Episode 4 Blue Peter

I kayaked 2,000 miles along the Amazon.

I walked a high wire between the chimneys at Battersea Power Station.

And this time around, I'm going to be taking on my most physically demanding challenge to date.

I'll be attempting to get to the South Pole

entirely under my own steam, and taking everything I need with me.

I'll be walking, kite skiing,

and, in a world first, trying to cycle part of my route to the Pole.

It's the coldest and windiest place on Earth.

Temperatures drop to as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius.

I have no idea how people do this. Honestly!

CRIES OUT

I don't want to play any more! This is just so frustrating.

So far, for her Sport Relief challenge,

Helen's started to learn the kite skills

that she hopes will get her 500 miles to the South Pole.

But a nasty fall has shattered her confidence.

And she's travelled to Sierra Leone

to see how Sport Relief money really makes a difference.

In today's programme, Helen's off to New Zealand to turn kite surfing into kite skiing.

-Ow!

-Her sled gets the better of her.

I knew that was going to happen!

And she gets to experience just how extreme conditions could be in Antarctica.

Kite skiing is the fastest and most dangerous form of transport

Helen will be using on her 500-mile journey to the South Pole.

She'll be travelling at speeds of up to 22 miles per hour,

and, watching these guys, it's clear she's got a lot to learn.

Those guys make it look easy, but even they've had accidents,

so, if I'm going to stand any chance of getting to the South Pole in one piece

I'm going to have to get good at this, and fast.

Teaching Helen the ropes is Sarah McNair-Landry.

In 2004, she was the youngest person ever to travel unsupported

from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.

Sarah covered a staggering 684 miles on skis, aged just 18.

-You must be Sarah?

-Yes, you must be Helen!

-Nice to meet you!

I need to download everything you know about the South Pole.

How did you get there, and what methods did you use?

I skied to the South Pole from the coast,

and, once we got to the South Pole, we picked up kites,

and then we kited back to the coast.

Am I right in thinking you did this with your mum and your brother?

Yes, it's a team of five, and on the team was my older brother and my mother was also on the team.

I need to learn to kite ski.

You've done it, how easy is it going to be to learn?

It's basically two skills in one.

You need to learn to fly the kite, and you need to learn how to ski.

Helen's already learnt kite surfing in the UK but it wasn't plain sailing.

She struggled with setting up the equipment and controlling the kite in strong winds.

But now she's got to transfer those skills on to the ice and snow, which is a lot more dangerous.

Sarah's taking her into the mountains for her first lesson.

-It's got quite windy now, hasn't it?

-It has, the winds are picking up.

They're probably a little over 10 miles an hour now.

-Could that lift me off the ground?

-It could, with a big enough kite.

-OK.

The important things to keep in mind are there's a couple of ways to stop the kite.

It's vital Helen knows how to kill the power in the kite

so Sarah gives her a quick safety briefing.

-If you pull this, you're waving goodbye to your kite.

-OK.

-Which isn't the best thing to do when you're in Antarctica.

-No.

I was quite excited, but given that this thing has three brakes,

that kind of reminds me that it is quite dangerous.

But there's no time for nerves, as it's on with the skis.

OK! You're on your own!

Hey ha-hey!

Woohoo!

It's a positive start for Helen

and, already, things seem to be coming together.

But suddenly the wind drops

and Helen's kite skiing training grinds to a halt.

In New Zealand, just like Antarctica, Helen's progress is dependent on the weather.

-You did well.

-I was doing OK, wasn't I? I was turning round.

-Yes.

I mean I'm a bit frustrated that I only sort of had probably an hour, less even, wasn't it?

But I feel good that I've done a bit, and at least I know now, yeah,

in theory I can do it, I can do the basics.

It's a bit harder than light ones.

When it's really, really light, it's impossible to come back up.

On her 500-mile journey to the South Pole, the type of transport

Helen uses will be dictated by the weather conditions.

If there's no wind, she won't be able to kite ski,

and, if there's too much wind, she won't be able to cycle.

In that situation, Helen will have to rely on the age-old method of polar travel - cross country skiing.

In Antarctica, Helen will use cross-country skis to pull her sled,

which is known as man-hauling.

It's physically demanding and uses all the muscles in the body.

Captain Scott used this method on his expedition to the South Pole,

pushing every man to breaking point.

To build up her strength for this method of transport,

Helen's been tyre-pulling in the UK.

Sarah is putting all that training to the test with a challenge -

to cross country ski up and down a hill, man-hauling a heavy sled.

