Archive For 'July, 2011'

10th Anniversary of Extreme World Races to be celebrated with 2012 Oscars of Adventure Awards Night

25 July 2011 at 13:47

Spring is the typical time for awards season in the film industry but this coming year shall see a new addition as the world of Antarctic and polar adventure has its very own exciting ceremony for the very first time.

Celebrating 10 years of EWR and our achievement of creating the toughest races around the globe, we're delighted to announce all of our former race alumni are duly invited to an exciting new black tie, red carpet Awards party.

This is once in a lifetime opportunity to meet all your fellow racers who've previously competed in the Polar Challenge, South Pole Race, the Belize challenge should not be missed. At this exclusive 'family' reunion, in true (CEO) Tony Martin style, you can expect the unexpected so don't be the only one who is not there!

Over the coming months, we will announce a series of special guests; commemorative award categories to vote on; an extra special host to manage the night's proceedings; and details of a truly impressive venue.

Invites to this landmark night are for former EWR adventurers only so don't miss out on and register your interest now on what is set to become an annual landmark occasion for the adventure industry. Celebrating our 10^th anniversary this memorable evening will commemorate the history of Extreme World Races & the fantastic achievements of all our former participants.

Find out how you can secure your place on this once-in-a-life-time night and register your details now with polarelitefoundation@extremeworldraces.com. Monthly bulletins will be sent out to announce all aspects of the Oscars of Adventure. Tickets are £95pp.

Venue: London TBC Date: 16th June 2012 Dress: Black Tie

Posted in Extreme Headlines | The Human Races | South Pole | North Pole | Siberian Ice Race | Extreme Races | About EWR | No Comments

Press Release 19/07/11

19 July 2011 at 11:30

Press Release. For immediate release.

EWR’s ‘Siberian Black Ice Race’ ‘twice as hard as Marathon des Sables’

Extreme World Races announces world’s first multi-discipline race across Lake Baikal, Siberia, as CEO Tony Martin declares it ‘twice as hard as the Marathon des Sables’…

Martin, who designed the race across the frozen length of Lake Baikal, describes it as; “Longer than England, colder than vodka and harder than granite!  Our Siberian Black Ice Race is a challenge that can break even the toughest of the tough - the Marathon des Sables is a walk in the park compared to this...”

EWR’s ‘Siberian Black Ice Race’, the ultimate winter endurance event, is set to take place on the world’s oldest and deepest ice lake, in March 2012.  Billed as ‘the world’s most terrifying race’, over the course of 2 weeks, competitors will attempt to traverse the treacherous black ice that covers this unique tormented lake…

Whoever is brave enough to compete will have to be self-sufficient on the ice with temperatures as low as -40•C and winds of up to 200km/h.  

Stepping out onto the frozen ice of tormented Lake Baikal

Competitors race either the 155 mile ‘Sprint’ or 379 mile ‘Marathon’ by bike, ski, foot or kite-ski.

One of the world’s most beautiful and treacherous wildernesses, this is an entirely new category of endurance racing for those who wish to experience the unique challenge of racing on ice in Siberia.

Extreme World Races provides full race support with Arctic Trucks and checkpoints along the route.  Competitors are responsible for their own travel and equipment.

Key Facts

Race Name:  The Siberian Black Ice Race

Country: Russian Federation

Area: Lake Baikal

Venue: Irkutsk

Dates: 16^th March 2012 - Pre-race enrolment, kit inspection, race rules and registration. 17^th March 2012 - Race Start

Start Time: 09.00 tbc

Duration: Siberian Black Ice Race: 14 days maximum/Siberian Black Ice Sprint: 7 days maximum

Classes: Male, Female, Mixed, Veterans

Designed For: Experienced adventurers looking to push their limits

No. of Places: 30

Distances: Siberian Black Ice Race: 379 miles/Siberian Black Ice Sprint: 155 miles

Disciplines: Trail Running/Walking, Mountain Trek/Run, Navigation, Mountain Biking, X-Country Skiing, Snow Shoeing, kite skiing, skating

Entry Fee: Siberian Black Ice Race: £2700 excluding flights and travel costs

Siberian Black Ice Sprint: £2100 excluding flights and travel costs

Training: For an additional fee, competitors can apply to attend the world famous Extreme World Races Training Camp in Norway (further details upon request)

Sample Itinerary

Please note the following itinerary is subject to change.  For the latest updates, please visit www.extremeworldraces.com  

Tags: Siberian Black Ice Race

Posted in 2012. Lake Baikal | Press Releases | No Comments

Siberian Black Ice Race Featured on BBC Gloucestershire

06 July 2011 at 08:55

As Extreme World Races launch the Siberian Black Ice Race, CEO Tony Martin is interviewed on BBC Radio and describes "the world's most terrifying race". 

