Local Explorer Chosen by The National Maritime Museum to Represent the Modern Face of Polar Exploration
Polar Explorer, Jim McNeill, of Ascot and Ice Warrior
The centuries-old British endeavour to find the 'passage round the pole' is revealed with the opening of The North-West Passage: An Arctic Obsession at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. 
This fascinating exhibition brings together items from the Museum's extensive polar exhibitions and reveals why British explorers continually attempted to cross the Arctic. This exhibition also examines why the eyes of the world are turning to the region again today. The museum are displaying the kit and equipment used by polar explorer, Jim McNeill of Ascot, when on expedition, with a podcast from Jim explaining what happened when he fell into the ice whilst on a solo expedition to the Arctic Pole.
Free admission – open until January 2010
About Ice Warrior 
Ice Warrior is a long term project encompassing all those gutsy, traditional aspects of pioneering that were present during the days of the Golden Era of exploration but brings them into the 21st century, offering ordinary people the opportunity to train and take part in polar expeditions of a life changing nature.
Our participants conduct scientific investigations into the physiology and psychology of operating in the world’s wildest and extreme regions and help to develop a larger margin of safety for those that work and live in such environments by working on survival and rescue equipment, procedures and protocols. And we fly the flag of SPARKS children's charity.
To support Ice Warrior and SPARKS or to find out how to join an expedition visit www.ice-warrior.com or contact Jim on 01344 883861
Our participants conduct scientific investigations into the physiology and psychology of operating in the world’s wildest and extreme regions and help to develop a larger margin of safety for those that work and live in such environments by working on survival and rescue equipment, procedures and protocols. And we fly the flag of SPARKS children's charity.
To support Ice Warrior and SPARKS or to find out how to join an expedition visit www.ice-warrior.com or contact Jim on 01344 883861
Media Articles –
Culture 24 Article by Adam Stapleton - http://www.culture24.org.uk/history/art69053
.............. However modern explorers face new challenges, as highlighted by the “The North Today” section global warming is seriously affecting the Arctic. This poses new challenges to explorers as the ice is now changing and can often be extremely dangerous as Jim McNeill found out when he fell through the ice in Baffin Island and was only save by the buoyancy of the Natural fibres he was wearing. The full story including interview can be seen in the exhibition.
Timesonline Article by Benedict Allen - http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6295351.ece
............... Modern exploration boots belonging to Jim McNeill, of the Ice Warrior polar project A half-inch felt undersole insulates this boot. They’re great at stopping water because the lower boot is rubber, like a gumboot, which acts like the Inuit sealskin waterproofing. But wearing these you clump along like an alien — you feel separated from your environment. The great thing about indigenous materials is that they’re silent and you feel as if you belong in the place. You somehow feel you have more of a right to be there.
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