-Is it easy to ski uphill?

-Erm...

-"Yes," I'm looking for! "Yes!"

It's a lot of work when you're hauling your sled

because you're going to be dragging this thing behind you.

And that "thing" will weigh over 80 kilograms,

the same as a fully-grown man.

there's nothing for it but to clip in and take to the hills.

Are you kidding me?!

If you start slipping back and you can't pull the sled forward,

-remember to put your skis in a V so you can get more grip.

-OK.

This is really not easy.

I've gone about 50 metres!

I mean it's literally going to take me about two years to get to the South Pole in this way, isn't it?

I think she's doing OK.

I think she's realising how hard it's going to be in Antarctica.

I think it's an eye-opener for her.

Finally, Helen makes it to the top of the ridge

but what goes up...

..must come down!

Next!

This sled has a life of its own.

If it clips the back of my heels, I am in trouble.

Sled!

Sled! Oh no!

I knew that was going to happen!

I didn't know what to do, I was just like, "Oh no, brace yourself!"

It didn't hit me. Oh dear. Crikey!

No, what are you doing?!

Sledge, you and I are going to fall out.

I've never felt so stupid in all my born days because, trust me,

it's easy to watch and say, "Don't do it like that!"

I know what I should and shouldn't be doing, but doing it

with a huge big weight attached to the back of me makes it a little bit more complicated.

Enough is enough. The skis are coming off.

I kind of feel like I'm copping out,

but then, on the other hand, actually, this is more sensible.

I can get down in one piece or I can risk breaking my legs.

Antarctica is about finding the easiest and most efficient way to get there,

so if it's taking your skis off and walking down the hill,

-if that's the easiest, then that's the best thing to do.

-I got here!

I have to tell you, I did not enjoy that!

Oh!

It was a good day, we had fun.

It's also really important that Helen gets these skills down

because, when there's no wind, this is what she'll be doing in Antarctica,

hauling all her gear and sled, so this is the place to learn,

when it's still nice and warm outside and we have time to stop and I can teach her.

When she gets down to Antarctica,

she'll have to know these skills already.

Sarah may be feeling positive at the end of day one

but, for Helen, there's been more downs than ups.

I feel really stupid because I totally underestimated

how hard it is to pull a sled full of stuff up the hill on skis.

I thought this would be the easy bit!

I know I'm at the start of this journey and I've got a lot to learn,

and I know I've got a lot of training and practising to do,

but I feel like I am a million miles away from the South Pole.

Not in terms of distance, but in terms of mentally and physically where I need to be.

It's day two of Helen's New Zealand training and the wind has really picked up -

perfect for her second kite skiing lesson.

It's time to bring out the big kite.

Yesterday it was light winds

and you were doing big movements with the kite.

Right now it's stronger winds,

so, the faster you move this kite, the more it's going to pull you.

You have the brake, your safety releases,

and if it's too windy you also have a smaller kite that you can put up.

As soon as the kite takes off, Helen's overwhelmed by the power.

Ow!

See, I panicked there, and I just pulled the release. Because I knew...

Oh!

See, the trouble is, once you've been hurt with these, you get nervous, don't you?

Yep.

Back in the UK, Helen was pulled over while learning to kite surf

and sustained a painful foot injury.

-Oh my word!

-It's playing on her mind and affecting her confidence.

To get her back on track, Sarah wants Helen to try a different kite.

It's a bit smaller, it'll be much easier for her to handle,

so it'll be great for her to get her confidence back up, get skiing.

The smaller kite is really doing the trick.

Helen's making progress fast and building her confidence.

I am absolutely loving it! I'm just going to land this kite.

I'm loving it now.

It's so weird how just the change of a kite size makes the world of difference.

I love it, and I want to go fast and I want to go downhill.

We could bring a kite.

Every time it picked up wind and speed, I was like, "No, I'm not liking this!"

Now that Helen's getting up to speed with kite skiing,

Sarah brings back an old friend to end the day with.

Oh good, the sled's here(!)

Oh, that thing!

I know I need to learn it, but this is the worst bit, isn't it?

Getting used to it and avoiding it and trying to not get hurt.

It's going to be the hardest bit.

Sarah clips on the sled and off she goes.

I've had two days on the skis, and I was pulling the sled.

I was going uphill, I went upwind,

so I just need to remind myself that actually I am doing it.

I don't know why I'm giving myself a hard time, saying it's scary and I can't do it because I am doing it,

and I'm going to have to keep my nerve in Antarctica.

