Did you know that while trying to sleep in a tent at -35 degrees Celsius your breath rises, freezes, and falls as snow on your face?
Here at Panda we typically think of a Panda’s natural environment as sunshine and summertime. Calvin Shields had to prove us wrong, though, by taking his Kennedy’s on a grueling 557Km, 25 day trek across the Greenland Icecap.
Over the course of his journey Calvin (and his Pandas) endured 70mph winds and temperatures as low as -35 C (-70 if you include windchill)! They were immersed in melt-water and crossed numerous crevasses all while pulling their heavy sledges behind them.
So why did Calvin embark on such a journey? To benefit Acorns Children's Hospice Trust. In Calvin’s own words "At 66 years old this will be the challenge of my life, but nowhere near the challenge that parents face every day with life-threatened children."
Expedition Statistics:
| Total days on icecap | 25 |
|---|---|
| Total distance covered | 557.3Km |
| Approximate number of steps | 1 million |
| Height of icecap | 2500m |
| Longest skiing/trekking in one day | 25 hours |
| Lowest temperature | -35 deg C |
| Lowest temperature with windchill | -70 deg C |
| Weight of sledge at start | 85 Kg |
| Strongest wind | 70mph / 110kph |
Why Pandas?
I liked using the Pandas as they were very light, the lenses were very good, and they didn't block out as much light as the special polar expedition sunglasses (which I only used on very sunny days).
Calvin Shields
Find out more about Calvin, his travels and his cause here: JustGiving.com/Calvin-Shields.
