Pupils hope for cool trip to Greenland

A GROUP of primary school children are hoping to live like Inuit on an Arctic expedition led by one of Scotland's most accomplished explorers.

Craig Mathieson, 41, takes frequent time out from his day job as an accountant to embark on daring adventures.

He has skied to both poles, and led the first dedicated Scottish expedition to the South Pole in 2004. Now he is hoping to take pupils from Castleview Primary, in Craigmillar, on an educational trip to the remote east coast of Greenland.

The group will fly to Greenland to live for ten days in three villages, including Ittoqqortoormiit, a remote coastal settlement which is home to only 400 residents.

Mr Mathieson, a father of three, set up Northern Lights Expeditions to carry out the trips after his polar adventures.

He teamed up with a former special boat serviceman, Richard Smith, to establish the educational expeditions.

He said: "Many children lack the opportunity and the drive to be adventurous and seem content moving idly between computer and television.

"We need to show them a more worldly understanding of our environmental and cultural differences, particularly in an Arctic nation which has so little material wealth yet so much to offer in understanding the simple roles of communities.

"This will give a unique experience to Scottish kids who will learn firsthand the effects of climate change, as well as gaining an understanding of a very different culture."

Mr Mathieson, who lives in Bo'ness, led the first Scottish expedition to the South Pole in November 2004 with fellow accountant Fiona Taylor.

With temperatures inside the tent of -50C, Ms Taylor got badly frostbitten and was airlifted out after four days but Mr Mathieson continued alone.

He travelled 730 gruelling miles pulling a sledge in an epic trip lasting 56 days.

Less than two years later, on 26 April, 2006, Mr Mathieson reached the North Pole with a small team of people, including a 16-year-old boy who was inspired by Mr Mathieson's South Pole adventure.

Mr Mathieson needs to raise 60,000 for the trips.

He added: "We're determined to reach our targets and give the kids the trip they are so looking forward to.

"Many of our funders recognise the unique opportunity that this will give to normal kids who simply wouldn't have the means to learn this way."

Next year, the Northern Lights Expeditions team hope to stage a return leg of the journey and bring a group of people from Greenland to Scotland to complete the mission.

A spokesman for the city council said they could not comment on the Castleview Primary trip until all of the funding had been secured.

See www.northernlights1.squaresace.com for details.