Since we launched Shifting Ice + Changing Tides, the response has been overwhelming. We get requests almost daily to join the trip or to be added to the waiting list. We have to admit, the trip sounds amazing – that is how we came up with it! Dream big and go for it has been our motto from the start, but between dreaming and going, there has been more than a year of hard work.
Chipping away at big goals (photo by Greg Marsden)
As you know, the spark started with our application for the Polartec Challenge Award, 40 hours of research, writing, and rewriting, that seemed like a lot of work at the time… but we were just getting started. Once the fire was started, we had to find a boat that was in Iceland, available for charter, and could fit six of us. This took us quite a bit of time, but we eventually partnered with Thierry Dubois and the La Louise. More on Thierry later!
The La Louise off the coast of Greenland.
Next we had to find accessible and skiable terrain and objectives. Our constraint was time. The longer our trip, the more expensive it would be. So we restricted the trip to 3 weeks which restricted the terrain we’d be able to access. Thierry has done this sail quite a few times and has good information on where the coast is accessible at that time of year, so Martha obtained some maps and we started planning using the combination of maps and Google Earth. We’ll then put this information into a GPS unit to access the sites when we are on the boat or dinghy.
Maps and Google Earth for hours!
There is so much more we have to physically do to prepare for the trip – prepping a first aid kits, physical conditioning, mental conditioning, reviewing essential skills like crevasse rescue and rappelling, calling and emailing every skier and sailor that has been to that region. But by far the hardest part has been raising the funds for the trip. We are lucky to have 2 great partners in Polartec and Climate Reality Project, but we are looking and applying for grants and sponsorship weekly and discussing how we might fill the funding gap. (We’ve even put our own funds towards the trip). We’ve had multiple hour-long Skype calls, a team meeting in Jackson were some team members traveled over 11 hours to get there, over 1,000 emails, and 5 working Google documents. We’re obviously not skiing or sailing during those hours! With the trip just over 2 months away, the amount or work we still have to do seems daunting, but the messages we receive from our supporters fuel our fire. So keep them coming and if you have any ideas on possible partnerships, we’d love to hear them because we’re still chipping away at the “work” part of the equation! Also, keep an eye out for our crowdfunding campaign starting next month or make a donation here NOW!
Meghan Kelly Teles! 