Rockall Solo Endurance Expedition in aid of HELP for HEROES

More good news...

2012-01-18T15:02:00.001Z

Things continue to move forward at pace regarding equipment at least. McMurdo Fast Find have donated a Fast Find PLB to the expedition, which means that if everything does go pear-shaped, Pete Tong, etc. and I have to "abandon ship" (for ship, read rock) then I can activate the PLB and be found fast! This is especially important as far out as Rockall as I will be right on the outer limit of HM Coastguard's search and rescue capability, which menas no fuel time for messing around trying to locate me.

The Fast Find is a waterproof 406 MHz Personal Location Beacon (PLB) that should be carried by individuals, who are embarking on trips into areas around the world where there is little or no other form of communication or where other forms of communication are unlikely to work. The Fast Find acts as a personal Emergency Location Beacon, it is my last resort communication to the national and international search and rescue bodies. The Fast Find is designed as a direct communication, to the 406 MHz Search and Rescue satellite system, its signal indicates that I am in need of urgent response and assistance.

Toughbook for a tough challenge!

2012-01-12T15:44:00.001Z

Things seem to be moving forward very well in 2012! Following a telephone conversation today, I'm please to announce that Panasonic have very kindly agreed to loan me a Toughbook laptop, a water, freeze, shock and dust proof FT3 digital camera, and a professional quality video camera for the duration of the expedition. These will allow me to capture life as it happens on the rock, and once I have satcoms sorted, I'll also be able to blog and Tweet live from Rockall!

Toughbook doesn’t just lead the ruggedized computing market, it defined it. Since the first model launched more than a decade ago, Toughbooks have created their own niche in the world of mobile technology, redefining the possibilities of access to data and applications in the most challenging of environments.

Still the main outstanding issue is that of funding for final bits and bobs, but mostly for the boat charter. I'm so close to finally getting this project off the ground; I now need some hard cash!

Flooring and (maybe) computing

2012-01-11T20:23:00.000Z

Thanks to the guys at Pyramid who sent the flooring for the RockPod, which arrived safe and sound today by courier. I just need to tighten and cut a few bolts, then the floor can be insulated and fitted over the next couple of weeks.

Also this week, after lots of emailing requests to various companies, I have been contacted by an IT provider and PC manufacturer with a view to supplying the expedition with their services and equipment. I still need to finalise the details, but after boat charter this was the next biggest expense, so will be feeling pretty chuffed if we can agree something concrete.

Quick Update

2011-12-21T21:48:00.000Z

Today, I been offered the flooring for my shelter (nice Christmas present). I just need a whole load of fibreglass and gelcoat now! In addition, I have a verbal offer for a quarter of my boat charter costs, which I'm in the process of clarifying. All good news! Hopefully, once finalised, this offer of cash will lead to others...

Merry Christmas!

Buffing Up!

2011-10-31T16:52:00.000Z

Towards the end of last week Buffwear very kindly agreed to support the expedition with the supply of their new polar Buffs to help keep me warm in the cold and wet North Atlantic. Thanks very much to Sam at Buffwear.

Construction/conversion of the RockPod is moving forward very well. I am now actively seeking financial sponsors to pay for/contribute to the costs of transportation to Rockall and supplies for my stay on the Rock.

Medical kit supplier agreed

2011-10-21T23:20:00.000+01:00

When your playing field is located far from the luxuries of modern life; electricity, telephones, running water & professional medical help, you need to be self sufficient. Adventure Medical Kits are designed to fulfill this, offering a wide selection of medical solutions perfect for outdoor adventuring.

I am very pleased to say that Adventure Medical Kits have agreed to supply the Rockall Solo Endurance Expedition with medical supplies, which is a great relief to my wife and Mother!

Silver clouds

2011-10-10T12:49:00.001+01:00

After the disappointment of next year's trip to Rockall being postponed, morale is higher today as the hatches for the RockPod have arrived from Lewmar.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank Lewmar for their kind support for the Rockall Solo project. The conversion of the RockPod can now commence, with the instalation of the hatches and deck vent.

Further disappointment

2011-10-07T15:02:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately, due to the unexpected, and until recently unannounced, Belgian expedition to Rockall last month, the MS0INT IOTA team have decided to postpone their trip to Rockall next year by one year. This means they, and myself, will now be heading out into the North Atlantic in May/June 2013.

All change...

2011-10-03T13:22:00.000+01:00

Well, that was a VERY eventful weekend:

First of all, my son Freddie was born. He sleeps and eats, sleeps and eats. Seems to have life pretty sorted. He's great (so far)!

