University of Cambridge

.. through snowy forests; across frozen tundra lakes; past herds of reindeer; the panting dogs responding to your every command?

Now you can have the chance! The Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute are looking for volunteers to take part in their Great Sponsored Arctic Dog Sledge for a week, from March 12 to 18, 2006.

This seven-day trip is being arranged for the Friends through Across the Divide Expeditions. Sledging over 250 kilometres into the wilds of Norway, this trek will prove the ultimate challenge for participants. The route begins near Alta, 120 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, with the finish being almost 200 kilometres within it.

Of course, volunteers will need to be capable of reaching an active level of fitness in time for the event and will need to raise around 3000 in sponsorship in order to take part. The funds will help the Friends to support the work of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge.

The Scott Polar Research Institute was founded in 1920 as the national memorial to Captain Scott and the Polar party. The Institute has been an international centre for polar explorers, scholars and enthusiasts ever since. From rigorous scientific enquiry into the nature of climate change to protecting our historic polar heritage, the Scott Polar Research Institute has remained at the vanguard of polar work for 85 years.

The Friends of SPRI was established in 1946 to enable those who are interested in the polar regions to assist the Institute in this important scientific and heritage work. The Friends have donated over 125,000 to support various aspects of the Institute's work over the last 10 years.

Recent examples of donations include 420 for the repair of the Shackleton Clock, 5000 for the purchase of library books and 1500 for conservation work on the Institute's photographic collections.

The Friends also assisted in the recent acquisition of Herbert Ponting's original negatives from Captain Scott's 1910-1913 expedition, providing 15,000 towards the matching funds required as part of the conditions for a 533,000 grant awarded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund to acquire this internationally important photographic archive for the nation.

Of course, there may be irony in raising money for a Polar Research Institute named for Captain Scott by driving a team of dogs in Norway. Scott is notorious, these days, for his refusal to use dogs in his fatal attempt on the South Pole in 1912, whilst his rival, Norwegian Roald Amundsen, used dogs and beat him to it.

'Scott was always having to come up with interesting ways to raise money for his work, so he would empathise with this,' says David Wilson, the Chairman of the Scott Polar Friends and great-nephew of Edward Wilson, who died with Captain Scott and the Polar party.

'Additionally, it is a myth to say that Scott did not use dogs. He used them quite extensively, just not on the final attempt at the Pole. This was because he thought that the scientific work planned for the following year of the Expedition was more important than the Pole journey and so he wanted to keep his dogs alive for that.

'He also had no dislike for Norway, having spent some time there, testing his motor sledges and making other preparations for the Expedition. So whilst some may see irony, I do not think that Scott would have been anything but approving of our use of dog sledging in Norway as a means of raising money for British polar science and heritage!'

At least two descendants of men on Scott's Expeditions have already volunteered to take part in the SPRI Friends' Great Sponsored Arctic Dog Sledge. Descendants of Edward Wilson and of Reginald Skelton are already signed up. This is your chance to join them!

The Scott Polar Research Institute is a sub-department of the Department of Geography in the University of Cambridge: www.spri.cam.ac.uk

Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute

Across the Divide charity expeditions


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For more information, contact:

Images and further information may be obtained from Dr David Wilson, Chairman, Friends of SPRI 020-8367-2503 or dmw@hoopoes.com

Cerris Tavinor, University of Cambridge Press Office. Tel: 01223 332300 Email: ucam-press-office@lists.cam.ac.uk


Reproduced courtesy University of Cambridge Press Office