Hiking and Expedition news March 2021

Another Arctic balloon just got popped

I've only just picked up on the news that ski expeditions to the North Pole have been canned for the third year in a row, reports ExplorersWeb. Putting aside the obvious environmental factors - reduced pollution and disruption to Arctic wildlife - this is a huge blow for the planned 2021 expeditions. Right now there's a backlog of teams that has accumulated over the last three years and this logjam is getting bigger.

The obvious answer would be to increase the number of teams allowed on the ice, but Barneo, the floating ice station built every year by the Russians, can only support a relatively small number of explorers.

Add in the annual price hike for the journey and it would be fair to say that many people will either cancel their planned journeys, or find themselves priced out of the expedition game.

Five years of inactivity

You know you're busy when you haven't blogged in five years!

I've decided to resurrect this blog from its dark grave. Going forward, I'll be recounting my journeys (there have been a few) plus adding a new dimension: mental health.

Ooo, that's a touchy subject. 

Yes, it is. And I think it's fair that mental health gets and an even bigger share of public 'eyes on'.

Why?

It's February 2021. We are in the midst of a global pandemic. Families are splintered and isolated via the process of lockdown.

What is the upshot?

A lot of people suffering from poor mental health. The only support they have is through tech like zoom and what we in the UK call bubbles (not the ones you make in the bath; support bubbles of family and friends who can be leaned on in times of need).

There are plenty (hundreds of thousands) of people who don't have access to the kind of love, care and support needed to maintain good mental health. When the lockdowns and isolation finally roll back and we humans stagger, blinking, into a post-pandemic world we can expect the real avalanche to begin. But most of us - those who have no knowledge of life on the dark side of depression and self-loathing - will be oblivious.

News reports might hint at the new scourge of society. Maybe the massive upswing of the need for counsellors and pscyhologists will make the front page of the news. But the stories will be short-lived.

Today: poor mental health.

Tomorrow: dog eats Trump.

All stories for another day. I promise. After the dog has been sent back from the veterinarian!

Poor pooch.

That's all for now.

Feel free to check out my other blogs: https://treksumo (outdoor gear reviews) and https://jamesredden.co.uk (expedition, public speaking and marketing blog).

See you soon. Big 'first' post coming.