Secondly, the Belgians (www.rockall.be) finally managed to land some of their group on Rockall and transmit from there. Well done to them for what they achieved.

To top it all off, my Waveland Passport arrived today along with stamps and stickers. They're like hen's teeth, so I'm really chuffed about getting it (although Freddie's obviously better!).

Moving Forward

2011-09-20T16:39:00.003+01:00

I'm please to announce that due to a generous donation from Trailer Engineering, the first part of my solo expedition cost-saving exercise is moving forward. I now have the super-structure for the RockPod (TM) and have placed my order with Lewmar who have kindly (and patiently) agreed to supply the access and ventilation hatches for the shelter. Once these have arrived and been fitted, along with the fixing points previously supplied by William Hackett, I just need to insulate the RockPod and decide on a method of levelling it out once on Rockall.

The other half of the cost saving exercise, boat charter, continues in the background...

Good Bit of Press

2011-09-09T14:12:00.002+01:00

I managed to get a good bit of press for the upcoming EU-189 and my own Rockall Solo expedition today albeit local to my home area. Hopefully some financial sponsorship may come of it...

MS0INT Rockall 2012

2011-08-28T18:53:00.006+01:00

I have been asked to join a team of four highly experienced IOTA (Islands On The Air) amateur radio activators who are planning to operate from Rockall (EU-189). We aim to land and stay on Rockall for 48 hours in May 2012. The four radio operators are all part of the larger and highly successful MS0INT IOTA adventure group, which has had previous transmitting success from St. Kilda, the Monach Islands and the Flannan Islands.

Rockall Ownership Dispute Disputed...

2011-08-17T15:16:00.006+01:00

I have, off and on, been speaking to Ken Hitchen, formerly of the BGS regarding Rockall, the expedition, and issues of ownership. Ken has carried out quite a bit of research into the resources below the Rockall area, and is possibly the only true expert on the Rockall region (above and below the waterline) around today.

The reason I raise this is that Ken has assured me that there is no dispute at this time as to the ownership of Rockall! Re-reading the relevant reports and research in the light of his comments, I have to say he has point:

All the disputed claims relating to 'Rockall' (UK, Ireland, Iceland and Faroe) are actually relating to the sea bed within the Hatton Basin (or the Hatton-Rockall Basin as it is sometime known, hence the confusion). This lies to the West of the Rockall Bank, of which Rockall itself is the exposed summit. There is no definite boundary defining where the bank ends and the basin begins, just as there are no boundaries defining the glens from the mountains in Scotland. However it is fair to say that being the summit, Rockall is not in the valley/basin and is therefore outside the area of dispute.

Added to this is the map below, from Ireland's submission to the UN regarding the dispute, which shows the Rockall Bank in orange to the right of the Hatton-Rockall area, with the region in which Rockall itself lies, the north-eastern tip of the bank, being to the North of the current Ireland-UK continental shelf boundary (black), and hence in UK territorial waters. It is also East of Iceland's claim; Rockall is therefore outside of Iceland's claim, and also outside the Faroese claim (purple).The link to the document this map comes from is here.

The plot thickens...

2011-07-07T19:19:00.001+01:00

Ah ha! It seems that the 'new' expedition to Rockall is actually two of Islandman's team who parted ways with him in Denmark earlier this week. The plot thinkens...

A busy place, Rockall...

2011-07-07T16:38:00.003+01:00

I was browsing the web for more info on Rockall and came across another expedition which seems to be departing imminently. This will be Russell Hunt's 2nd trip. I wish him the best of luck. Good job Islandman is not now heading there as it could all have become a bit busy in the North Atlantic!

Who owns the Hatton-Rockall Basin? The Mystery deepens...

2011-07-05T16:48:00.004+01:00

I finally managed to contact someone useful at the UN regarding their meeting in March to discuss the above topic. I was refered to the Statements of the Chairperson of the Commission (CLCS/70) which 'clearly' sumises thus:

"The Commission decided that, in order to ensure expediency and efficiency in the light of a large number of submissions, two new subcommissions would be established. The Commission noted that the submissions made by ... the United Kingdom in respect of Hatton Rockall Area, and Ireland in respect of Hatton-Rockall Area were at the head of the queue. Recalling its decisions with regard to those submissions...the Commission decided to further defer the establishment of subcommissions for the consideration of any of those submissions. It was also decided that, since those submissions remained next in line for consideration as queued in the order in which they were received, the Commission would revisit the situation at the time of establishment of its next subcommission."

