Author Topic: To the pole again , On top of the world (Read 1550 times)

isawlogs · « **on:** February 16, 2006, 08:49:06 pm »

A friend of mine , Richard is headed out for another trip to the pole . Another unassisted treck with A British chap by the name of Conrad , who I met while I was fixing the sleds that they will be pulling with all of there gear .
They are in Iqualuit , Baffin Island preparing there long days of travelling and getting acostumed to the weather ... read cold , real cold .

For those of you that would like to see what its all about or would like to follow them they are adding new dispatches now and then .
Clic here for the North pole classic 2006

Preparations in Ottawa for one .

Paul_H · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:26:50 pm »

Thanks Marcel,that is a really good website.There were things I never would have considered such as rolling in the snow to soak up the moisture like a sponge,after falling in water.

isawlogs · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:46:01 pm »

How about after walking or skiing all day and leaving your boots outside to freeze , so that in the morning you would shake them to get the sweat that has froze in them to fall to the ground .
I had a great time preparing the sleds for them and knowing of what they would be going through in the next two months .

Paul_H · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:54:19 pm »

I guess it still beats the heck out of Costa Lotta and having to check your boots for Snakes and Spiders

Jeff · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:59:08 pm »

HEY! I am breaking one of my rules for this one! THis link is to a picture of Marcel they have on their website.

Marcel, is this the guys I heard about on public radio that are going to try to be the first to the pole in the artic night?

Picture of Marcel

This link should take you to the page where Marcel is working...
LINK

Jeff · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2006, 11:02:30 pm »

"The first week of preparations in Ottawa have been packed full of activity! The main task was to prepare the especially made sledges by cold welding runners to the base and fixing lids to enable them to turn 360 degrees in the rough ice. We were assisted by Marcel, an engineering genius!!"

This is those guys! Wow Marcel. That is COOL!

Paul_H · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2006, 11:05:28 pm »

I don't know how I missed that

Marcel,they said you cold welded the runners.What was the procedure?

isawlogs · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2006, 11:58:25 pm »

Jeff dont worry about it .. I have personel knowledge to the fact that it is OK to have the pic on here .

They wont be making it there in total darkness ... but they will be starting there treck there in darkness ... with only twilight for little time in 24 hours ... by the time they reach the pole it will be 24 hour sun .
They are on the other hand going to try to be the first unsuported team to make it there in 60 days .

Did you know that there are only ten people to have made it to the pole unsuported ... Richard is one ... and one of two that has made there and back unsuported .

More on the sleds to come .

Oh ... Paul .. Only thing you got to have an eye out for is the teddy bear . The big white one , that sees you as dinner .

Paul_H · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2006, 12:05:43 am »

When I asked about the procedure to attach the runner,I am interested but wouldn't expect you to divulge your trade secrets.

I read on the link that a Polar Bear caught a Dane with his pants down.

isawlogs · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2006, 12:11:39 am »

they said you cold welded the runners

I'll get back to this later ...

Yes it is way cool Jeff . If there is anything you guys want to know of them or ask them .. It can be arranged .
Jeff ... What have you herd over the radio ...

The sleds .. or sledges as Conrad calls them , I have been working on them for the past three weeks in the evening . these sleds are a new design that Richard and Micha have come up with after many expeditions to the pole . They are much deeper then the original design and are thicker in some places where wear was occuring on the older models .
We had to come up with a lid that , if the sled was to over turn ( wich happens when they cross over pressure ridges ) could act as a sled until they reach a place that it could be over turned back onto the sled , this is to help them make better time as they are planning to do this treck in only sixty days ,
The original idea was to make the lids from scratch ... wich did not apeal to me one bit . to much work and to much time involved that we did not have . I came up with the idea of taking the old sleds and cutting them up and modifying them into lids for the new sleds , and made a prototype that Richard took out for a test run , packing in over 150 lbs and pulling it and having it turn over ... It passed the test and we where on our way to making lids .

THe welding ... Conrad is a bit out to lunch on that . The runners are welded on there this way ... Heat is produced in a vented ( read .. air line attached to it ... ) sodering iron 3 lbs of air run out of it at all times as to not over heat the element , This iron has a hole through wich you thread a plastic cord ( looks like weed eater cord ) It is heated and when pushed out the hole it is partialy melted and the iron melts the cord and the plastic you are welding to are bonded ,
As you weld the sleds get hot and at one point you got to stop or else they will melt , not good . So to help out, I used the air compressor to cool the weld down and be able to go at it sooner and longer . This is where he saw the cold weld .

