Moving forward

A major step forward has occurred since the last blog post: I now have all the transportation confirmed for the expedition. This includes Orca 3, operated by Kilda Cruises, which will take me from the Isle of Harris (Outer Hebrides) to Rockall; the previously agreed ferries, operated by CalMac, which will take me from Skye to Harris; and now Northgate Vehicle Hire have kindly agreed to supply a van for the use of the expedition, not only to get from HQ (home) to the point of departure (Leverburgh) and back at the end of the expedition, but also to transport the RockPod to FoamSpray to get it insulated in a couple of weeks. As you can imagine, this is a major cost saving for the expedition.

 

In addition, Northgate have offered to have the van branded with the 'Rockall Solo' and 'Help for Heroes' logos which will ensure maximum exposure for the expedition and the charity whilst on the road during the initial phases of the expedition, and which will also be picked up in any photo and filming opportunities.

 

An important piece of kit also arrived last week in the form of a Toughbook laptop from Panasonic. This will no only enable me to blog and tweet from Rockall (@RockallNick) but will also allow me to take some e-books and to save the data I collect whilst I'm out there.

 

I am also now in more advanced discussions with a TV production company who have been commissioned to film a piece for a well known TV programme. Its still early days, so watch this space for official confirmation and the 'big reveal' of what programme and when it will be aired, but there's a good chance I'll now be taking a camera with me on the rock to film a diary whilst I am there!

 

Also, just a quick reminder that you can sponsor me in aid of Help for Heroes at: www.JustGiving.com/RockallSolo . Spread the word!

Things keep getting better!

The great news is that, following a presentation to the Kukri Adventure Scholarship panel at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Friday, I was awarded part of the inaugural scholarship fund along with four of the other entrants.

 

 

This unexpected injection of cash to the Rockall Solo coffers, along with the recent donations from LPG Exceptional Energy and Calor, means that I am now very near the total required for the expedition to go ahead this year (only delayed by 2 years!) and have been able to confirm a departure window with the boat skipper. In addition, a kind benefactor who has been 'on board' since the start, has confirmed that his pledge of financial support still stands, despite the delays in departure.

 

Now starts the task of buying and ordering kit and equipment, finishing the RockPod, and conducting a further round of testing all before departure. I'd like to congratulate the other scholarship winners: NY2SY, Adventure 2013, The Mississippi Challenge, and Super Cycling Man, all of whom are worth following. My commiserations go to The Coxless Rowers and Worldride 2013.

Lots and lots happening!

Well its 2013 and this is the start of the fourth (or is it fifth) year of trying to get this expedition off the ground. However, things are looking really good for a positive outcome this year (as always dependant on the weather!).

The first thing that happened at the start of the year was that, thanks to a suggestion by my sponsor Exceptional Energy, Calor have agreed to become a financial sponsor of the expedition. This is a significant step forward, as their funding has meant that I am much closer to the total amount I need for the expedition, and I am now in a position to re-contact the companies who have agreed to supply the expedition with technical equipment I will need, and Kilda Cruises to pencil in potential dates for the expedition later this year. Calor have also kindly agreed to provide a stove and the LPG I will need for cooking and heating water during my stay on the rock.



The second major step forward is that, in part thanks to everyone who voted for me via Facebook, Rockall Solo has been shortlisted for the inaugural Kukri Adventure Scholarship. The next step in the selection process happens on the 8th February at the Royal Geographical Society in London, where I, and the other six candidates, will have to present to the panel of judges, and answer questions posed by them. The winner(s) will be announced that evening at a dinner - watch this space for the results, and good luck to the other entrants.

 

The final bit of good news for this blog (if all the above was not enough already) is that Smiths of the Forest of Dean have kindly agreed to provide the expedition with the plastic drums, to contain my kit and equipment, that my recce of Rockall last June so rudely proved that I need in order for the expedition, and specifically the landing, to be a success.

 

Onwards and upwards!

Massive leaps forward!

Well, in the continuing theme of throwing mud at walls, it just goes to show that you should never give up (something that I might need to keep in mind whilst on Rockall!) In a somewhat random move, I 'Googled' people with the surname Rockall who might have a link with the expedition. As luck would have it, and following a letter to Paris, James Rockall, CEO of the WLPGA 'got' the expedition and could see the obvious links between their campaign 'LPG Exceptional Energy', which aims to promote the use of LPG in remote areas, and my need for a reliable and clean fuel source for cooking whilst on the rock. In addition, LPG Exceptional Energy have very kindly agreed to support the expedition financially as GOLD sponsors.