So, I hope that's much clearer now!

Mission Impossible?

2011-07-04T22:03:00.003+01:00

Unfortunately it appears that Islandman has had to cancel his expedition for this year: http://missionrockall.com/latest-news

Latest update

2011-06-21T15:21:00.006+01:00

Well, long time no blog!

Just been informed by Island Man of his dates for this year's attempt on Rockall. Keep a close eye on his website for the attempt: http://missionrockall.com.

In regard to my own attempt on The Rock, plans are still creeping ahead: I still await the superstructure for the RockPod from the manufacturer. This is being delivered for free by tagging onto the next delivery to my area, so I must be patient. I have also reconfirmed that the sponsored hatches for the RockPod will still be available when I require them. Once this structure arrives, I can get on with the task of building the shelter, which is the first step to bringing the costs of the expedition down.

I am also heading out to the Outer Hebrides next month - part business, part pleasure. The wife and I will be taking a tour of the islands, but I also hope to get out to St. Kilda and to talk to local boatmen in regard to transportation to Rockall in a further effort to cut the expedition costs.

The final bit of news, is that after a couple of training trips to Aonach Eagach and The Cuillin Ridge, Jim and I are due to head to La France in August to attempt Mont Blanc in aid of Help for Heroes. Please consider sponsoring us at: www.justgiving.com/montblanc-2011 and pass the link on to your friends and family!

A New Challange!

2011-02-17T18:09:00.004Z

Following on from the disappointment of postponing Rockall 2011, I was looking for an alternative challenge to raise funds for Help for Heroes this year. My best man, Jim and I have decided to climb Mont Blanc in August. There's a JustGiving site set up and I'll be blogging/tweeting as we climb (hopefully). The sponsorship page, should you wish to donate, is www.justgiving.com/montblanc-2011

Foiled again!

2011-02-16T20:14:00.003Z

Following on from the meeting I had on Saturday regarding a possible trip to Rockall this year, I have decided that I am unable to comply with the conditions on my joining set by the expedition team, and so I have decided that this potential option is not a possibility for me. There is one other alternative, which I am following up, which may still enable me to go to Rockall this year.

Further news

2011-01-20T16:40:00.004Z

I have now confirmed a meeting on Saturday 12th February which will hopefully clarify some points regarding the possible revised trip to Rockall, and may also confirm whether I will still be able to go, albeit in a revised format, this year.

Sparks of life!

2011-01-13T14:54:00.002Z

This week I have had a very interesting conversation regarding going to Rockall: there may yet be an opportunity for me to land there this year. Its very early days in the discussions, and there are still further chats to be had so I can't reveal much, save to say that because of the proposed format the majority of my more extreme goals would have to be put to one side in order to go for the main and probably hardest achievement of making a landing. Sorry for being so cryptic, but for now watch this space!

Sad News

2010-12-21T11:34:00.002Z

Unfortunately, as half-suspected, I have not been able to agree funding to date. My current yacht charter requires confirmation by the end of this month and it being unlikely that any monies will appear between now and the New Year, I have had to relinquish my booking. This is not to say that the expedition will not be going ahead, it is only postponed and just means that not only do I still need now to find the money, I will have to secure another boat too!

I'd like to thank everyone for their help and support so far, and hope to be back on the blog with some better news in the near future.

Merry Christmas!

Nick

Chicken and Egg

2010-12-01T18:40:00.003Z

Well, I have to confirm the yacht charter by the end of this month, which I cannot do without funding in place: its not looking hopeful. Without transportation there's obviously no going to Rockall.

I realised at the start of all this that a major part of this challenge was going to be raising the money required to pay for equipment and transportation, but I hadn't quite realised how hard it would be. As an unknown entity, companies are unsurprisingly reluctant to promise equipment or clothing to me without some guarantee that the expedition is going ahead and that they will get some major PR out of the exercise.

Similarly, I have spoken with and also met several TV production companies who have expressed serious interest in making a documentary/film of the expedition. They cannot do this without a TV channel on board to purchase the film, and they can not get a commitment from them without a guarantee that I'm going.

Potential funders won't consider promising cash without a tangible PR return, which I can not guarantee until the expedition is booked and paid for, and so we go full circle!

So, where does that leave me? Hoping for someone to bite the bullet and commit to paying for me to undertake one of the most risky expeditions around, both in terms of risk to myself, but also because of the risks associated with actually getting there and landing on Rockall.

Is anyone mad enough in these tough financial times?

The beginning of the end?

