Rosie's world run adventure. Latest news January 2006.
For previous news an pictures please click here for European and Russian and Siberia stage. And here from when she reached Alaska.
29/1/06 Hi, Just got this message from Rosie, transcribed from a voice mail. As you can see by the map Rosie is following the Yukon River north up to Nulato, these sorts of temperature is just about on the edge of what she can put up with. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that she manages to get though okay. Regards James
28/1/6 Rosie has set off a few days ago for Yukon, this is her latest gps positional fix. N64 25.10. W158 32.11.
25/1/6 Hi just received a call for Rosie, from Kaltag I don't think I have heard her be so happy to arrive somewhere in her life. She is staying with a lovely family Earl and Marion and their three children, who are filling her up with fresh coffee and home cooked food and a warm bed.
I had quite a long chat with her about what its is like running and sleeping out in these temperatures of -47 degrees centigrade. She said that she is aware of the dangers of getting things wrong. She said one time she decided to run a little further and set up camp a little later. The temperature dropped so suddenly after the sun went down her hands be came so cold she was barely able to use the rest of her equipment. There are loads of extra clothes she needs to put on a night and she really struggled. There are so many little jobs to do there can't be any mistakes. When this happened she said she was so cold she was scared to sleep.
We talked about safety as well. Just to reassure you all, she has a sat phone, and local vhs radio and and emergency beacon, which she said she is determined not to use. She said how the forest and scenery were stunning, but at night is was so silent it felt very spooky. She has been eating a traditional diet of seal fat which she says tastes like cod liver oil and dried fish, She says these foods are working really well for her, helping her fight off the cold. Her Rosco stove is working brilliantly as the fuel is much better quality that what she could get in Siberia.
Her her cold weather gear from PHD design is holding up really well in the conditions. She would like to say a big thank you to all those who have been so kind and supportive to to her. I would just like to state for the record a rather belated correction, in relation to the sled Rosie has been lent by Denis Douglas, The sled's name is, The Spirit of America. Regards James
23/1/6 Hi, Just got this through from my sister, sound like its getting pretty hard going at the moment, I find it very difficult to comprehend what those sorts for temperatures are like being in England. It seems ridiculously cold, and I have been told that it make a big difference if it is a dry or wet cold. I have not heard her talk like this before, even during the coldest parts of Siberia, I think it is really beginning to get to her. This is not a call for help from her, but I will be keeping a close eye on things, and be asking for a GPS positional fix, though it might be hard in the forest, because you need a clear view of the sky. Or at least the latest one before she entered the forest. Regards James(Jim).
I am battling the cold it is minus 45 degrees. I
hoping I can keep going, I am afraid to sleep
because it seems dangerous. It is a wetter cold than
Siberia. Very dangerous and difficult. I am
getting there. It is only 20 miles to Kaltag. Deep
dark forests, everything is silent, not even the
wildlife is moving. Bye for now. Mum
Anyway just to tell you I love you all very very
much. Every minute is a fight for survival.
Just got this from Mum. Please note her spelling
of Kaltag which I go wrong in the message I sent
to you earlier.
Evie xxx
U HELP SOVVV MCH DARLING EVIE - -50 NOW BT WARM
THOUGHTS GETTING ME THRO - MUMXXX HUGS JIM,
PETE, MIKEX WLL CALL JIM FRM KALTAG. ILOVE U
21/1/6 I have been advised to take down what I wrote before as bit of an over reaction on my part, this was just a minor issue best not talked about here. Everything is fine Rosie is making good progress despite the cold. Regards James.
20/1/06 Had a few texts from Rosie everything is fine, she says she is very grateful to those supporting her with equipment and things, and that the temperature is down to minus 40, feels as cold as Siberia.
16/01/6, Hi, had a very nice chat with Bob Collins yesterday, who brought me up to speed on Rosie's progress. Rosie wanted to give a special thanks to a local lady called Ferno Tweeto how has been so kind to her and given her such great hospitality. Also to Hageland Air Service who have been flying over and saying hello as they fly past Rosie's position on the ground. Rosie had got a sore throat at the moment is quite horse, but is in good health, Temperatures are very chilly -30 centigrade and that is not including the wind chill.
