough ice and the coldest conditions of the whole journey will be encountered during the first 100 miles of the route, as the pack ice is gradually crushed against the land by ocean currents and winds.

Above : The team grappling with a heavy sled in Baffin Island

Training began in earnest in February 2004 when the team met up in Iqaluit, on Baffin Island where Matty lives with her 17 Canadian Eskimo Dogs. For the three London-based team members (Tom, Andrew and George), this was their first experience of driving dogs and the three-week training exercise was a steep, but invaluable, learning curve.

Above : Andrew driving the dogs on Frobisher Bay

There was no hanging around as they headed straight out across the frozen Frobisher Bay to get to grip with the intricacies of travelling with dogs and route finding through formidable pressure ridges. With terrain and temperatures similar to those they will be encountering in the Far North, it was the perfect place to train.

Above : Rough ice conditions near Baffin Island’s Meta Incognita Peninsula

The trip culminated with an 11-day mini-expedition around Baffin Island’s Meta Incognita Peninsula. The dogs proved to be amazing companions, and the team forged strong bonds with them all. Most of the dogs that took part in the training programme have been selected for the Barclays Capital Ultimate North team. The team will spend a further two weeks training with the dogs just before the expedition gets underway on March 15 th 2005.

On their return from Baffin Island, the team spent much of March and April ski touring in the Alps in preparation for a high endurance race called the Patrouille Des Glaciers which has taken place every two years since World War 2.

Above : George and Andrew on the start line in Zermatt. It’s 11pm

The PDG has to be one of the most hardcore sporting events on the planet and the field is dominated by Swiss soldiers.  The 65-mile race from Zermatt to Verbier involves a punishing 4,035 metres of ascent and 4,150 metres of decent.  A series of checkpoints along the route have to be passed within a certain time and the finishing line closes after 15 hours. 

Exhausted, but still on their feet, the team cleared the final checkpoint well inside the cut-off time before an avalanche forced the cancellation of the race with the finish line almost insight. So near, but yet so far.

Above : Andrew and George at 5am in white-out conditions just below the Matterhorn

By early May 2004 the team thought they were fit. That was until they met Dax Moy. Dax Moy is without doubt the leading personal fitness trainer in London and the team enlisted his support when a more organised training regime was required.

Using his innate understanding of the workings of the human body, Dax tailor-made a fitness and nutritional programme specifically for each team member, with a strong emphasis on core conditioning and stability.

Above : Tom during the closing stages of the PDG

Dax took one look at the team before taking them to pieces. Over a period of 8 months, they trooped down to his training studios in Angel, North London, on the first Friday of every month, knowing that they would emerge some hours later with screaming muscles and an excellent exercise routine for the following 4 weeks.

On each visit he set them a new routine, enabling the team to surpass their previous fitness levels, while making them stronger and more supple. Dax Moy has given the team the confidence to tackle the ice head on, and the 3 London-based team members are all extremely grateful to have benefited from his help and professionalism.

It has taken the team a long time to get here, but they are now fit and ready and raring go!

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