Well THIS Man Is An Island
Scott plans 60-day stay on deserted rock
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Nick Hancock is ready to rock. The Scottish adventurer and former Officer Training Corps cadet is headed to the Rockall islet, the most isolated rock in British waters, located 260 miles west of Scotland’s Western Isles. He hopes to stay there—alone—for 60 days and set a new record for Rockall occupation. Three Greenpeace campaigners hold the current 42-day record; Tom McClean set the solo occupation record in 1985 with a 40-day stay.
According to the Guardian, Hancock was forced to abandon his first attempt last June when heavy seas prevented his attempts to land on the rock, a sharp, steep-sided remnant of an ancient volcano submerged in the North Atlantic.
Although Hancock made his intentions clear for a second endeavor, his exact attempt date was unsure due to weather, until he tweeted, “Going to #Rockall soon! Feeling strong, confident & ready.”
Hancock will spend his 60 days on Hall’s Ledge. A mere 11 feet by 4 feet, it’s the only area of Rockall that can be occupied. He plans on using Skype to communicate with his wife, Pamela, and their two-year-old son, Freddie, the Scotsman reported. His survival pod, called the RockPod, created from an eight-foot yellow water tank, stores dehydrated army rations and fresh water, and uses a small wind turbine and solar panels to charge his satellite communications. To complete the initial climb up the face of the rock and haul the RockPod, Hancock says he has been practicing winching and strength training.
Hancock hopes to raise 10,000 pounds, nearly $17,000, for the Help for Heroes charity.