Alarmist kayaker Lewis Gordon Pugh is almost literally freezing his butt off

Polar Defense Project

My split feelings about this news remind me of another paradox of my expedition up here - the fact that I am spending my days paddling in ice-cold water, with a frozen, painful backside, trying to bring to the attention of the world and its leaders the necessity of stopping the world heating up.

Sam Branson's Arctic diary - mirror.co.uk

[Sept 1:] Travel this morning was tough. The temperature has dropped dramatically and each time the guys get in the water in is a notch harder. We are starting to see larger chunks of ice, which instead of weaving through, they have to paddle around. The occasional chunk hits the bow of the ship sending small pieces out to the side into the route of travel for our paddlers. One nearly knocked Lewis of his kayak. The water is now below zero and a spill could be quite painful. The moving water by the feet of the guys has started to freeze and this could take a toll on their much needed warmth. I know that Robbie has been struggling with his toes.
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[Aug 31:] The ship is noticeably colder and we are all wearing an extra layer. I have been on deck loading the kayaks and boats back onto the ship. The water soaked ropes seep moisture into your gloves and it saps the heat from my hands fast. I can only imagine what it is like for Lewis and Robbie holding on to a cold paddle with waves crashing over them. The first thing Lewis said when he got back in was 'I can't feel my backside!'
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[Aug 28:] Some may know this place from the book 'The northern lights' by Phillip Pullman, where he calls it, 'The land of the ice bears'. From what I've heard, this name could not be closer to the truth. The boat we are on has just returned from a trip in the ice and along the way they encountered eighty eight bears.

The Support Boat - 300-ton fossil-fueled MV Havsel

The support boat we loaded our kit onto is not the QE2. She is an old fishing boat called MV ‘Havsel’ - this means ‘ocean seal’ in Norwegian. She is a tough, grubby, working boat with a strengthened hull and a big engine for a boat of her size - she will perform very well up in the pack ice.

9/3/08 update: The team is already "stuck" in the ice at around 80.5 degrees N.