2010-09-22T12:09:00.002+01:00

Hopefully not, but I have decided to put the charity sponsorship page for the expedition on hold as I don't seem to be getting anywhere very quickly with raising funds for Rockall 2011.

I've now sent our hundreds of letters and emails with the expedition brochure and recieved very few responses in return, all of which were negative!

I suspect that the idea of giving someone money to sit on a rock in the middle of nowehere is quite hard to explain to a marketing committee - I just need one person to get it though.

The economy is obviously not helping, and I know that other people in my position are also struggling to get/losing funding for expeditions.

Any ideas gratefully recieved...

British or Irish?

2010-07-08T15:39:00.006+01:00

There have been a number of claims to Rockall over the years. I'm not a political person but it erks me when misinformation is spread, such as the need to re-assert Britain's claim under the 1972 Rockall Act.

As reported in the Irish Times in May 2010, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin has confirmed that "...there is no dispute between Ireland and Britain over Rockall". Ireland is [however] pursuing a disputed seabed claim to the Hatton-Rockall area, but Irish legal opinion suggests that jurisdiction over the rock does not confer any advantage.

To further prove the point, here's a map taken from Ireland's submission to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The Rockall area is clear as an orange blob well within the UK boundary.

I hope that clears things up!

1810 or 1811?

2010-06-27T08:47:00.002+01:00

If you read any other websites or information on Rockall you'll note that there has been some dispute over whether the first landing by Basil Hall from HMS Endymion was in 1810 or 1811. This obviously has some impact on whether 2011 is the relevant year in which to have a 200th anniversary landing! I thought it prudent to clarify the position through a quote from James Fisher's book Rockall, which is the most completely researched narrative available:

"After the Rockall landing of 1955...I made routine checks at Public Records Office of the logs of H.M.S. Endymion. We discovered, to our surprise, that the famous first landing on Rockall by Basil Hall and other members of the company of...Endymion had taken place not on 8 July 1810, as was generally supposed, but on Sunday, 8 September 1811.

This curious mistake, which has been almost universally quoted in the literature, springs without doubt from Purdy's Memoir, which was regarded as the authoritative 'pilot' of the day. It is just as well we checked the log."

As Fisher was a respected scientist, had no reason to benefit from ascertaining the actual date of the landing as 1811, and appears to be the only person who has undertaken the required research of the logs, I am inclined to agree with his conclusion.

11 months and counting…

2010-06-10T14:01:00.003+01:00

Over 5,000 hits on the website!

Things are moving along, albeit slowly. I've had last year's quote for the yacht charter confirmed. I was hoping that it would have come down a little, but no such luck! The skipper has kindly said that he will make deductions on various bases which may help out. In addition, if I can get the press coverage I'm hoping for then some berths may be taken by journalists which would help out with the costs.

I am in the process of finalising my food list with the supplier, which is interesting as I have decided what I'll want to eat for two months in a year's time!. I hope my tastes don't suddenly change. They initially quoted for 6,500 calories per day, being more used to polar expeditions. Once I'd reminded them that I'll only have a few square metres in which to move around it was suddenly reduced to 2,500 calories.

Also, following some recent press on another person's (now cancelled) attempt to land on Rockall this year, I have resurrected my dialogue with The Telegraph who have said that they would probably cover the expedition story in some shape or form.

Finally, I'm just awaiting revised costing for the construction of the RockPod and then I can start approaching potential financial sponsors. To this end, my good friend Damian has kindly produced an expedition brochure outlining the aims and with a brief biography of me. Please feel free to follow the link and distribute the brochure to anyone you feel may be able to help, as I suspect that raising the circa £30k required is going to be one of the toughest aspects of the whole expedition!

Post MdS catch-up

2010-05-18T22:49:00.005+01:00

Well, things have finally settled down after the Marathon des Sable and moving house and I can concentrate on the expedition once again.

I have recently been back in contact both with Norco, who have kindly said they can produce the RockPod, and the skipper of the yacht I hope to charter, to ask them to review their earlier quotes. This is so that I can attempt to finalise expedition costs prior to approaching potential corporate sponsors. These two items are the most costly of the expedition. In addition, I am awaiting a finalised quote for the expedition food.

I have also received a draft expedition 'brochure' from Charterhouse which outlines the expedition's aims and the potential for media interest. We are currently editing this document prior to printing and sending it out to potential sponsors.

There have this week been some minor amendments to the website, and I have received some updated information regarding the Rockall timeline which I will add in due course. Also, I have finally received the 3D model of Rockall based on the RGS map from Gilberts, for which I am very grateful. It will be extremely useful when presenting to potential sponsors in order to demonstrate the extreme environment I will be living in for 2 months.