The world's first multi-discipline race on the world's oldest, deepest lake in March 2012 was the title feature on the Claire Carter Show on BBC Radio Gloucestershire on 02.07.11, as Martin challenged listeners to brave the arctic conditions.

"We can train anyone to race - it's a state of mind", he said, "our races are 90% mental endurance".    Martin, who designed the race across the frozen length of Lake Baikal, describes it as; “Longer than England, colder than vodka and harder than granite!  Our Siberian Black Ice Race is a challenge that can break even the toughest of the tough - the Marathon des Sables is a walk in the park compared to this...”

Whoever is brave enough to compete will have to be self-sufficient on the ice with temperatures as low as -40•C and winds of up to 200km/h. Competitors race either the 155 mile ‘Sprint’ or 379 mile ‘Marathon’ by bike, ski, foot or kite-ski.

To listen to the full interview, visit Radio Gloucestershire and Claire Carter's page on BBC.co.uk/iplayer

Posted in Extreme Headlines | Siberian Ice Race | Extreme Races | About EWR | No Comments

EWR Siberian Black Ice Race 2012 twice as hard as Marathon des Sables

01 July 2011 at 11:32

Extreme World Races announces world’s first multi-discipline race across Lake Baikal, Siberia, as CEO Tony Martin declares it ‘twice as hard as the Marathon des Sables’…

Martin, who designed the race across the frozen length of Lake Baikal, describes it as; “Longer than England, colder than vodka and harder than granite!  Our Siberian Black Ice Race is a challenge that can break even the toughest of the tough - the Marathon des Sables is a walk in the park compared to this...”

EWR’s ‘Siberian Black Ice Race’, the ultimate winter endurance event, is set to take place on the world’s oldest and deepest ice lake, in March 2012.  Billed as ‘the world’s most terrifying race’, over the course of 2 weeks, competitors will attempt to traverse the treacherous black ice that covers this unique tormented lake…

Whoever is brave enough to compete will have to be self-sufficient on the ice with temperatures as low as -40•C and winds of up to 200km/h.

Competitors race either the 155 mile ‘Sprint’ or 379 mile ‘Marathon’ by bike, ski, foot or kite-ski.

One of the world’s most beautiful and treacherous wildernesses, this is an entirely new category of endurance racing for those who wish to experience the unique challenge of racing on ice in Siberia.

Extreme World Races provides full race support with Arctic Trucks and checkpoints along the route.  Competitors are responsible for their own travel and equipment.

Key Facts

Race Name:  The Siberian Black Ice Race

Country: Russian Federation 

Area: Lake Baikal 

Venue: Irkutsk 

Dates: 16^th March 2012 - Pre-race enrolment, kit inspection, race rules and registration.

17^th March 2012 - Race Start

Start Time: 09.00 tbc

Duration: Siberian Black Ice Race: 14 days maximum/Siberian Black Ice Sprint: 7 days maximum

Classes: Male, Female, Mixed, Veterans

Designed For: Experienced adventurers looking to push their limits

No. of Places: 30

Distances: Siberian Black Ice Race: 379 miles/Siberian Black Ice Sprint: 155 miles

Disciplines: Trail Running/Walking, Mountain Trek/Run, Navigation, Mountain Biking, X-Country Skiing, Snow Shoeing, kite skiing, skating

Entry Fee: Siberian Black Ice Race: £2700 excluding flights and travel costs

Siberian Black Ice Sprint: £2100 excluding flights and travel costs

Training: For an additional fee, competitors can apply to attend the world famous Extreme World Races Training Camp in Norway (further details upon request)

Sample Itinerary

Please note the following itinerary is subject to change.  For the latest updates, please visit www.extremeworldraces.com  

How to get involved in the Race:

For more information, contact Andy Harvey or Mike Tulley on 0044 (0) 1285 860445 for

full details or visit www.extremeworldraces.com 

Posted in Extreme Headlines | Extreme Races | About EWR | No Comments

Master your mind - Part 1

01 July 2011 at 09:43

This month, John Campbell, EWR’s master of all things concerning the mind will impart some wisdom on how to keep yourself from unravelling in an extreme environment! The nature of Polar racing places one under intense mental and physical pressure – so the more one understands the more in control we can be.

