A hardy couple are preparing themselves to brave temperatures of -30°C when they kite surf across the Greenland ice cap later this year. Robert and Heidi Clover, who live in Devon, southwest England, will tackle the 1,400km slog in a bid to raise GBP 50,000 for charity.
“It is crazy. It is usually hardcore adventurers that attempt this kind of thing. We are really not the two people that should be doing this – I’m a housewife and Robert works in a bank,” Mrs Clover told Metro. “Before we started training the only run I had been on was the school run,” she added.
The couple will face gale-force winds and snow storms on the three-week expedition which will see them and their heavy packs pulled along Greenland’s ice cap by kites alone. They will sleep in tents when not on their boards and will be accompanied by a single guide.
Mrs Clover, 39, is used to the cold after growing up in Finland, but, she admits the Greenland chill could be a shock for her 41 year-old husband who has lived his whole life on England’s relatively-balmy south coast.
The Clovers, who have been married for seven years, plan to surf for around 10 hours a day on the ambitious trip. They may, however, find themselves having to travel for 24 hours at a time if the wind drops too low at other times. “We have to make our final stop to catch a flight out,” said Mrs Clover.
The Clovers are taking on the feat to raise money for autism charities Making Waves and Earthwatch as their daughter Sami, 7, suffers from the condition.
What an adventure! actually I think traveling 1400 km with my spouse, being alone together 24/7 would be a bigger challenge for me than crossing the Greenland ice cap seems to be itself.