Finally, and very interestingly, I was today contacted out of the blue by a well-known TV production company who are interested in making a documentary of the expedition. It's very early days but does indicate the potential interest that's out there.

Nick

Breaking the Silence

2009-12-22T13:07:00.002Z

Hi everyone!

Sorry for being so quiet over the past few months. Two reasons: home router went down and its taken Virgin this long to get a new one to me (I can't access the Blog from work), and secondly I'm trying to secure some National PR in order to have something concrete to offer potential sponsors - still trying. Anyone got any contacts?

Have a great Christmas and New Year.

Nick

PS: If you want to know what else I'm up to: http://www.mds2010.com/

Giant Haystacks!

2009-08-26T15:03:00.014+01:00

Early this morning I went to Haystacks Rock in the Firth of Forth to recce it as a potential marine testing site for the RockPod and my equipment prior to going to Rockall. It meant a very early start (0500hrs) in order to meet the boat at Granton Harbour, and although the tail end of a hurricane was forecast, the sea was flat and there was little wind. It was however raining pretty hard.

It took about 40 minutes to motor across the Firth to Inchcolm Island and then a quick RIB ride onto the rock. Landing was easy from the sloping western side, but having circumnavigated the rock prior to landing I noted that the eastern flank was near vertical, which should provide some experience of a scramble/climbing landing and somewhere to practice hauling the gear up from a boat.

Haystacks is similar in size at high tide (30m x 20m) to Rockall (25m x 22m), but is only 8 metres above sea level as opposed to 19.2 metres for Rockall. I think the extra space provided by Haystacks being much more level will be good for testing as it will enable me to spread stuff out a bit and get used to rigging before having to do it in a more restricted space.

There are some signs of nesting, although the four nests I could identify had all been vacated, and the build-up of guano means that there are a few level areas which could be suitable locations for the RockPod. One in particular I measured to be about 9‘ x 5‘6’’ (narrowing to 3‘2’’) and is right above the cliff, so this is the most likely candidate for mimicking Hall’s Ledge (11’ x 4’). There were also some signs of previous occupation, perhaps by “birdy people” to quote the skipper, in the form of a cairn and a concrete base and clasp, probably for an aerial. The latter is raised and suitably close to the level area that it could act as the summit of Rockall with its defunct navigation light, and would be a suitable spot for a wind generator.
In all, I spent just over an hour on Haystacks and I think it was worth the trip, getting wet and the early start. Unless something better comes along I’ll be using the rock as a testing ground at some point in the future.

Equipment and Sponsorship Update

2009-08-23T10:53:00.002+01:00

It’s been a great few weeks working towards this goal, which seems sometimes to be almost impossible to achieve. I have been reminded though, by both the recent failure of a Belgian team to land on Rockall and by unseasonable storms in July, that the weather may well be my biggest hurdle and no amount of preparation will give me control of this.

In terms of organising equipment, I have agreed with Norco that they will polish the ‘RockPod’ design and manufacture the end product. They have very kindly agreed to provide the tooling for free; and on Friday I was approached by a potential financial sponsor with the specific aim of paying for the manufacture!

From a recommendation from Norco, Lewmar have come on board and have promised to provide me with their hatches for free which will give me secure access and observation to and from the Pod. Furthermore, I approached Ampair for some advice and costings for a wind generator to provide me with power on Rockall. They have been amazingly helpful, calculating my power requirements and donating generation equipment to the expedition. Ampair have also said that they will use their industry contacts to try and obtain sponsorship from manufacturers of the other power system components I will require.

Also, this week, I have agreed a window for the expedition in 2011 with the Captain and owner of the Elinca which is a boat which has assisted several previous Rockall landing attempts, both successful and otherwise. They are without a doubt the most experienced in this particular area of the Atlantic and therefore I am very glad that they are involved.

Finally, this coming Wednesday, I am going on a recce trip to some rocks in the Firth of Forth which I hope will make a suitable marine testing ground for the pod and all the equipment in the final months before the expedition; I am very grateful to Bill Simpson who is kindly taking me there (and hopefully back!) for no cost. I will post more details of this recce after the fact.

Surreal Reality Check

2009-06-26T22:05:00.006+01:00

Stuart Farish at Giberts3D has just sent me an animation of the model he is producing, which I hope to use for personal inspiration and to demonstrate the challenges of the expedition at various talks I have been asked to give. It includes a scaled man on Hall's Ledge, which dramatically shows just what I'm taking on. A still of the animation is shown below, the animation will follow in due course.

