MINI to the Arctic

Firstly sorry if I posted this in the wrong section as it's just to tell you about our trip in September. I'm not demanding any help or support but just thought other MINI drivers maybe interested in hearing about our epic adventure but if you'd like to sponsor us by donating to such an important charity we'd be very grateful.

In September 2008 I (and my co-driver mum) are driving my MINI from England to up above the Arctic Circle over 5,000 miles to the most northern point of Europe and back to raise money for Leukaemia Research. Leukaemia Research is a charity close to our hearts as my sister Elaine, who some of you will know, had childhood Leukaemia when she was 8 and, thanks to the amazing treatment she received, is now 26 and recently married Hickster (Paul). Also recently a great friend of ours (and a fellow MINI driver) has been effected by this terrible blood cancer for the second time in his life.

Nordkapp is our destination which sits on the same latitude as Siberia, Greenland and Alaska. Our journey will take us through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Our route is set to include the most Northern point of Europe, The Atlantic Road and the longest tunnel in the world - all located in some of the most stunning scenery on the planet.

Loads of videos, photos and stories will be posted during the trip and upon our return.

MINI to the Arctic (http://arcticmini.eu)
Justgiving - MINI to the Arctic 2008 (http://justgiving.com/minitothearctic)

Kent And East Sussex MINI club is dedicated to raising money for Leukaemia Research and has raised over £1,500 for the charity this year.

A few photos of my MINI suited up with Arctic MINI graphics:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2059/2735152341_cede5de5f7_t.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2059/2735152341_cede5de5f7_b.jpg) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/2735168651_b01cca1949_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbay/2735168651/sizes/l/) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2735160081_1f267acae6_t.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2735160081_1f267acae6_b.jpg) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2735989052_3d3ae22398_t.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2735989052_3d3ae22398_b.jpg)

That's brilliant guys :) Hope you have a fun and safe trip - keep us updated with progress :)

Thanks Soggy, will do :)

Cool Car! Great Idea! Good Luck...will follow your trip with interest!

man i would to do something like this, furthest i managed was john o groats
its like long way down and long way round but with a mini, you should take a camera man and make a tv program about it

all joking aside best of luck and have fun !!!!

Very best of luck guys - I know how you feel. My sister has just undergone a bone marrow transplant for the very same reason!

I had offered to arrange a similar run, but alas it seems that it is too adventurous for most.

There is plenty of information in the first post if you click on my sig.

I'll be reading your progress with interest.

Brilliant guys, have a fantastic and profitable adventure for Leukaemia Research

This will be a great trip.

We went to Nordkapp a few years ago, it was an amazing journey, beautiful scenery and some amazing roads, plus some roads that had a very poor road surface - be carefull of the subsidence, the easy way to spot it is by the black tyre marks AFTER the dip.

Have a fantastic adventure.

As the co-driver in this adventure, thanks for all your good wishes and we will be watching out for the subsidence!!

Harpo we hope your sister makes a speedy recovery and we should also say a special thank you to those people who donate their bone marrow, more often than not to strangers!

Unfortunately Im now too old (still cant believe it :( ) to go on to the register, but would if I could and would urge others to do so, it is absolute vital.

Best of luck and I hope it goes well - it's a great thing that you're doing :).

Do you know approx when (and were) you will be passing through Sweden?
New MINI Club Sweden has met up with some russians a couple of years back when they were passing through. Since you are passing through Sweden it would be great if we could accompany you a bit on the road.

Please let me know if you have got an approximate date (and location) of the trip through Sweden, maybe we can arrange something.

Thanks for your great response everyone. :) Thanks for the tip Snowie :eek: As mum said Harpo all the best to your sister and we hope she has a speedy recovery.

Picard - thanks, I love long way down/round as well and I'll do my best with the video camera, when I'm not driving :D

It would be great if we could meet up with some of you Fredrik, here is our schedule in Sweden. Is New MINI Club Sweden located in a particular part of Sweden or spread all over?