Otherwise I'm going to go a few metres and then go "Oh no, I'm just going to put it down!"

It's going to take me ages to get to the South Pole.

If I can master this, I'm going to make this journey a whole lot easier.

It's not just physical skills Helen needs to learn in New Zealand.

Eating the right food is crucial for big expeditions

so Sarah's sending Helen to a local supermarket

to pick up enough food for one day in Antarctica.

In Antarctica, Helen will need extra energy to keep warm in temperatures of minus 50,

and to cope with all the physical activity she'll be doing.

A grown woman needs around 2,000 calories a day.

On her journey to the South Pole, Helen will be eating up to 6,000 calories a day,

that's three times her normal amount.

If she doesn't, it could have life-threatening consequences.

And so I need things that are light and easy to carry.

I don't want things I'm going to have to cook or prepare,

and I need things that have got a lot of calories

because I'm going to be burning a lot of calories.

# Doo doo da da! #

I'm going to have some liquorice allsorts, just because I like them!

Fruit would be nice, but it'll just get bruised in the bag.

I am going to want some sort of hot food,

and I think pasta in a bag is a good idea because I can melt snow and boil it.

Meat and cheese is good, isn't it?

I have to look at food as fuel and I need the calories and sugar

to keep going because it's going to be long days.

It's not going to happen, is it?

All I need now is something to drink.

I'm going to take two.

Done. I think that will definitely see us through a day in Antarctica.

Shh!

Lets just hope Sarah agrees.

I don't want to be too confident,

but I'm feeling quite proud of my shopping.

Let's see what you've got.

-OK, so we've got breakfast.

-Yes.

-This is during the day?

-Yes.

-So what's your dinner?

Some more of this, or maybe another one of these.

Starting with breakfast, it's definitely not enough calories.

But in the morning we haven't burnt anything off so why is it important to add more at that stage?

Because it's the first meal of your day

and you're trying to start with a lot of energy to last you throughout the day.

So lunch, first thing is how would you cook these when you're outside?

-Burning water. But we won't be doing that at lunchtime, will we?

-Exactly.

-So, for lunch, you want a lot of little snacks instead of one big meal.

-OK.

So, dinner...

-The idea is really good, but just ones with more calories.

-OK.

-So I'm going to calculate out how many calories in total to see if it's enough for a day.

-OK.

Oh! I thought I was doing so well!

Helen's really underestimated just how much she needs to eat,

but by how much? Sarah adds up the amount of calories.

-The final count for this food is 5,000 calories.

-Mm-hmm.

However, for one person, one day, you need to be consuming 6,000 calories.

-So, for me alone, I'd have to eat all of this and more?

-Yep.

And quite a bit more. Another couple of these!

# Food glorious food... #

To get Helen fit for her South Pole trip,

Sarah is cooking up a meal which contains 2,000 calories -

the amount she needs for one meal in the Antarctic.

-Don't forget the chicken.

-And it's a huge amount of food!

Would you like some cake too?

-To Antarctica!

-Cheers!

# Just eat it! Eat it!

# Get yourself an egg and beat it!

# Have some more chicken, have some more pie

# It doesn't matter if it's boiled or fried,

# Just eat it

# Just eat it... #

Helen can only manage half of what's on her plate,

but Sarah has some good news in store for her.

These are all high calories, but also lightweight meals.

-You add water to them.

-Porridge, I like.

Bulk it up with a little butter to add some fat for breakfast and dinner.

And in the middle of the day it's just snacky type stuff,

but enough calories to equate to a meal?

-Exactly.

-OK, well that's good.

That makes me feel better because it's the volume of all that food that puts me off,

but porridge for breakfast, if I add water to that.

So these are condensed high calorie meals

because you're going for lots of calories and lightweight.

That is light. Good! That makes me feel a lot better.

It's time for Helen's final training exercise.

She'll be spending the night outside in the cold.

So Sarah shows her how to build a snow hole.

Snow is a good insulator, keeping heat in as well as providing protection from the wind.

That is COSY!

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest continent on Earth.

It's a land of unpredictable weather.

Storms and blizzards can come out of nowhere,

sending the temperature plummeting and bringing on powerful winds.

Helen will need to be ready for anything to avoid being taken by surprise.

It's already late afternoon as they set off to a remote spot.

Sarah tells Helen where she needs to get to by tomorrow morning.

So I've brought you out here for your last challenge.

-The goal is to get to the road, which is five miles away.

-OK.

-Here's your GPS.