People have found it helpful to understand a little about our three levels of mind:

The conscious mind is the part we all know about. It’s, as it implies, the thoughts we have of which we are conscious. ‘I must get out of bed now’, or ‘I don’t feel like getting out of bed now’ or ‘I must put petrol in my car today’. All those things we do consciously as a result of conscious thought. The conscious mind is very limited and can only handle around seven bits of information a minute. The sub-conscious mind takes in every single piece of information which you are exposed to. This can be a blessing or a curse – it all depends whether or not you are selective with what you listen to, what you read and what you watch – and in whose energy you choose to subject yourself.

The Law of Attraction is always working in our lives. This Law is as scientific as The Law of Gravity. It is a Universal Law which states ‘That to which we place our attention – we will automatically attract into our lives’.

Our subconscious mind has no sense of humour, takes everything it receives literally and works with pictures. It is also incapable of processing any negatives. So if you tell someone ‘don’t drink too much water while you are doing the race’ – the subconscious mind will only process ‘drink too much water while you are doing the race’ and mysteriously you will find yourself drinking more water than you need. It’s important that people realise it is their sub-conscious mind which is running their lives – not their conscious minds.

The great news about this is that we can programme this part of our mind just as we programme our computers. If we bombard our mind with images, talk, reading material of what we want – and make sure we avoid doing the same about things we don’t want – eventually we will attract these wanted things into our lives.

So the more you can practice focussing on your good health, your supreme fitness and your successful completion of the race – the more likely that you will complete the race in great health. It is also crucial that you focus only on your own performance and not on ‘beating’ someone else or some other team. The more you can develop a focus only on you and your team’s performance without comparing it to others – the more energy you will conserve. The more energy you conserve, the more likely you are to complete the race in good shape.

Good Luck!

Posted in Extreme Headlines | Extreme Races | About EWR | John Campbell | No Comments

The ABC's of Adventure

01 July 2011 at 09:42

Andrew Harvey, EWR's Operations Manager and outdoor expert has taken some time out to come up with his introductory ABC's for Adventurers. With 10 years of experience you can learn a little bit about the kind of skills that you need to be a successful explorer!

I have been involved in adventurous activities since boyhood.  Being introduced to Cub-Scouts was probably my earliest recollection!  Climbing trees and rock faces, canoeing on lakes and down placid rivers as well as camping in tents up in the hills – every boys dream.....  Well, this dream hasn’t stopped for me!

Some years back, I studied for 4 years to gain NGB qualifications which enabled me to instruct all outdoor activities in national centres and all over Europe (Canoeing, Rock Climbing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Gorge Walking, Mountain Biking and Mountaineering).  When I am not working for EWR (which is a dream in itself) my time is filled with weekends/weeks away (as is the case this coming weekend!!) climbing and mountaineering - strengthening old skills and learning new ones.  I love meeting new people of similar mind and passion and fantasizing about expeditions for future years....!

Filling my personal time with some form of adventure, training or action, I travel to North Wales most weekends to Canoe, Rock Climb and to spend time in the Mountains.  Slightly further afield, Scotland is by far the best place to enjoy training and what the great outdoors has to offer but needs planning and time off work to really enjoy!

Spending time in the outdoors requires a variety of very different skills which all come in to play at some point when in action. For example: A rock climbing weekend might require a night walk in the mountains to get you to the venue – navigation and map skills play a huge part in getting you there safely.  Kit selection and back up plans all contribute to the overall weekend of Rock Climbing.

ABC's of Adventure!

Duration

Training for fitness – short 40 min sessions and often.  Training for activities – as regularly as you can as it will be specific activity training.

 Skill specific

 Rock climbing for example relies on natural talent and fine motor strength.  Indoor walls are ideal for training as it offers a safe environment to really push yourself, rope use and anchor setting; this will then stand you in good stead for when you hit the rocks outside!  Think about the activity in hand and base your training according to the requirements of the activity – mountaineering (map reading/navigation/safety on steep ground/rope skills and first aid).

Content

Don’t run before you can walk – an old cliché but a true one – all adventurous activities require a lot of preparation.  Work out routes to walk/climb.  Select the kit appropriate for those routes.  Take spares in case of emergency

Venue

Make sure that the region you go to offers what you need.  The UK has some of the best venues in the world – search for them!!

Kit

 Make sure you have the right kit for the job.  The ‘Great Outdoors’ is great when all is well, but it’s when the going gets tough that you’ll need the right gear to see you through the tough times – research and select well.

Planning

Plan over and over making sure you have thought through every eventuality.  Overall routes, support, safety, back up plans, escape routes and bad weather options for example...

