Long time friend of Fire and Ice (and team member of our Mongolia 2006 exped), Mark Ainsworth, has turned his back on the trudge of working a high-pressure 9 to 5 job and has embarked on a new career as an International Mountain Leader. He has set up an exciting new company, and is now offering a range of well put together and well organised trekking holiday’s in Spain’s Sierra Nevada, most of which he is leading himself. If you would like to know more, please visit the Sierra Trekking website at .www.sierratrekking.co.uk

The new climbing wall at SHQ is now completed and has been officially opened by ACFO Pete Smith. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service funded the building of the wall as a training aid for the four specialist rescue teams, and for use in community youth projects. The wall is also open for use by Fire and Ice members, and all other employees of DSFRS. Pete didn’t bat an eyelid when he saw that the ribbon he needed to cut was at the top of the wall, and showed no fear as he scaled its heights to do his speech and declare the wall open!

Early next year, Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell (and president of Fire and Ice) will be joining other explorers in an attempt to reach the Arctic Pole (Northern Pole of Inaccessibility). This will mean, skiing approx 200 miles, pulling over 100kg by pulk (sledge) at temperatures down to minus 40 degree Celsius, and hopefully avoiding the polar bears on the way. He is doing this as part of a personal leadership challenge, whilst hopefully raising a significant sum of money for the Fire Fighters Charity. This Pole has never been reached, and represents the last true “World First” polar expedition. Explorer Jim McNeill will lead four teams as they face nearly 800 miles of treacherous Arctic Ocean. At the same time, the teams will be gathering crucial sets of data for the scientific community. This will be an incredible journey, made even more extraordinary as it will be undertaken by ordinary people from all walks of life with no previous experience. For more information, and to make a donation please follow this link: www.leadingfromthetop.co.uk