I tackled freezing -40F temperatures and risked polar bear attacks to set a WORLD RECORD on an all-female ski expedition above the magnetic North Pole

Never earlier had I knowledgeable specified cold. 

A sadistic iciness which stung arsenic soon arsenic it hit, leaving my hairsbreadth achromatic and static, my eyelashes frosted and my hands burning successful pain. 

I person spent clip successful immoderate acold places from nan wilds of Iceland successful nan depths of wintertime to nan North Col of Everest during a achromatic retired but nary of these spots were a spot connected Canada's acold north, wherever I had ventured to return portion successful an all-female skis expedition focused connected climate change. 

The 4 of us, led by polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE, had been told that nan upwind successful Canada's Nunavut region had been exceptionally acold this outpouring and we were surely experiencing its brutality arsenic we ventured retired onto nan stiff oversea crystal pinch our 80kg sleds successful tow.

With 40mph winds whipping astir us, nan somesthesia plummeted to astir -40F but we tried our champion to plough up successful our custom-made bluish skis outfits by luxury marque Moncler which served arsenic our conflict gear. 

While nan utmost acold was 1 point to fear, we besides had to contend pinch nan imaginable of gathering polar bears connected our way but it was tricky to spot what laic up pinch crisp pepperings of snowfall meaning small to nary visibility. 

You see, it was nan first time of our expedition aft days of delays owed to bad upwind and we had a consciousness of determination.

Our clip connected nan crystal had been trim from 12 days to 7 and we were hopeless to get retired successful bid to complete what we had group retired to do.

The purpose of nan expedition was to cod dozens of snowfall and crystal samples from arctic oversea crystal astir nan 1996 Magnetic North Pole successful a bid to analyse them for achromatic c and microplastic deposits.

This investigation successful move will thief america to amended understand nan effect of contamination connected Arctic oversea crystal and its publication towards world warming.

I had sewage progressive successful nan technological skis expedition expedition measurement backmost successful 2020.

After spending galore years walking astir nan world specializing successful escapade travel, I decided I wanted to acquisition nan desolation of spending clip astatine 1 of nan Earth's poles, while doing thing impactful astatine nan aforesaid time.

I retrieve going to a talk led by polar explorer Ben Saunders wherever he described nan overseas emotion of being dropped connected nan crystal by a mini level and seeing it leave, and having nan realization that you are successful nan mediate of obscurity each alone, pinch conscionable your tenacity to spot you through.

After applying to subordinate nan expedition via an entreaty by Felicity connected Facebook, I quickly realized nan biggest task pinch these extreme, acold flung expeditions is fundraising.

After galore months involving hundreds of emails, Rolex sewage connected committee arsenic our main sponsor arsenic portion of their science-focused Perpetual Planet program, and Moncler joined arsenic nan co-headline sponsor, pinch their purpose to make america stylish yet functional cogwheel for nan trip. 

We were each fresh to spell successful 2022 and our first scheme was to spell to nan Geographic North Pole (there are aggregate North Poles I learned).

This would impact catching a formation from Norway to a landing portion connected nan crystal known arsenic Barneo, which is Swiss-owned and Russian-run operation. 

But erstwhile the Russia-Ukraine warfare collapsed out, our expedition was put connected hold. 

In 2023, we tried again arsenic nan Geographic North Pole way reopened, but a week aliases truthful earlier we left, Norway denied flights to Barneo connected biology grounds. 

Come 2024, we were wished to get north, truthful we came up pinch a different way taking america to nan 1996 Magnetic North Pole via Canada. 

Our starting constituent for nan skis travel would beryllium what was a erstwhile Arctic upwind station, called Isachsen.  

The defunct investigation guidelines is located connected nan occidental statement of Ellef Ringnes Island successful Nunavut and it was selected for its sadistic upwind patterns - deemed nan worst successful Canada.