If you'd like to see the full animation before it's uploaded, click here.

Post Edinburgh, plus hills!

2009-06-17T01:12:00.005+01:00

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since Edinburgh and I'm back running with the MdS in mind: weight, hills, distance, and more weight! Edinburgh was tough, a dull course, not much of which was in Edinburgh, 24 degrees C, and the infamous 'theft' of water made it much harder than London. I ended up 2 minutes slower in Edinburgh than London, so was happy. Thanks to everyone who came out to support me.

The MdS is very much a priority for me at the moment, however I have finished my costing of Rockall 2011, and at circa £30k including contingency and excluding any possible financial or equipment sponsorship, fund raising is going to be a challenge in itself. Unless a fairy godmother comes forward, I think it wise to leave this until the economy is looking healthier (hopefully in 2010?).

I always wondered how professional 'explorers' managed to fund and organise their endeavours, but I have been amazed how much support and how many volunteers have already come forward to help - and I haven't even started asking yet!

You've probably seen or read for yourselves, but I'd like to mention all that Phil Packer has achieved recently for Help for Heroes (and, I suspect, for himself) he puts me to shame!

So, for now it's on with more running, and hills, and weight...

Nick

Marathon des Sables

2009-05-24T19:57:00.003+01:00

Thanks for your support of Rockall 2011 so far.

In April 2010 I will be running the Marathon des Sables (MdS) in aid of both Help for Heroes and the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's. More information on the race, along with videos and photos of past events can be found at my website http://www.mds2010.com/.

On Sunday 31st May I will be running the Edinburgh marathon (my second in a month) as part of my training. If you would like to sponsor me for either charity please do so via the MdS website.

Many thanks in advance,

Nick

Belgians' unsuccessful in landing attempt

2009-04-30T09:35:00.005+01:00

I learnt this morning that due to bad weather, the Belgian expedition to Rockall has been called off and they are returning to Stornoway. Their website (http://www.rockall.be/) states:

"Landing on Rockall impossible
The skipper of the "Elinca" did not allow a landing on Rockall. The waves are too high; even launching a Zodiac is impossible.A very sad Theo, ON4ATW told us at 09.00 UT they will have to come back to Scotland. "The weather is worsening by the hour and the weather forecast for the coming days does not give any hope" he told us by satphone. For tomorrow 5 Bft winds are forecasted with gusts up to 80 km/h. We are all very disappointed that after all these preparations a landing was not possible. However we learned a lot about all the aspects of putting up a DXpedition. One way or another this knowledge will be used."

This lack of success highlights the difficulties of landing on Rockall, even with the best preparation which they had, when you are tied to particular time period in which to make a landing. I have a lot of respect for what these guys tried to achieve and wish them the best of luck for any future attempt.

Press Coverage

2009-04-20T08:02:00.006+01:00

The expedition has had not one but two pieces of newspaper coverage in the past week. Ben Fogle wrote about the expedition in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday. Luckily a friend let me know as I was not aware that Ben intended to write about it. If you missed the article in the paper, there's a link on the website below. Secondly, the Yorkshire Post, in an article about Andy Strangeway's second attempt to land on Rockall, has set up a Yorkshire - Lancashire rivalry.

http://www.rockall2011.com/Rockall_2011_Press.html

Also in the past week, Andy Bell and I sat down and went over the initial drawings for the survival pod (now casually 'christened' RockPod). We agreed that it could be smaller to allow easier transportation and erection by one man, and we also agreed on some smaller detailing regarding venting, access, windows, and sealing.

Shelter Design Update

2009-04-01T21:14:00.005+01:00

I thought I'd share this footage with you. My good friend Andy Bell, an architect, is in the process of designing a shelter for me in which to survive comfortably on Rockall and has sent me this movie of the shelter on Rockall. Although the shape of Rockall is not wholly accurate as Andy has mapped it from photographs, its very good and includes a man for scale which really allows you to appreciate the size of Rockall and the lack of space once the shelter is in place on Hall's Ledge.

I'll be seeing Andy in a week or two, when we will be going over the detailed drawings for the design and updating it with ideas and information which we have individually collated over the past few months and with any options that come out of our discussion.

One step back and two forward

2009-03-19T21:10:00.005Z

Unfortunately today I had my first major disappointment. Having been handed around by the Royal Navy, the decision has been made that they will not be able to assist me in getting to and from Rockall as they do not have regular resources in the area. This is a set-back but not unexpected. I am now pursuing other options in addition to yacht charter for which I already have several quotes.