 

 

As GOLD sponsors LPG Exceptional Energy are able to have their logo on the RockPod survival shelter, to ensure maximum publicity for their brand. With their printers having let them down, a Belgian student was dispatched on a plane to Edinburgh with an envelope containing the logos, and arrived half way through the floatation testing at the Seagull Trust dock on the canal at Ratho!

 

He was, not surprisingly, somewhat bemused to arrive to an image of me swinging around on top of the RockPod, suspended from a crane over the canal. It was all necessary, as I was able to check that the RockPod floats, which it does, and it is surprisingly very stable (I avoided the temptation to see it if would self-right with me in it, much to the disappointment of my goading friend and glamorous assistant Dan!). I could also check that my design was strong enough to be lifted by a crane and was stable whilst being lifted, as it will have to be to get it off the boat. I'd like to thank Ronnie Rusack MBE for his permission and assistance with using the Seagull Trust's facilities.

 

Next 'Glamourous Dan' and I moved venue to the hidden, but publicly open crag behind the Edinburgh International Climbing Area (EICA), which happily is also in Ratho. There I met up with Fraser MacDonald and Stevie, both rope rescue instructors at the National Rope Rescue Centre in Edinburgh. These were the guys to teach me the specialist skills, over and above my existing climbing experience, required to allow me to winch up and lower the RockPod, which weighs around 150kg, over a cliff by myself.

 

 

The exercise was again very helpful, and demonstrated that I need to rethink/design the winching/lowering points on the RockPod to have specific ones for this purpose rather than using those fitted for tethering it to Rockall. I also need to have a fixed central point for the line to attach to, because, as seen above, the RockPod had a tendency to tilt to the side when it got caught on even the smallest feature. It was also a chance to use the Portable Winch for the first time, and it proved to be the perfect tool for the job, and easily lifted the RockPod back up the cliff. Glamorous @MountainDann spent most of the afternoon leaning over the edge of the cliff to take photos whilst I operated the winch and the lowering mechanism. So thanks to Dan for all his help!

 

All this testing and activity led to a great blog today on The Guardian's website by Severin Carrell, which has already yielded some more followers on Twitter, publicity for sponsors, and hopefully will attract others to get involved with the final portion of funding I need to get this expedition off the ground - thanks to LPG Exceptional Energy I'm now two thirds of the way there! One way you can help is to click this link to the Kukri Adventure Scholarship, 'like' the page and vote for my video.

 

The final thing to say is that I agreed provisional departure (and retrieval) dates today with Angus at Kilda Cruises...

 

Nothing ever goes quite to plan!

I had intended to update my blog last Sunday with a (hoped for) tonne of good news. As it happened, things didn't go quite to plan, and after a day off work with bad guts, it is only today that I'm not heading to bed early and I get the chance to update the blog.

 

So, I had hoped that by the end of last week I would have agreed with a van hire company, whom I am still in discussions with, that they would be willing to grant me the use of one of their vans to take the RockPod shelter down to Foamspray to get it insulated, to move the shelter around during the testing weekend (date still to be confirmed - see below), and to take the RockPod and my kit to Harris at the start of the expedition, by CalMac ferry, and back home again at the end of expedition. However, the van hire company are still to make a decision.

 

Secondly, I had hired another van, just in case I had not agreed the use of a vehicle by last weekend, to go to Foamspray. Unfortunately, due to a mix up with the booking, only a normal sized 'transit' type van was available. After several attempts to get the pod to fit, at a variety of angles, with a change of van manufacturer, and with the help of my neighbour Ben, I had to concede that I really did need the high-top I had booked. A very apologetic phone call to Foamspray followed, and I will not now be able to get the RockPod insulated until early in the New Year.

 

 

However, the good, sorry, great news is that I am pleased to announce a new financial sponsor. Leven Brown of Ocean Row Events has very kindly pledged to contribute towards the expedition costs. This not only helps with the continuing quest of fund raising, but is also a great personal morale boost when I was at a low mental ebb. It just goes to show that the old adage, that if you keep throwing mud at walls, some of it will stick, is true. I just have to keep that in mind.

 

In respect of the testing weekend, where I will check that the RockPod floats, and practice winching it up a cliff near home, with a Portable Winch. I have decided to go ahead with the testing, without it having been insulated, before Christmas, as I believe that the foam will only make the pod more buoyant, so if it floats anyway that will be fine, and the weight increase should not be that significant. If necessary, I can always carry out a second round of testing in the New Year. However, I can't set a date quite yet as I am also about to sell my flat, and have to keep all my free weekends free for moving, until I have a date for completion, which should hopefully be early next week!

 

Finally, I am in talks with a well know property company to come on board as a financial sponsors, potentially as Title Sponsor, so everyone please cross your fingers and toes for that...