Pupils from Worksop College have taken part in a three week expedition to East Greenland within the Arctic Circle. The pupils, all aged 16 to 18, spent twelve months preparing for the expedition and the harsh conditions they will encounter in the Arctic Circle. The training involved how to handle a gun, rock climbing, CPR and a full-scale emergency evacuation. The students travelled at the start of July on the last operational Catalina, one of the most successful flying boats ever built to Constable Point in East Greenland. For over three weeks the pupils lived self-sufficiently in the Artic, carrying all their equipment and supplies with them .The pupils travelled with a doctor who has received training in case one of them breaks a bone.
The pupils decided to name one of the first ascents on their trip Mount St Cuthbert after the original name of their school.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Gavin Horgan Headmaster of Worksop College explained: “The children have gone all the way from Britain to East Greenland within the Arctic Circle and they have done three weeks of expedition so far. They have climbed three unclimbed mountains all above 1,000 metres, and they have carried out scientific research for the University of Lancaster and they have also undertaken personal projects and done a medical qualification. The expedition has gone extremely well. I’ve spoken to them on a number of occasions by satellite phone. They’ve carried out simulated medical emergency. It’s very different to other experiences where children are never necessarily exposed to the importance of leadership whereas in our expedition the children return with the skills they would need to plan a similar expedition.”
A link to the article in the Daily Telegraph can be found here.
The photograph shows the pupils from Worksop College with the Catalina Flying Boat