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Doha: Intrepid adventurer Fernando De Guama wants to be the first man to cross the Arctic Ocean and raise the Qatari flag at the North Pole as part of the Qatar Expedition.
The Qatar Expedition is the brainchild of De Guama and has the support of the Qatar National Olympic Committee. During a demanding 12-month training programme to prepare for the brutal Arctic conditions, De Guama is inviting all sports enthusiasts to join his endurance training.
De Guama will leave Doha in April 2009 for the Barneo Ice Base in Norway, the starting point for the nine-day trek to the North Pole.
From Barneo, he faces a punishing 120km journey by ski to place the Qatari flag at the North Pole for the first time before returning to Doha.
The Qatar Expedition will last three to four weeks. More accustomed to suffering the intense 40C heat of Doha, De Guama must survive sub-zero Arctic temperatures averaging minus 45C to minus 65C to realise his North Pole dream.
Childhood dream
"The North Pole expedition has been a dream since childhood; with the support I am receiving I am closer to make this dream come true. I would like to thank the State of Qatar for their approval in placing their flag in this expedition," De Guama told a press conference.
The Qatar Expedition offers local companies an unrivalled opportunity to align their brand with a truly record-breaking adventure, guaranteed to reach a huge audience.
Only a handful of daring explorers have crossed the Arctic Ocean to reach the North Pole. Covering a massive 5.4 million square miles, Arctic Ocean waters are permanently below the freezing point and De Guama is likely to encounter polar bears, extreme weather changes and deadly shifting ice as he braves sub-zero temperatures in his quest to reach the North Pole.
The Qatar Expedition website will have a dedicated Training Zone where anyone can join, register and take part in the daily or weekly challenging training.
"This is my way of supporting the community in living a better and healthier life," said De Guama.
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