Teething problems with kite skis and gale-force winds have reminded a bruised but relentlessly positive Adrian Hayes and his battered teammates that on their latest expedition they are always only a harness-break away from serious injury.
The Dubai-based polar explorer and his two teammates, Devon McDiarmid and Derek Crowe, are attempting to make history by traversing an uncharted 3,500 km route across the world's second largest ice sheet, unsupported.
If successful, the journey, which takes them across Greenland from the Atlantic Ocean in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north, will become the longest unassisted Arctic expedition.
On day four of their estimated 65-day journey, last Saturday, the team's strength was severely tested when they used their kites for the first time.
Speaking to The National by satellite phone yesterday, Hayes said they had since re-named the "parawings" - a cross between a kite sail and a windsurfer, designed to be used in strong winds - "scary wings" because of the lack of control users have over the direction they are taken in. "We tried the kites out on day two or three but it was howling and we were just collapsing," he said. "We couldn't move the sleds. It was chaos. So on day four we got them out proper and had high-speed crashes, airborne visits - I think Devon went up 10 feet in the air and realised he was basically flying."
In one particularly harrowing episode Hayes was caught in a gust that sent the kite spinning eastward toward Iceland, causing his harness to snap and the kite to break free.
"It went flying off into the ice," he said, "so Devon took off his packing and sled and went launching after it for what seemed about five kilometres, but was probably only about 400 metres. After that we decided to call it a day. These are the strongest things we've got, and if we are out of control in these then it's time to call it a day."
In the first eight days the team has covered just 134 km of the journey. Volatile weather conditions - namely varying wind speed and direction - make any sort of schedule impossible to maintain.
From their tent yesterday morning, under blue skies and in temperatures of -12° C, Hayes surveyed the icy mountain ahead of them.
"The wind was blowing in the night, but it's dying down and the forecast is pretty flat today and tomorrow," he explained. "This is the whole dilemma - do you walk for a day and cover 15 or 20 km or do you just rest and wait until the good winds come and keep going?"
Over the weeks ahead the team plans to make up the hours whenever the winds allow - kiting for nine or 10 hours when possible - and when they reach 24 hours of sun, the light becomes 24-hour sun, they just keep going, stopping only for dinner.
Despite progress being slow, and waking up stiff and sore with frost-bite already appearing on his nose, Mr Hayes and his Canadian teammates are upbeat.
"For the first week you are getting used to expedition mode, sleeping on hard ground and getting into the routine, and then after that you get everything sorted out," he said.
"We always knew this first quarter would be the hardest of the trip, and it's important we keep that in mind and keep plodding on until we reach the high point, get the downhills and the good winds and make up ground."
So far, he notes, the main difference between this expedition and his previous trips to the north and south poles is the constant drone of planes passing overhead.
Greenland is under the path of many flights between Europe and the United States. "When you see them you can't help but think of people slipping into a nice movie, with nice food and a glass of wine and all the rest of it," he laughed. "And here we are with our freeze-dried rations battling the elements."
@Email:loatway@thenational.ae
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Results
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UAE'S%20YOUNG%20GUNS
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Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm Underwriter
7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
9.25pm Gundogdu
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
EXPATS
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Race card
1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m
3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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