A former British Army officer from Derby is attempting to become the first woman to hike solo to the North Pole in an epic 500-mile journey across shifting sea ice. Harpreet Chandi, also known as Polar Preet, from Sinfin, said there is a 1% chance that she will reach her final goal, yet she remains determined to tackle the 80-day mission.
This historic mission has only been completed by two others; Borge Ousland from Norway, who completed the expedition in 1994, and Pen Hadow from the UK, who completed it in 2003. Both reached the pole solo and unsupported.
Throughout the epic endeavour, the 36-year-old must drag a 130-kilogram sled with her supplies attached while going through icy water and up 20 metre high cliffs of ice. She will battle extreme temperatures of -50C and have to avoid polar bears too.
Ms Chandi, who served as an army captain for 16 years, will set off in March from Ellesmere Island in Canada if the weather allows. Explaining her motivation for taking on the challenging, she said: “I 100% love pushing my own boundaries. I just want to see how far I can push myself. The trip itself is near impossible.
“There is a high chance I won’t make it to the end, but I think there is beauty in trying something that you might not be able to finish. It’s pretty powerful for me. It’s incredibly challenging physically and also logistically to get to the start point. I think there is beauty in that as well; the beauty in something where you might not make it to the end.
“When I told my family, they didn’t know what I was doing. For example, I went to my Sikh Temple on Stanhope Street to get a good luck prayer for my trip to the South Pole, and they thought I was going to Southall. That has now become a running joke.
The ex-army officer is currently training in Antarctica for the mission while working as a guest guide and lecturer for visitors to the South Pole. Her previous expeditions, which earned her four Guinness world records, included becoming the first Asian woman to do a solo expedition in Antarctica, travelling 702 miles in 40 days, and holding the record for the longest solo, unsupported one-way ski expedition.
The 36-year-old posing at the geographical South Pole.
(Image: Harpreet Chandi)
The 500-mile solo hike will see the adventurer traverse an ever-changing landscape. The expedition will start at the end of winter when the ice in the region begins to melt and move.
Preet continued: “I just have to learn from the people who have been before me. I am constantly talking to Borge, asking for kit recommendations, and others to just constantly learn about the process. It is going to be the most challenging thing I’ve ever done.”
“With the moving sea ice, it could mean that I set up my camp, sleep for the night, and wake up in a completely different place. The ice walls and open water will be tricky to traverse, and I’ll have to look out for polar bears.”
While Preet has emergency flares to ward the bears off, it means that she will have to be vigilant at all times. She said: “In Antarctica, I had to be wary of crevasses but not wildlife. There were times I could listen to music or daydream. Not here.”
Harpreet told Derbyshire Live that this adventure is far from what she was used to growing up, as her favourite excursion when she was younger was walking to the local Asda, where her mum worked.
She said: “For me, at home, we are near the Peak District, but we never went. Our adventure was going to Asda in Sinfin, where my mum worked. I am proud to be from Derby. It’s my home, and I will forever hold Sinfin dear.”
Preet has started a fundraiser for the £1 million she will need to complete this record-breaking adventure. You can donate here.