Field notes:

Thriving below zero: an Antarctic experience with the Frozen Dagger expedition
Umeå Sweden, Hello Nature Sweden, Tales of Adventure, Chris Shirley MA FRGS, carbohydrates, fats, protein, Chris Shirley, partners, expedition partners, ski, biomedical sciences, human performance, Rock to Recovery, Movember, Royal Marines Commando, Royal Marines Commando officer, recaffeinate, social mobility, anaerobic respiration, katabatic winds, adventure nutrition requirements, Ali MacDonald, resilient nutrition, Swedish nature, Antarctic experience, expedition, joie de vivre, Cold management, Umeå Northern Sweden, world-record expedition, south pole, the tales of adventure, brand design, Haus of Hiatus, Frozen dagger, Frozen Dagger expedition Chris Shirley MA FRGS Umeå Sweden, Hello Nature Sweden, Tales of Adventure, Chris Shirley MA FRGS, carbohydrates, fats, protein, Chris Shirley, partners, expedition partners, ski, biomedical sciences, human performance, Rock to Recovery, Movember, Royal Marines Commando, Royal Marines Commando officer, recaffeinate, social mobility, anaerobic respiration, katabatic winds, adventure nutrition requirements, Ali MacDonald, resilient nutrition, Swedish nature, Antarctic experience, expedition, joie de vivre, Cold management, Umeå Northern Sweden, world-record expedition, south pole, the tales of adventure, brand design, Haus of Hiatus, Frozen dagger, Frozen Dagger expedition Chris Shirley MA FRGS

Thriving below zero: an Antarctic experience with the Frozen Dagger expedition

After designing his expedition’s branding in 2022, I travelled to Umeå, northern Sweden, to meet Sam Cox, a former Royal Marines Commando officer, and see how he is preparing for a world-record breaking expedition to the South Pole at the end of 2023.

 Entitled the ‘Frozen Dagger’ project, Sam will be skiing almost 2000 kilometres in the name of biomedical sciences and human performance, whilst also fundraising for the Movember and Rock to Recovery charities. A hugely inspiring endeavour, I’m sure you’ll agree!

Read More
My first bikepacking expedition - Riding to Keila waterfalls near Tallinn, Estonia
bikepacking expedition, expedition, adventure, cycle touring, digital nomad visa, digital nomad, Eurovelo cycling routes, Eurovelo 11, Keila River, keile-joa, keila waterfalls, Estonia, Tallinn, conditioning, fitness, live more vibrantly, bikepacking, Silk Road Mountain Race, silk road mountain race (SRMR) Chris Shirley MA FRGS bikepacking expedition, expedition, adventure, cycle touring, digital nomad visa, digital nomad, Eurovelo cycling routes, Eurovelo 11, Keila River, keile-joa, keila waterfalls, Estonia, Tallinn, conditioning, fitness, live more vibrantly, bikepacking, Silk Road Mountain Race, silk road mountain race (SRMR) Chris Shirley MA FRGS

My first bikepacking expedition - Riding to Keila waterfalls near Tallinn, Estonia

In my quest to train for the Silk Road Mountain Race, I decided to squeeze in an 80-kilometre, 2-day mini bikepacking expedition during the week to test out my bike’s setup, find gaps in my preparation, build conditioning and more fitness, experience Estonia’s summer temperatures, and see what kit I might need for bigger bikepacking trips (like tackling the 500-kilometre Eurovelo 11 route that I want to do later this year).

Read More