Page 17 - 1998-99 AMA Winter

■Arctic 2000
Special Air Service Regiment, specialising within a Mountain Troop, serving with distinction in Iraq, following their hideous occupation of Kuwait. Upon return, he evolved a plan to attempt the first solo, unsupported trek to the North Pole, from Canada. In April 1995, despite clearing the major difficulties of intense pres­ sure ridge activity of the first hundred miles - after 42 days man- hauling - he unfortunately tore his back muscles, requiring a med­ ical evacuation. The distance achieved remains unbeaten. Oag decided that his next expedition would be a millennium celebra­ tion of Arctic Exploration, going “with the flow” and aiming to assist organisations such as, Scotland Against Drugs, The Clan MacKenzie and The Royal British Legion (in particular their youth sections). This necessitated leaving the Army. Oag recently married Sasha from Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, where she combines managing the expedition PR and fund raising, with guest performances as one of the UK’s leading Gaelic Harpist’s and Singer.
Bronco Lane.
A native of Manchester and aged 53, Bronco was a summit member of the second successful British ascent of Mt Everest in 1976. His
LEGEND SIBERIA Edge of Pack Ico
interest in mountain exploration began seriously as a member of the Army Mountaineering Association Axel Heiburg Expedition in 1972, during which he ascended thirty-three virgin peaks over a six-week period. Since then he attempted the Southeast Face of Nuptse in 1975 and led an SAS attempt via Tibet on the Hornbeim Couloir of Mt Everest in 1984. This had to be aborted following a massive avalanche of the advance base - resulting in one death and four injured. Bronco re-visited Mt Everest again in 1992 for a Ser­ vices attempt on the West Ridge. Despite the team reaching 28,300 feet, the summit was not gained due to poor weather conditions. This was to be his Service mountaineering swan song, then retiring from 22 SAS after 25 years continuous service. Oag asked Bronco to manage his attempt to trek solo to the North Pole from Canada in 1995. Following this epic journey, Oag again asked him to be the operations manager for the MacKenzie Trans Arctic 2000. Over the past two years Bronco also was the Director Young Explorers programme for Robert Swan’s One Step Beyond Expedition to Antarctica-thatdemonstratedhisbelief... “Itisbettertolightacan­ dle than complain o f the dark”
> ■>■ ManHaul&DriftRoute Ico Drift Camp
O ccar Current Direction
This map shows the circulation patterns In the surface waters of the North Polar Region. The four rivets providing the major inflow into the ArcticOcean are indicated
USA
(Alaska)
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River
CANADA
MARCH 1999
New Siberian ■,r'\ls lands
SIBERIA
Severnaya Zemlya
Mackenzie TRANS-ARCnc 2 0 0 0
asp
/—\ H (O
/
WARD HUNI J ISLANO_,/ 2000
75°N
MAY
NORTH POLE MARCH 2000
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Novaya
Zemlya
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