Bigger and Better

Never stop planning that ‘next trip’, however far away it might seem.  This keeps you hungry & challenges you more!  You’ll get better at what you do, become more skilful, safer, have better understanding and will form better friendships with the people you choose to travel with.

Choose wisely

Select your travel companions wisely as you will need to rely on them heavily most of the time.  It's important that you enjoy your expeditions as well as concentrate on achieving the end result – this is helped by working with friends and people with mutual ideas and respect for the job in hand.

There is NO point in doing any of this if you are not enjoying it!  Take time to look around you (training or on expedition).  Take a camera and snap away.  Sit with a hot brew and savour the moments and have a laugh with your companions. This time is your time, make the most of it. As you’ll soon be back at work!!  Take a video camera and film your experiences – there is nothing better than looking back over your trip with friends and a few beers – you will cry with laughter; trust me!!!

Enjoy!

Posted in Extreme Headlines | Extreme Races | About EWR | No Comments

Going it solo to the Pole by James Hooley

01 July 2011 at 09:42

James Hooley, the only solo competitor to complete the EWR Polar Challenge (2010) has set his sights on completing one of the most arduous treks on the planet; a solo attempt to reach the Geographic South Pole in 2012.

We caught up with James about his ambitious future plans and reminisced about the Polar Challenge:

What was it like taking part in the 2010 Polar Challenge?

Taking part in the EWR Polar Challenge was an amazing experience. Originally I had planned to enter the race as a leader of a team, but I was unable to secure all of the financial support I needed for the whole team. I had however managed to secure enough for one person. The only options left were to quit or to enter the race as the first ever solo competitor.

The Arctic is a truly amazing place and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit such a beautiful place. I also believe that the most enjoyable and worthwhile way to travel in such an area is on your own. This probably sounds mad but there is nothing more exciting and exhilarating than knowing that everything is down to you. There is no place to hide and no excuses to make. Only you are to blame for any failure. You cannot rely on anyone to cover up for any technical weakness. Being on your own means that you have to be best everything, from tent repairs to skiing technique.

Loneliness never once entered my head during the 2010 Polar Challenge. You don’t really have time to be lonely, there is too much to think about and there are too many risks you need to manage. Support and comfort comes from the amazing environment around you, which you have to learn to respect and work with from the moment you start your expedition.  This year’s expedition to the South Pole will last approximately 40 days. Loneliness will be a big problem and keeping my mental focus will be key.

What was the toughest part of the Polar Challenge?

The hardest part was the nature of the Polar Challenge – it’s a race! Everything you do has to be done in the most efficient way. You have to ski as fast as you can for as long as you can without burning yourself out for the next day.

The most challenging part of the race was during the first few days crossing Bathurst Island. I hadn’t really mentally adapted to the environment and I made a few silly decisions.

The last 4 days were done in awful conditions with high winds and low temperatures. Having to get out of the tent and ski head first into 40mph winds for 12hrs, with zero-visibility for three days, after the previous 10 days of hard skiing is tough on the body and mind. In such awful conditions you burn more energy staying warm and have to be careful that when you stop that you don’t slip in to hypothermic state without realising it.

What are your next plans?

In December I am planning to ski 700 miles solo, unsupported and unassisted to the South Pole from Hercules Inlet. The aim is to break the world record for the youngest person to reach the South Pole unsupported. The record currently stands at 29 and I will be 27 when I attempt the expedition later this year.

How has being the first solo competitor to complete the Polar Challenge prepared you for Antarctica?

It has certainly given me some good experience. I know what areas I need to work on and having trained with EWR's survival experts, Conrad and Gary, in Norway, I know how to prepare for the South Pole.

What I found most surprising and this probably sounds crazy but the body can play tricks on you when you are cold and tired. You may harmlessly think resting for 5 minutes more whilst starring aimlessly at the snow in front of you won’t cause any harm but before you know it you have lost all perspective of time and how cold you really are. In a group you can get away with it because you can look out for each other. On your own you don’t have such a luxury.

When I head down to the South Pole later this year I have to stay focused and sharp from day one.

Who are you supporting?

I am to raise money for 2 military charities. Help for Heroes and The Afghanistan Trust, which is the regimental charity for the Parachute Regiment.

When are you planning your attempt?

I am planning to set off in December 2011.

Where can I find out more?

You can either follow my progress at the expedition website www.south-solo.co.uk or on twitter @jameshooley

Posted in Extreme Headlines | Extreme Races | About EWR | No Comments