I will have pics of this as I have 8 more sleds to prepare for another trip to the pole this coming March.
Josée , Richards wife, will lead another expidition that will leave from the Russian side and ski back to Canada , Somewhere on the artic ocean in the middle of April they will try to meet up .

isawlogs · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2006, 12:22:00 am »

I am interested but wouldn't expect you to divulge your trade secrets.

Paul.... aint to worried about that ... As I am purdy sure that not too many know of where or how to get a sled to begin with .

Let alone getting whats needed . To tell the truth I am not sure myself .

Other then having 44 of them in my shop .

etat · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2006, 12:30:41 am »

WOW!

Norm · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2006, 07:25:23 am »

Cool stuff Marcel!

Every once and a while I think I'm pretty busy but folks like you keep me humble, 44 of em huh. How big is your shop?

isawlogs · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2006, 08:24:00 pm »

Norm ..

As all shops ... Its too small , just finished it and its already crowded . Its 22 X 36 . My next one , Yes I am going to build another , will be 30 X 60 , I aint going to be crowded twice .

Tom · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2006, 11:43:19 am »

I don't understand why they don't put on a pair of roller skates and skate to Miami. It would be a lot warmer, a little bit safer and nobody's ever done it that I know. Least ways they haven't done it so's that they arive at 4:35.

isawlogs · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2006, 11:19:42 pm »

One of the sleds , with gear bag attached .

Tom , there would be traffic and people to deal with , going where they are heading there is only the odd chance of meeting up with a polar bear

I have been keeping up with them through their site that I linked in the first post , after going through some bad ice rubble they seam to be doing good , other then Conrad having an incident with his pee bottle in his sleeping bag the other night .

Not really a good thing to hapen ...

isawlogs · « **Reply #16 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:47:41 pm »

Today was a really new and unusual occasion. Richard's wife, Josee, is leading a supported trip from the North Pole to Canada and, with modern satellite communications and GPS, we were able to cross paths and exchange stories. It was a very special occasion for Richard, meeting Josee and his son Tessum, who was also on the expedition. It was surreal to come upon their tent in a blizzard!

Quote from Richards site ....

Burlkraft · « **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2006, 04:38:17 pm »

Marcel......................These guys are OLD

They must be in great shape. The thought of taking a bathroom break and then being interupted by one of those cute teddy bears....well....that's just not good

I've been interupted by the phone and the UPS guy......but I don't think I would like having to throw a shovel at one to "finish the job I started"

isawlogs · « **Reply #18 on:** April 27, 2006, 07:57:00 am »

At seven o'clock this morning I received a call from the north pole . Richard and Conrad have made it and are waiting for the hellicopter ride out . I am very happy that they made it with only a few miss-haps

He did fall throught the ice once crossing a lead .
Goodnews for me this morning

DanG · « **Reply #19 on:** April 27, 2006, 08:12:45 am »

Wow! That is just totally neat!

It must be a great feeling to be a part of such a project.

isawlogs · « **Reply #20 on:** May 03, 2006, 09:41:02 pm »

Well its the end of the expedition , I just got back from the airport and picked up Richard , Josée and Tessum . Due to unsual ice conditions not seen before , Josée had to put an end to her expidition ,

But another first for Richard , beeing the first to get from Canada to the north pole unsuported and getting there on snow shoes .

Tom · « **Reply #21 on:** May 03, 2006, 09:42:21 pm »

Did he take any pictures of the scenery, Marcell.

isawlogs · « **Reply #22 on:** May 03, 2006, 10:04:40 pm »

Yes , there are lots of pics that they took ... if you want an idea of what they look like .. open your freezer , get up close to where there is frost forming up neear the door , grab your camera , zoom in and clic ....

I will get him to send me some and I will post a few if you wuld like to have a looksee .

The helicopter that went and got Josée out is one big one ... 28 passengers , 4 crewmen , and all the gear for the expition was cramed in there . They where a bit tired so I did not want to hold um hostage much longer then for two cold ones , but I will see them toimorow and have a lot more info about it all . All's I know for now is just a bit of frostbite , some eye swelling and a few dips in the arctic ocean .

Tom · « **Reply #23 on:** May 03, 2006, 10:08:15 pm »

Be sure to tell them how many of us were following them. ..and that we enjoyed the trip. Glad they are home safe.

UNCLEBUCK · « **Reply #24 on:** May 03, 2006, 11:29:08 pm »

Yep that is awesome Marcel , tell them congratulations . I listen to public radio most all the time and I didnt put 2 and 2 together until now that "it's Marcel the welder" . Very good stuff

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Author Topic: To the pole again , On top of the world (Read 1550 times)