Four long days battling through the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle came to a triumphant close last night for Sara, Vicky, Alex and Laura as they finally reached the finish line of their Red Nose Day challenge, Snow Going Back: Comic Relief vs The Arctic.
Heading into their final day, the sleep deprived, and weary celebs had been given worrying news of a weather warning for an impeding snow storm by their Norwegian guide, Torbjørn Ness – the seasoned explorer who has been with the team every step of the way. It left the foursome knowing that an even earlier start, and a truly herculean push, would be required to give them the best chance of making the finish line in time.
Setting off from their previous night’s camp – a traditional Arctic moss hut with no electricity or running water – in complete darkness, the team began the day on cross-country skis in a race against time. Deteriorating conditions owing to the deep snowfall and the looming snow storm, eventually made skiing unviable, leaving the team with no choice but to swap their skis for snowshoes.
Having strapped in their snowshoes, Sara, Vicky, Alex and Laura pushed on as snow continued to fall. Despite ice cold blustery winds, they willed each other, step by step, with a steely determination to finish the challenge they had started four, long, cold days ago. The Arctic wilderness was always going to test the celebrities right to the very end.
By the mid-afternoon the incredible team took the final step of their 50km trek, bringing an end to a journey of a lifetime. Over the past four days they have taken on cross-country skiing, fat biking and snowshoe trekking in one of the most physically and mentally testing environments on the planet; navigated unpredictable terrain; and even camped on the snow. The celebs have had to endure freezing temperatures, blustery winds, and frequent snowfall in a barren landscape, where the British Special Forces train.
Sara Davies said: “I remember there was that one night, we trekked for 10km, we couldn’t feel our fingers, we couldn’t feel our toes, we got there and we had four shovels and we had to dig to get in the tent. And I remember we just laid in that tent absolutely freezing, and the reality hit of that’s only a couple of nights for us, but for a lot of people, it’s an everyday thing trying to get warm in their house and I think it just gave us time to reflect on how lucky we are. And therefore, how we want to use the platforms we have to raise awareness and raise those funds.”
You can watch all the highs and lows of their journey across the Arctic Circle in a special BBC One and iPlayer documentary that will air in the lead up to Red Nose Day, which returns on Friday 15 March.
The money raised for Red Nose Day could help to put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep little ones safe and help support families affected by conflict and climate change. It’s never felt more important to come together to support people in the UK and around the world that are struggling.
There is still time to donate and support Sara, Vicky, Alex and Laura by visiting Comicrelief.com/sara