Beijing Biddies Arctic Challenge 2016
- February 02, 2016
Less than two years after driving to Beijing in just 29 days for charity the self-styled Beijing Biddies are taking to the road again…this time driving non-stop from Cumbria to the Arctic Circle.
For their latest challenge in aid of the UK’s two leading cancer charities, Edwina Sorkin, aged 70, and Kate Sleath (65) will team up with three other women as they attempt to drive 2,700 miles to the Arctic Circle in the toughest winter conditions.
Helen Stobart (50), Liz Tinkler (49) and Kerrie Ellison (44), all from Cumbria, will join forces with the Beijing Biddies to drive through Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway as they head for Nordkapp, 350 miles inside the Arctic Circle raising money for Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support along the way.
The team will set off from Carlisle on February 24, 2016, in two Volvo XC90 cars.However because of unpredictable weather conditions and possible road closures due to snow, they have no idea how long the trip will take. Temperatures may dip to -40 during the journey and the sun stays below the horizon during the day in winter months.
They are aiming to drive non stop with two people driving, one person navigating and the other two resting or sleeping. They have been told that when a road closes because of bad weather, drivers pull over and wait in a queue for the snow plough to come through, which can take a few hours or a couple of days. They have been kitted out with high performance all weather clothing to protect from the arctic conditions. They have also made plans so that constant supplies of food are on board as well as emergency supplies such a fuel.
We are proud to be providing the Beijing Biddies with a YB tracking tracker once again. Their tracker will collect and transmit data such as GPS position, direction and speed every hour, meaning friends, family and fund raisers can follow their progress through out their adventure.
For more information and live tracking once they set off, please visit the Beijing Biddies website.