On the plus side, the Rockall 2011 business cards have arrived. These will be a great way of passing on details of the expedition and the website a little more easily.

I have also this week been contacted by and asked to speak at the annual reunion of the Friends of HMS Vidal in September (http://hmsvidal.synthasite.com). HMS Vidal was the survey ship from which the party landed on Rockall in 1955 to claim the island for the UK. The ship was named after the surveyor who originally plotted the position of Rockall in 1831. This is a great contact with the history of the rock and is going to give me the opportunity to meet more people who have landed on Rockall and also to raise some funds for the expedition.

Search and Rescue

2009-03-13T09:55:00.004Z

This morning I had a telephone conversation with Stornoway Coastguard Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre who confirmed that should I require Search and Rescue, it is available and would be free. They also made some standard kit recommendations which were already on my list. This is great news as it removes the requirement for a bespoke insurance policy, thereby reducing costs dramatically; I can now use a standard UK travel policy!

Rockall Update

2009-03-06T13:55:00.003Z

Much has happened over the past few weeks and only now have I had a chance to get this update out.

I have finally managed to track down not one but three contacts at the Royal Navy, two of whom work for Fleet Media. I am still awaiting responses from them, but just getting their contact details is an important step forward as the ideal scenario is to get helicoptered onto Rockall by the Navy.

This week Expedition Foods (www.expeditionfoods.com) came on board as food supplier for the expedition; they are also going to supply me for the Marathon de Sables which I'm running next year. Having a food sponsor will be a massive cost saving, and the nature of their product means a massive weight saving too!

An architect friend volunteered to design a shelter for me which is great. Once designed and costed he is hopeful that his company may well sponsor the build too, which is amazing. Another friend is in printing and is supplying me with business cards for the expedition to hand out at various events and meetings, they have also offered to print any banners I require to put on Rockall during the expedition. I've also managed to convince a local bronze foundry to give me a good deal on a plaque to fix to the rock once I land.

I'm having a few problems getting insurance as I think it sensible to have Search and Rescue cover. However, Rockall as you know is in the British Isles where SAR is usally free and therefore not included in UK policies; I'm pretty sure it won't be at that range. If you have any suggestions for good expedition insurance providers I'd be grateful to hear from you.

I've had several quotes now for yacht charter to get me to the island. Hopefully the Navy will come through as charter cost are huge!

Having met and spoken with Tom McClean, I finally got in touch with Clem Fisher this week. Clem is James Fisher's daughter, it was James who wrote the 1955 book on Rockall and whose research I am in part hoping to update. In addition, I have tracked down the Greenpeace team from 1997. They informed me that they also went back in 1998 and landed an additional 9 people. I'm awaiting confirmation, but they may also have rotated the team in 1997 thereby increasing the known number of people to have landed by even more. Greenpeace still have a similar pod to the one used in 1997 (the 1997 pod was trashed by the Norweigan government)which I hope to visit at some point. They have also offered to advise me on yacht and helicopter charter, shelter design, access and survival.

Finally, I potentially have a whisky sponsor. There's a new distillery on Harris called Abhainn Dearg, whose first release will be in 2011 conveniently. They have offered a case for auction to raise funds, and few extra bottles to help while the time away!

All in all a few good weeks.

Tom McClean lecture

2009-02-15T21:28:00.003Z

On Thursday I travelled to the Maritime Museum in Liverpool's Albert Dock to see a lecture by Tom McClean which was part of a series of talks sponsored by Old Pulteney whisky called 'Stories of the Sea'. It was great to meet Tom and he took time to talk to me about Rockall, his experiences, and my plans for 2011. Tom's lecture covered his whole life of adventures, but there was a section on Rockall which included some photos of his shelter which are not publically available. These are going to help in the design of my shelter and in addition, he still has the orginial 'wooden box' in a garage at his adventure centre which I hope to visit later in the year. All in all, it was great to meet the man who has the solo occupation record and to get some advice for my expedition from him.

British Geological Survey

2009-01-28T16:51:00.001Z

Today I had a very interesting meeting with Ken Hitchen of the British Geological Survey, who is also leader of the BGS Rockall Continental Margin Project team. He, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying, is as much of a Rockall nerd as I'm rapidly becoming. Following my meeting with Ken, I have been able to update the timeline on the website and confirm that two of my proposed research tasks are yet to be completed: obtaining a rock sample from Hasselwood Rock and establishing the true orientation of Rockall.