September 12th: Jevenstedt, Germany to Örserum, Sweden - 469 miles (7 hours 29 mins)
September 13th: Örserum, Sweden to Sundsvall, Sweden - 417 miles (7 hours 23 mins)
September 14th: Sundsvall, Sweden to Luleå, Sweden - 327 miles (6 hours 50 mins)
September 15th: Luleå, Sweden to Enontekiö, Finland - 247 miles (5 hours 51 mins)

We will also be traveling back through the bottom of Sweden on our way back, which I think will be September 26th.

It would be great if we could meet up with some of you Fredrik, here is our schedule in Sweden. Is New MINI Club Sweden located in a particular part of Sweden or spread all over?

September 12th: Jevenstedt, Germany to Örserum, Sweden - 469 miles (7 hours 29 mins)
September 13th: Örserum, Sweden to Sundsvall, Sweden - 417 miles (7 hours 23 mins)
September 14th: Sundsvall, Sweden to Luleå, Sweden - 327 miles (6 hours 50 mins)
September 15th: Luleå, Sweden to Enontekiö, Finland - 247 miles (5 hours 51 mins)

We will also be traveling back through the bottom of Sweden on our way back, which I think will be September 26th.

We are spread all over the country, naturally there is more of us in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, but I will check your planned route and see if we cant do a joint run with you, so you will have company with some Swedish MINIacs a part of the way.
I´ll get back to you in this thread in a few days :cool:

This sounds absolutely fantastic! :)

Good luck guys! :D

Brilliant Idea, all the best of luck and i'm sure you'll have a fanastic trip and raise lots of money.

Look forward to seeing the video and photo's. Are any of the mini mags covering your story ??

Thanks Fredrik look forward to hearing from you :)


Look forward to seeing the video and photo's. Are any of the mini mags covering your story ??

Thanks Scream - Modern MINI magazine should be featuring the trip later in the year :)

Have a great trip :) :cool:

Mini Me GB, have you planned to pass Stockholm when you are heading north in Sweden?
I am living just outside Stockholm, so I realized when looking at the map (Örserum - Sundsvall) that you will not pass Stockholm, is this correct?

Fredrik - we will be passing Stockholm when we go from Örserum to Sundsvall :) Have a look at our route: Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=%C3%96rserum,+Jonkoping,+Sweden&daddr=Sundsvall,+Sweden&mra=pe&mrcr=0&doflg=ptk&sll=60.493164,16.584539&sspn=8.915594,25.927734&ie=UTF8&ll=59.545457,15.117188&spn=4.579583,12.963867&z=7) Would be good to meet-up if possible.

Excellent, I will pull some strings and we´ll see what happens - I´ll get back as soon as I have any info :)

cant wait for the iphone tracking really hope you get this to work will be great seeing where you are

no one interested ??

well i am

check out this photo

what a road !!!!

are you guys back in blighty now? No pics, leaving the UK and heading home again ?

Hi all - thanks for your interest in our trip, sorry I've only just got round to posting on here but it's been a hectic week :rolleyes:

It was an amazing trip and the MINI did make it to the Arctic and some of the way back. Unfortunately up a mountain half way down Norway the alternator of my Cooper S caught fire and completely packed up so that was where the fun began :( After hours of phone calls to MINI assist she was taken to a Norwegian BMW dealership and we were given a rental car - the dealership couldn't get hold of an alternator from anywhere but Germany so it was decided the car would be sent back home on a low loader to be repaired in this country. Even worse news came when we visited the dealership to transfer some stuff from the rental car and the dealer admitted to damaging the door of my MINI in a workshop accident :eek:

So we were given a Volvo to drive from Norway to France and then travelled as foot passengers from Calais to Dover, meaning our epic MINI adventure ended up with us walking back into England :rolleyes: The MINI still sits in Norway but we are told it will be back by the middle of October - upon which the alternator will be replaced, door resprayed and it will need two new wheels (long story) and four new tyres :o

Anyway photos from our, mostly, amazing trip can be found at MINI to the Arctic - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbay/sets/72157607264409264/)

and all the stories at MINI to the Arctic (http://www.minitothearctic.com/)