-Got it.

-And the end point is in there.

You can travel whatever method makes the most sense.

You have food, you have water, you have everything you need. Good luck.

I'll be fine...hopefully!

Sarah leaves Helen at the start point. She's now on her own for as long as it takes her to get back.

I'm quite excited by this

because I just want to prove to Sarah that I can do it.

I feel like this is my chance to get stuck in and get on with it.

This challenge will simulate exactly what Helen will be doing in the Antarctic.

She'll have to make all the decisions,

especially when it comes to the right method of transport for the weather conditions.

At the moment there's good wind, so Helen decides to kite ski

in the hope of covering some ground before nightfall.

But, just as Helen gets started, the wind drops

and there's nothing for it but to go back to basics.

I'm getting nowhere with the kite.

It's going to be quicker to walk up the hill.

And light is fading fast.

I'm nowhere near the road.

I've probably only covered about half a mile but I'm not downbeat

because I was actually kite skiing

and pulling that sled up a hill so I'm happy about that.

It does mean I'm going to have to sleep outside,

which was kind of on the cards so I've mentally prepared myself for that,

and I've got a sleeping bag and stuff in here.

But before Helen can get into that sleeping bag she has to build her snow hole,

which involves digging, digging, and more digging!

SHE LAUGHS

The wind is definitely picking up.

Which means she needs to get a move on

or face the prospect of being stuck in a storm with no shelter.

Look, I'm in.

My legs are out, stretched out, but I'm not going to lie...

I don't like it! Because I want to be able to see the sky.

So I'd rather sleep like that, which I probably will.

There, that's cosy.

After all that physical exercise, it's dinner time.

And on tonight's menu, a proper expedition meal. Freeze dried beef stroganoff in a bag. Yum.

If I had a tent, I'd sit inside the tent and eat this. But I don't.

Mmm!

Actually, that's not too bad.

After dinner, it's time to settle down for the night.

It's quiet. I can see the moon.

This is... I don't know, I feel lucky all of a sudden.

I met loads of boys last year who sleep outside

in Uganda on the street by the side of a dual carriageway

among a load of rubbish,

and they are threatened and intimidated by some really nasty people every day.

This is a total world away from that.

People would pay a fortune to experience this kind of environment.

So, yeah, I'm outside, but I just don't think I can complain.

Good morning!

Oh, I've got that thing. You know when you first wake up and you need to stretch, but you can't!

It's not the most comfortable night's sleep I've had

but it's far from the worst.

Snow has fallen overnight and Helen's woken up to a total blizzard.

There's snow in every direction.

Sarah said use any means possible to get back to the road

and, with the weather conditions the way they are,

Helen chooses to walk, but she's not happy about it.

This is so annoying.

I've come half the way around the world to learn to kite ski,

which I need to do, the skill I need, and the weather has just never played ball.

It's been too windy, not windy enough, and now it's snowing.

Honestly, I am boiling inside.

Putting one foot in front of the other is getting Helen where she needs to go,

not to mention discovering a new form of polar transport!

Woo-hoo!

I wonder if anybody has done this to the South Pole!

It's not quite the blaze of glory that I wanted to cross the finishing line in,

but Sarah said get back by any means possible.

And I'm nearly there.

Helen did well for the conditions,

and she just kind of used her best judgement to figure out what the best way to travel was.

I mean, the ultimate goal is for her to get to the South Pole.

I'm delighted that I made it through that experience.

24 hours out there in the snow, making my own way back,

and I'm really chuffed!

Her strongest point is she has a really great attitude.

She's really excited about going, she wants to have fun, she's very, very motivated to train,

and that's one of the keys of any expedition, just to have that good attitude.

Antarctica may throw, you know, more than I can deal with,

and I still don't know whether I will be able to cope at this stage.

I know I've got some skills that might stand me in a better stead,

but I'm a long way from the finishing line yet.

And if you've been inspired by Helen's challenge,

why don't you go the extra mile and get involved in Sport Relief this year?

Get a grown-up and sign up to do the Sport Relief mile.

There are hundreds of events around the country.

By raising money, you can help

poor and vulnerable people in the UK and around the world.

Next time: Helen travels to Iceland to learn how to survive in the extreme cold.

You couldn't put a tent up in this on your own. Or I certainly couldn't.

She meets her Norwegian team-mate who will travel with her to the South Pole.

-You must be Niklas. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

And bad weather gives her a taste of what's to come.

I can honestly say this is the most unpleasant experience of my life.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd