Today, and I can hardly believe I’m
typing this, it is exactly one month until I leave for Leverburgh on Harris to
await a suitable weather window for departure and a hopefully successful
second landing on Rockall. I can hardly believe it, as it’s been such a long road to this
point, which has suddenly arrived out of no-where!
I have been very lucky, particularly
this year, in having obtained all the funding I need for the expedition, which
has been the sticking point for the last two years and the lack of which was
the main reason for postponing the expedition in both 2011 and 2012. I'd like to thanks LPG Exceptional Energy, Calor, DM Hall, Kukri, Petrostrat and Ocean Row Events for all their help and support so far.
In
addition, most of my transportation has been agreed in the past four months,
and I have also confirmed that all the generous offers of equipment still
stood, and have been ordering shiny kit with relish – the house now looks like
an equipment store. So much in fact has fallen into place in 2013, that I'm starting to suspect that the hand of destiny might be playing a part.
Packing has been interesting, as
everything has to fit in the plastic drums provided by Smiths of Dean. An
initial rough distribution and packing session revealed that I have more than
enough space for everything, and I have subsequently repacked neatly, which has
left me with space for the kit which I am still awaiting, such as survey gear,
satellite phone, and wind turbine; all of which are ordered and should arrive
in the next week or so.
This time of year is always busy
with expedition and adventure news: the Marathon des Sables was run at the
start of the month and which I ran back in 2010, only a year into the planning
of the then ‘Rockall 2011’ expedition; I was far too optimistic! Bob Kerr, who
went out to Rockall with me last year, is currently climbing his own Everest
(literally) and is about to move up to Advance Base Camp on the North side of
the highest mountain in the world. Sarah Outen, one of the judges of the Kukri
Adventure Scholarship, which I‘ve shared this year, has just departed from Japan
on her second attempt to row solo across the Pacific to Canada as part or her
larger ‘London to London via the World’ expedition. Unfortunately, however, Niall
Iain MacDonald, who was also a recipient of the Kukri Adventure Scholarship this
year, and with whom I have been in touch since we both postponed our respective
Atlantic adventures last year, has had to postpone NY2SY yet again. I know some of how he
feels, and I wish him all the luck for 2014.
Right, I’m going back to packing kit,
but remember you can sponsor me in aid of Help for Heroes at www.justgiving.com/rockallsolo
. More news soon!
