2011 Survey

A unique scientific expedition across the Arctic Ocean

Explorer Team Co-Leader – Ann Daniels

Expertise: Operations, navigation & surveying
Home base: Devon, England, UK

Ann is one of the world’s leading female polar explorers. Her many feats of endurance and adventure include becoming the first woman in history, along with expedition teammate Caroline Hamilton, to reach the North and South Poles as part of all-women teams. Ann and Caroline reached the North Pole and achieved their Guinness World Record in 2002.

Since her first polar experience in 1997, Ann has been a regular Arctic visitor and attempted a solo expedition to the North Pole in 2005. Although this ultimately ended prematurely after problems with permits, it remains her ambition to reach the North Pole on a solo expedition.

This is Ann’s third Catlin Arctic Survey. During the first Survey in 2009, she was responsible for all field operations. For 73 days her decision-making and navigation skills successfully guided the team along a safe route in the most extreme conditions to complete a unique study of the rapidly disappearing Arctic sea ice. For her role in the expedition she became one of Time magazine’s Heroes of the Environment, along with colleagues Martin Hartley and Pen Hadow.

In 2010, Ann took on the role of Explorer Team Leader. She guided her team across more than 270 miles (440 km) of floating sea ice to gather vital water and marine life samples. Simultaneously sledge-hauling and surveying the route each day, Ann and the team reached the North Pole on 12 May – just in time to drill their ‘Hole at the Pole’ for final water samples before a flight back to terra firma.

www.anndaniels.com

Explorer Team Co-Leader – Tyler Fish

Expertise: Operations, navigation & surveying
Home base: Ely, Minnesota, USA

Wilderness explorer Tyler Fish is a man of many talents. An expert cross-country ski racer, wilderness survival expert and youth counsellor, he has extensive experience of not only achieving his own goals but helping others reach theirs as well.

He directs the Outward Bound Intercept Program for at-risk teenagers in Ely, Minnesota. The programme helps teen-agers from around the US and other countries, demonstrating anti-social or destructive behaviours, to realise their potential through outdoor experiences.

Practising what he preaches, Tyler is an avid adventurer and now explorer. Along with expedition teammate John Huston, he became the first American to reach the North Pole in an expedition that was unsupported by resupply or assistance from aircraft throughout the journey. For 54 days Tyler and John dragged all their supplies across 475 miles (764 km) of floating ice to reach the Pole on 26 April 2009.

He has participated in dog-sledding expeditions in the Canadian Arctic and paddled several remote Canadian rivers. Over winter, Tyler competes in long distance cross-country ski marathons and coaches a local ski team. He also has plenty of adventures with his two-year old son and wife in their local neighbourhood.

www.forwardexpeditions.com

Expedition Scientist Adrian McCallum

Expertise: Polar science
Home base: Canberra, Australia

Adrian McCallum knows good things take time. Joining the Catlin Arctic Survey for the first time, he’s fulfilling a lifelong ambition to forge a career as a polar scientist and explorer after spending 20 years in the Australian Defence Forces (ADF).

Adrian’s scientific roots began with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in oceanography at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He’s spent a lifetime learning since then, completing a graduate diploma in meteorology at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology before completing a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons) at the University of Western Australia whilst serving with the Australian Army.

While employed in the ADF, Adrian held numerous, diverse roles including working as a meteorologist in the sub-Antarctic, a Seahawk helicopter navigator, a field scientist and technician, and as an engineering project manager in the Australian Department of Defence.

Along the way, he also found the time to get operational field experience in the wild environments he likes best: Antarctica, the Arctic, the Himalayas and Patagonia.

Most recently, Adrian has been completing his PhD in glaciology at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. His PhD investigates the strength of snow to better design, build and assess the integrity of compressed-snow roads, runways and foundations.

As the expedition scientist, Adrian will ensure the protocols of the explorers science programme are adhered to. He will help deploy research equipment and ensure sea ice and snow thickness measurements are recorded alongside ice surface observations.

www.spri.cam.ac.uk/people/mccallum/

Explorer Team Member Phil Coates

Expertise: Filming in extreme environments
Home base: Cambridge, England, UK & Les Contamines, France

Phil Coates is experienced director cameraman with an adventurous track record spanning seven continents. He has worked in extreme and challenging environments, from the very hot (°50/122°F) to the very cold (-40°C/-40°F) and the very high (up to an altitude of 8,000 metres).

His filming portfolio includes BBC2’s Blizzard Race To The Pole, Channel 5’s Ice Break Heart and Challenge 8000 for Yorkshire Tyne Tees and Channel 4. Most recently he was up Mt Everest, part of a team filming Discovery International’s Everest Beyond The Limit.

Phil has also a keen personal interest in Polar science having worked with British Antarctic Survey field scientists on the island of Signy in the South Orkney Islands of Antarctica.

Phil has successfully combined leading over thirty international expeditions with his career in television and really loves the challenge of shooting documentaries in some of the most hostile places on earth. When he’s not on assignment you can generally find Phil out in the French Alps where he runs Adventure and Expedition film and photography courses.

With his camera at the ready, Phil will be capturing the drama and discovery during the two month Catlin Arctic Survey expedition.