Kildare veterans undertake Arctic trek for new ex-personnel facility

WHEN it comes to developing a facility in Newbridge to support former service members of the Irish Defence Forces, the notion of traversing Arctic wilderness in Norway may not immediately come to mind. 

But that's just what five retired members of the Army Ranger Wing recently accomplished, raising over €16,000 during their week-long expedition.

The Newbridge project undertaken by the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) is named Brú Dermot Earley, in honour of the late Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. 

It aims to provide accommodation for former servicemen and women who have fallen on difficult circumstances. 

When completed, this will be the first such 'encounter' facility in County Kildare, forming part of a national initiative to establish similar support centres nationwide.

The five comrades — David Hogan, Eamon Gibney, Niall Duffy, Nigel Campbell, and Cathal O'Neill — who undertook the nearly 100 km ski trek, all served together in the Rangers. 

With an average age of 60 years, the team managed to cover between 12 km and 15 km daily through extremely challenging terrain. Team member Cathal O'Neill said that one of the secondary objectives of the expedition was to demonstrate that "adventure is ageless."

The expedition began and ended between 15 and 21 April in the small Norwegian settlement of Longyearbyen, which serves as a gateway to the High Arctic wilderness extending toward the North Pole. 

The participants walked with skis and poles, each hauling 45 kg of supplies on pulk sledges. They climbed a total elevation of 1,500 metres, with 800 metres gained on the second day alone.

During the journey, they camped in two-person tents and faced severe winds and sub-zero temperatures, especially at night, getting down to -12°C, during which each member was required to serve a 90-minute polar bear watch. 

The group was accompanied by an armed guide and a husky dog trained to alert them to the presence of bears. On the second day, they discovered bear tracks but did not encounter any actual bears throughout the week. The terrain included snowy landscapes and four glaciers, necessitating meticulous navigation.

David Hogan, proprietor of the An Tearmann Café in Kilcullen and Crean's Artisan Bakery in Athgarvan, told the Kildare Nationalist that their daily routine involved rising at 6am, spending two hours dismantling the camp — including having a light meal — before setting off in the sub-zero temperatures. 

"It took us another two hours to set up the camp each evening. During this time of year, the area experiences nearly 24 hours of daylight, which takes some getting used to."

Provisions for the expedition consisted mainly of dried food meals reconstituted with boiling water in camp. During the day, they maintained their energy levels with high-protein bars and nut snacks. 

Each camp required the orientation of tents for best protection against the weather and the management of toileting and waste disposal to ensure no evidence of their presence remained.

David has extensive experience in extreme endurance events, including participation in the Racing The Planet franchise in Australia, and smaller events such as Gaelforce West in Ireland, which include biking, swimming, kayaking, and climbing Croagh Patrick. 

He attributes his commitment to fitness to his father, a former physical education instructor in the military who later taught PE for 30 years at Coláiste Dúlaigh in Dublin.

Local residents had told the group that, due to climate change, spring this year arrived approximately one month earlier than previously. While traversing mountain and glacier regions, the team observed little overt evidence of climate change, but on their final evening before returning to base, they crossed a river that was well on its way to melting, a development that was not forecasted.

The trip was organised by an Irish company, Adventure.ie, based in Roundwood. The company offers guided adventure trips and charitable challenges both within Ireland and internationally, with particular emphasis on Arctic expeditions.