Ken was also able to correct or update a number of the facts on the website, provided me with some new avenues of potential research, as well as giving me some reading material to keep me busy! He also confirmed that the BGS will be more than happy to process any rock samples I manage to obtain during my stay on the island.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Ken was able to say with absolute certainty that there is no oil or gas under Rockall (although there is significant potential in the adjacent Rockall and Hatton Basins), and that the island's ownership can not be disputed as it is within 200 nautical miles of the habitable British territory of St. Kilda.

Leica Sponsorship

2009-01-13T23:57:00.000Z

I now have my first sponsor. Thanks to a recommendation from the OS, Leica Geosystems have kindly agreed to sponsor me with the loan of a survey-grade GNSS receiver for the duration of my occupation of Rockall, and to provide processing support in conjunction with the offer from Ordnance Survey. It is hoped that with the right weather conditions I should be able to locate Rockall to the millimetre via cross reference to land based fixed reference points.

This is a fantastic step towards the Rockall 2011 project, and I hope that from this point Leica's commitment will lead to other corporations coming on board.

Survey Marker

2009-01-13T23:46:00.000Z

Well, a successful couple of days. First and foremost the survey marker from the Ordnance Survey has arrived (above).

Until now this endeavour has only been communicated and progressed via email, the Internet and the telephone. Finally, something physical has happened, albeit quite small, but its actually been quite a big mental step in the right direction.

Science and Research

2009-01-09T19:26:00.000Z

I am finally getting somewhere with this aspect of the expedition. To a certain extent it has actually been easier to progress this than other aspects:

The Ordnance Survey have very kindly agreed to provide me with a brass survey marker to place on Rockall, and to process any GPS measurements I might take. All I have to do now is drill a 60mm deep hole in the granite to fix it!

The Natural History Museum in London has expressed serious interest in helping me to collect, preserve and identify any insect material I might be able to obtain, and I will hopefully be meeting with them later in the year.

Geoff Hancock (no relation), Curator of Entomology at the Huntarian Museum in Glasgow, who himself has undertaken studies of invertebrates on St Kilda, has also agreed to provide me with equipment and guidance for collecting any invertebrates on Rockall, to identify them and preserve them for future study.

Guinness World Record

2009-01-06T20:29:00.001Z

Well, Guinness World Records have declined to register my attempt as eligible for a World Record, citing,

"We receive over 60,000 enquiries a year from which only a small proportion are approved by our experienced researchers to establish new categories. These are not 'made up' to suit an individual proposal, but rather 'evolve' as a result of international competition in a field, which naturally accommodates superlatives of the sort that we are interested in. We think you will appreciate that we are bound to favour those that reflect the greatest interest."

Fair enough I suppose.

Shelter and Research

2009-01-05T00:38:00.000Z

One of the major issues to be resolved for the expedition, amongst the many, is that of shelter. I am currently undertaking research and design for my own 'home from home'. Greenpeace used a bespoke re-usable fibre-glass pod, which I understand they utilise in protests around the world. Tom McClean used a home made plywood box, reinforced on the corners with metal and with adjustable legs. I am currently leaning towards a similar wooden structure, light but rigid, with light-weight insulation and adjustable legs to allow for the uneven surface on Hall's Ledge. This shelter will also require tether points to allow it to be attached to Rockall by steel 'guy-lines'. Any additional ideas or suggestions would be gratefully received.

In addition, I have been in email contact with the Natural History Museum in London, and the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh with a view to outlining potential scientific research tasks for me to undertake whilst in occupation on Rockall. I hope to meet with the academics involved in the next few months.

Rockall Co-ordinates

2008-12-19T20:21:00.000Z

Following some email correspondence with the Ordnance Survey, I have been informed that the OS grid reference for Rockall given on my website was incorrect. This has now been updated with the correct grid reference as provided to me by the OS.

13 December 2008

2008-12-17T19:11:00.000Z

Today I spoke with Tom McClean on the telephone. It was very helpful to chat to him and he provided me with quite a bit of information regarding his stay on Rockall which is not in the public domain, as well as some good advice regarding comfort, water, shelter and rations. In addition, I found some ITV news coverage of Tom's landing on Rockall in 1985 which shows the potential sea conditions very well:

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2970276892066935736&hl=en&fs=true

24 November 2008

2008-12-17T19:08:00.000Z

I was informed in a conversation with the Northern Lighthouse Board today, that the navigation aid on Rockall was washed away two years ago and that they have no plan to replace it! This not only demonstrates the issues of weather in this location but also removes one possible method of getting to Rockall for me, that of hitching a ride with the annual maintenance crew.