Cold call by internet explorers

Published on Friday 28 August 2009 11:05

DELIVERING a new laptop doesn't normally involve anything more risky than having to avoid a bump on the motorway.

But IT specialist Richard Smith braved polar bears and icebergs to install computer equipment for his latest project.

The adventurous 37-year-old spent three-and-a-half weeks kayaking around Greenland to deliver laptops to Inuit children.

During the trip, he spent 12 hours a day in his canoe navigating through treacherous, iceberg-strewn waters and camping on land where polar bears roam.

The biggest threat came from the icebergs, which were up to 200ft high, with huge chunks of ice constantly breaking off, threatening their 18ft kayaks.

Dr Smith, from Uphall, West Lothian, was well prepared for the journey – made with his friend Craig Matheson, from Bo-ness – having served as a member of the elite Special Boat Service (SBS).

"We had to make sure we weren't too close to the icebergs as you could see bits falling off all the time," he said.

"Every time we passed one our conversation would dip and we'd speak in hushed tones as if any noise we made could cause them to collapse.

"We once found ourselves in strong winds and thick fog going through two icebergs, which was quite scary."

Polar bear attacks were another danger, as well as dramatic and abrupt changes in the weather.

"We didn't have any live encounters with polar bears but did find a large print near our tent one morning after we woke up," said the father of two.

"It didn't stop us from sleeping with the rifle, though. Even at that, a dozen polar bears could have come into our tent and we wouldn't have noticed because we were so exhausted."

The pair undertook their Northern Lights Expedition to deliver laptops to the country's endangered indigenous people in a bid to educate children from each side of the global warming spectrum on the effects of climate change.

They have now linked Inuit children to pupils at Edinburgh's Castleview Primary and Deanburn Primary in Bo'ness through the internet.

The explorers want to take some of the Scottish pupils to Greenland next May to live with the Inuits as the next stage of the expedition.

Dr Smith and Mr Matheson also hope to re-introduce kayaking to Inuit children, who now see their parents fishing in speedboats, and invite them back to Scotland.

Dr Smith said: "We achieved our aims this time and next time we would like to take the Scottish children on mini expeditions being pulled across the ice by dogs and experience other aspects of the Inuit culture."

For information, visit www.northernlights-expeditions.org