Ripcord Adventure Journal 2.4
Our final issue of volume 2 is quite a mixture of adventure and exploration of the world's polar regions, deserts, oceans, mountains and jungles. In our Guest Editorial, Leon McCarron ventures in to the hills of Jordan as part of his 1000-mile journey on foot, across the Middle East, when he encounters an unexpected musical interlude on a lonely hillside. Planning is essential for major expeditions, even more important to have several back-up plans in case the first one or two, or three do not pan out as expected. Mark Wood brings us behind the scenes of planning for a polar expedition. Technology in the classroom has been touted for more than 2 decades as the next big thing. Here, Joe Grabowski, whose nascent organisation "Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants" has demonstrated that indeed technology can be the medium by which exposure to new and exciting educational contexts can be brought in to the classroom from the real-life connections with explorers, conservationists and scientists in the field. Former Marine Commando, John Sullivan gives us an introduction to what it takes to survive in the desert using the skills and experience he has built up from his time in the forces, leading expeditions and working with film crews on location. What does it take to circumnavigate the globe on one's own, what drives an adventurer to take on and complete such demanding challenges? Erden Eruc takes us with him on his life's journey across oceans and continents. Finally, we catch up with emergency medical doctor Claire Grogan and Mark Hannaford of World Extreme Medicine to discuss the fast-paced world of extreme medicine.
Our final issue of volume 2 is quite a mixture of adventure and exploration of the world's polar regions, deserts, oceans, mountains and jungles.
In our Guest Editorial, Leon McCarron ventures in to the hills of Jordan as part of his 1000-mile journey on foot, across the Middle East, when he encounters an unexpected musical interlude on a lonely hillside.
Planning is essential for major expeditions, even more important to have several back-up plans in case the first one or two, or three do not pan out as expected. Mark Wood brings us behind the scenes of planning for a polar expedition.
Technology in the classroom has been touted for more than 2 decades as the next big thing. Here, Joe Grabowski, whose nascent organisation "Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants" has demonstrated that indeed technology can be the medium by which exposure to new and exciting educational contexts can be brought in to the classroom from the real-life connections with explorers, conservationists and scientists in the field.
Former Marine Commando, John Sullivan gives us an introduction to what it takes to survive in the desert using the skills and experience he has built up from his time in the forces, leading expeditions and working with film crews on location.
What does it take to circumnavigate the globe on one's own, what drives an adventurer to take on and complete such demanding challenges? Erden Eruc takes us with him on his life's journey across oceans and continents.
Finally, we catch up with emergency medical doctor Claire Grogan and Mark Hannaford of World Extreme Medicine to discuss the fast-paced world of extreme medicine.
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Plan D<br />
Mark Woods<br />
My initial thought for this assignment was that I could write<br />
about my next expedition which is happening in 2018 but to<br />
state the obvious, it hasn’t happened yet. It’s very easy to talk<br />
about a journey but a lot harder to make it happen.<br />
If I had lived during the days of the great pioneers of ice<br />
exploration, then, if I was lucky, I would have been one of<br />
the men scrubbing the decks of the Endurance or Discovery.<br />
In this modern era of exploration if you have the desire to<br />
explore, the opportunities are far greater.<br />
In most countries, anyone can be an “adventurer” – there are<br />
enough professional guiding companies to help support your<br />
dreams. There are also a few individuals like myself, who like<br />
to take these journeys a step further, by exploring on our<br />
own terms - if you have the experience, the time and funding<br />
then these kinds of adventures are possible.<br />
In the Golden Age of polar exploration, if anything went<br />
wrong on the expedition, the emphasis was very much on<br />
themselves and self-sufficiency – rescue could be months,<br />
even years away, if at all. However, nowadays it’s very<br />
different. We must acknowledge, that there exists a real<br />
responsibility to the rescue teams who could potentially risk<br />
their own lives to extract failed expedition teams from the ice<br />
and bring them home safely.<br />
Global warming is having a profound effect on how and<br />
where we explore – my journeys are about heading into these<br />
fragile, cold areas of our planet, to film the reality of what we<br />
are moving through. I connect with schools around the<br />
world to communicate the issues we face with changing<br />
climate and as a non-scientist myself, I link-up with climate<br />
experts to verify and explain what we have seen. It’s a new<br />
way to explore but we are governed by the ice and by the<br />
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