The grounds low, which spot connected March 16, 1956, was -65F, while successful nan summertime months, nan somesthesia conscionable peeps supra freezing earlier plunging down to bone-chilling depths again.

The acold flung guidelines operated from April 3, 1948, done September 19, 1978, and it was nan 3rd position successful a associated inaugural by nan Canadian-American upwind study program.

Isachsen was picked arsenic a logical starting constituent for our expedition, arsenic nan runway intends it is simply a bully spot for mini planes to onshore and it sits astir 15 miles northbound from nan 1996 Magnetic North Pole. 

After nan 5 of america hauled our cogwheel retired of a mini copy otter plane, we spent a bully fewer hours exploring nan mysterious upwind position and investigation guidelines earlier mounting retired connected nan ice. 

As I had knowledgeable successful our training trips - 1 to Europe's biggest glacier successful Iceland and different crossing portion of Svalbard - nan bid of transverse state skiing is rather wonderful.

You glide on into a oversea of white, pinch thing but your thoughts acting arsenic noise.

While nan sleds are heavy, erstwhile you get going, they effortlessly descent connected nan crystal (providing its flat) and you almost hide that it is attached via a tether and harness to your hips. 

However, our first time retired was abruptly interrupted by nan aforementioned large wind and we past spent 2 days each zipped wrong 1 tent, which was cozy to opportunity nan least. 

It was truthful windy and acold that we could not spell anywhere, truthful we spent 48 hours chiefly successful our sleeping bags for illustration fat caterpillars, pouring snowfall for h2o and for our dehydrated precocious calorie meals. 

Finally, erstwhile nan winds abated, we were capable to get retired and explore. 

We spent 1 time retired connected nan oversea crystal but nan winds were still reasonably strong, truthful we were incapable to extremity and behaviour immoderate subject sampling.

But nan last 36 hours - during which we did not slumber - were beautiful, pinch nan sun shining, nary breeze and clear skies. 

During this time, we were capable to do nan subject we group retired to do and we besides staged a Guinness World Record successful nan shape of 'the astir northerly cocktail party.' 

In 2018, I joined a squad to break nan Guinness World Record for nan highest meal statement astatine 23,149 ft connected Mount Everest, and while we were adjacent to nan North Pole, I thought astir hosting different culinary-themed wacky feat. 

With very short notice, spirits marque AXIA whipped america up 3 vacuum packed cocktails - a margarita, negroni and aloe vera-infused mix. 

Along pinch having 3 different libations, different rules stipulated by Guinness World Records for our cocktail statement to make nan trim included euphony playing throughout, a barroom array for our drinks, canapes for everyone attending, and for nan GPS coordinates to beryllium captured. 

We besides had to deterioration cocktail attire for astatine slightest 1 photo, truthful for a little infinitesimal aliases so, we stripped down to immoderate small achromatic dresses and struck a airs pinch a frosty cocktail to hand. 

Feeling acold and exhausted, we made nan last skis backmost to nan copy otter level which had returned - to our relief. 

We each agreed it had been a chaotic and very challenging escapade to nan apical of nan world.

Due to nan complaint of world warming, location mightiness not beryllium capable oversea crystal to skis to immoderate of nan North Poles successful years to travel but my dream is that we tin each play a mini portion successful fighting Earth's biggest battle.

From reducing integrative discarded to cutting recreation emissions, location are truthful galore small things that collectively tin make a large difference. 

Locals we said to successful nan Nunavut region said they person seen nan effect of ambiance alteration first hand, pinch much temperamental upwind patterns and 1 female we said to said it was communal to find integrative successful nan courage of animals which they hunt, including fish, seals, and whales. 

The sanction of our expedition - B.I.G. - stands for Before It's Gone. But let's dream it's not excessively precocious for these vulnerable polar regions. 

For much accusation astir nan expedition, sojourn www.bignorthpole.com. For much accusation connected exploring Canada, sojourn www.destinationcanada.com