Derby woman prepares to take on challenge that would make her first woman to reach North Pole solo
Harpreet Chandi is beginning her final training for the solo challenge of a lifetime
Harpreet “Polar Preet” Chandi MBE, the record-breaking polar adventurer and four-time Guinness World Record holder, is embarking on final training in Canada for her next major expedition – reaching the North Pole solo and unsupported.
Her ground-breaking attempt is scheduled for March. If successful, she will become the first woman ever to complete the journey, a feat that has eluded explorers over generations.
Preet previously conquered the South Pole, skiing over 1,000 kilometres across extreme terrain. While the South Pole rests on stable ice and rock, the North Pole presents unique challenges – it consists of drifting frozen water, where progress can be lost due to movement of the ice, and open stretches of freezing sea known as leads add further complications.
Facing temperatures as low as -50°C, fierce winds, and the ever-present risk of frostbite, this expedition will push her endurance to its limit. Only two men in history have ever completed the journey solo and unsupported.
Chandi, a former British Army officer, is renowned for her resilience and leadership, in addition to breaking records in polar exploration. To prepare, she has been training near her Derbyshire home:
"So part of my training actually is me dragging tyres, so it's the closest thing I can get to simulate me pulling a sled on the ice, which is what I've been doing on my expeditions, and I've been working with Dacia - the car brand - and this is the first time I can actually fit both of my big tyres in my boot, which is amazing.
"Then I'm going to the gym to get stronger. So my aim is to try and ski solo and unsupported to the North Pole, which is about 500 miles on sea ice and carry about 130 kilogrammes of gear in my sleds across that terrain, and it will be the hardest thing I have ever attempted so far."