Intrepid Bucksburn Academy pupils are off to Greenland where they will brave temperatures of -25c, ski for miles every day, sleep on the ice, and ward off polar bears.
The group have been preparing for the Arctic expedition with a punishing training schedule over the last nine months.
They’ll be flying out on March 12 with the Polar Academy, and even the journey there isn’t a walk in the park.
The group of nine youngsters aged 14 to 16 – four boys and five girls – will fly from Glasgow to Iceland, where they will spend the night.
They’ll then get a propeller plane to Kulusuk in Greenland, before taking a helicopter to Tasiilaq.
Boldly going where no man has gone before: Bucksburn Academy pupils to enter ‘unmapped’ territory
With them will be depute head Thom Sherrington.
“The young people who the Polar Academy work with, it’s not the high-fliers who’ve got lots of opportunities, but those who float along the middle, the so-called ‘invisible children’,” Thom explained.
“The sort of kids who go through school without ever really raising their heads, but who have potentially got a huge amount of leadership capability and potential. Who perhaps have gone through trauma or have struggled with their mental health.”
The group of nine has been whittled down from 120 pupils who expressed interest in the expedition.
They’ll be spending just over two weeks in Greenland, 10 days of which will be spent on the ice on cross-country skis, doing six or seven miles a day, setting up camp at different points.
Before settling down each night, they’ll put up a boundary of tripwire around their camp to ward off polar bears.
“It’s a totally unexplored area, complete wilderness,” said Thom.
“There are parts of that area that haven’t been mapped.
“There will be very well-trained guides there, but it’s the young people who will be leading the expedition.”
Bucksburn Academy pupils put through the mill ahead of Greenland trip
Given the gruelling nature of the expedition, preparation has been paramount. It’s fair to say it’s been rigorous.
The first training exercise was in June last year at Glenmore Lodge in Aviemore, with activities like climbing, canoeing, kayaking upside down, and tying knots.
This was followed by several exercises across Scotland in the months following.
“During Storm Babet, when the rest of the world was hunkering down, we were out camping in Glen Feshie, hillwalking and developing our expedition skills, how to put up tents, how to make stoves and make food.
“We were out walking in 60, 70mph winds, but they survived it and ended up loving it.
“It’s great for building confidence and leadership skills.”
In November they went down to the sports science centre at Napier University, spending time in cold chambers at -10 degrees to acclimatise to the cold they’re expecting in Greenland.
There were tyre-hauling sessions, where the youngsters walked 10 miles strapped to a big, heavy tyre.
This was to replicate dragging sledges with 40kg of equipment.
As was their most recent exercise, which saw them dragging heavy equipment along the sand on St Andrews beach. For six hours.
And all this was interspersed with so-called ‘insanity’ fitness sessions every week.
“It’s really hard physical training,” said Thom. “If you think Joe Wicks, but about 10 times as hard!”
‘Transformative, a once in a lifetime experience’
He added: “The young people are now incredibly strong and very, very fit. And they’re very resilient.
“They’ll need to be robust to cope with everything they’re going to be faced with out there. The cold, the rain, the wind and the snow.
“But the training programme is really well thought out, and they feel ready and prepared.
“We just need to get there now, we’re all very excited to see what Greenland is like.
“When we saw the initial Polar Academy presentation, the landscape and scenery looked incredible. And the northern lights are almost guaranteed up there.”
The expedition is paid for by the Polar Academy’s fundraising, although Bucksburn Academy have done their own fundraising – including last year’s Kiltwalk – and managed to raise £12,000.
Instead of paying for the expedition in money, those taking part are asked to speak to 3,000 other people about their experience when they get back, at local schools and groups.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for these young people,” said Thom. “Literally a once in a lifetime experience for them.
“It’s transformative for them. Both to get fitter than they ever thought possible, but also to see a world out there that they would never have had the opportunity to experience.
“The impact on them already has been tremendous, and they haven’t even been to Greenland yet.”
Conversation