But the good news is that the trails she is following have more traffic which means that she can follow snow mobile tracks which has been packed down, which is much better than her disappearing up to her waist in snow as had happened in some of the unbroken trails. Yesterday she had managed to do seventeen miles. Its great that she has started to make good progress, as she still has a long way to go, and the temperatures are going to be dropping, as is normal this time of year.
Her GPS position is North 63.52.06 West 160.27.35. Sorry for the lack of map. I am still on the old computer, it will be a day or so until normal service is resumed. Until then please use the goldfish email address if you need to contact me. Regards James
13/1/06 Hi, several people have been kind enough to send me the correct name of the village, it is a place called 'Shaktoolik', thanks for that. I have had a bad windows crash, have been painstakingly pulling files off the hard drive, before doing a format and reinstall. All is well, it is just taking a little time to get thing back up to normal. But at the moment the only Email I can read, is at my goldfish4210@yahoo.com account. Regards James.
11/1/06 Hi everyone just received this new update from Rosie. I am having a little difficulty locating Shaktoolik on the map not sure of the spelling, will update as soon as I get a gps fix. Also I have having some computer trouble My broadband is out of action and am having problems sending from Outlook express, hopefully this will be fixed soon, apologies for the delayed notification of the news update.
Hello Evie. I am at
Shaktoolik. This is for the
e-mail. It is a beautiful little, very windy
village. I received a wonderful welcome here. It was
after hard times, because in the last two days, a
walker had to call out the helicopter rescue
service. When they got there he was OK but he was
adrift on the ice.
I made it through. But tonight when I got here
there was a house burning in the village. The
whole community was out fighting the fire. The
house was lost and all of the belongings in it. But
the people were safe. This is an illustration of
how the community here bands together. There is
no fire service in the village. There is also no
running water because it is so cold so the people
had to work together to save what they can. They
were hauling buckets and trying to save things
from the house.
It is really so sad, it makes you realise that
despite all the telephones and TV and all the
modern conveniences, it really is a difficult life
here for the Eskimos beneath the surface. It makes
me realise that there are much harder things than
running around the world.
Anyway, I got a bit of bronchitis so I stayed an
extra day with Hannah and Kerry and Kerry's
little daughter Alison, and Leonard and all the family
here. And they actually brought the sledge
inside the house to dry it out. They looked after me
so well. I am so spoilt.
It is really terribly sad have to write up about
the fire. Every single person in every house
turned out to fight it but there really is nothing
here to fight it with and that is the problem. The
men risked their lives to go into the house to
rescue some dogs that were in there, luckily there
were no people in the house.
Please thank every one on the web. And lots of
love from
Shaktoolik. It is lovely here but it is
very very windy and stormy today!
Lots of love, Mum
5/10/6 Hi everyone, I spoke to Rosie a few days ago, and we had a enjoyable conversation, she is in good spirits and has had a wonderful New Years day in Koyuk. We have a new system in place for getting news from Rosie. She leaves a news message on my sisters answer phone. Which my sister then transcribes up and sends to me, I think it's great to get news like this, directly from Rosie when possible, hopefully there will be more like this in the coming weeks.
I am just off from the Eskimo village of Koyuk.
There is the usual feeling on excitement and fear
mixed together that you get when you set off. I
am loaded up with food because the next 55 mile
stretch is anybody's guess. It is notorious for
being very windy and there may not be anywhere to
stop safely because it is mostly frozen sea and
wide open tundra.
I just don't know how long it will take. I have
brought plenty of food including more seal oil
and dried fish.
The people here at Koyuk have been so wonderful.
When I was on the way here, I got so tired
because I was beating into a head wind. So I just
stopped 7 miles out and camped. Some lovely people
from Koyuk came out to see me, bringing a warm
meal cooked for me by a lady called Fanny and her
family. The people have been wonderful and kind.
I spent New Year here. I have been thinking of
everybody here, everybody at home and everybody
all around the world. Time does play fiddles on
us, doesn't it, because it was New Year in Britain
long before it was New Year here. So I guess it
gives us an extra excuse to think that the whole
of life is precious and a celebration.
As I head off the sledge is heavy but hopefully
the weight will come down as I eat a bit of food.
I am very lucky to be here and doing what I am
doing. To be doing with journey and achieving this
dream. Thank you for the love and support that
keep me going. Rosie
