To the poles without a beard - Catharine Hartley

The simultaneously hilarious and awe-inspiring story of a Chardonnay-quaffing media worker who became the first British woman to trek to the South and North Poles. WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN VENTURING TO THE POLES (especially when you're the first British woman to try it) * Decide to take up the challange in a haze of alchohol one New Year's Eve * Crash the BBC global email system with your fundraising requests * Do no training whatsoever prior to departure, except the odd aerobics class * Pack 300 Malboro Lights into your sled * Fail to put on the requisite 3 stone to help stave off cold and hunger * Forget to buy any gloves so stop off at Snow and Rock on High St Ken for some on the way to the airport * Ignore finger going black with frostbite to avoid making a fuss * Get so drunk in the plane to the North Pole that Canada refuses you entry as an undesirable alien * Forget to eat or sleep for three days before setting off Catharine Hartley did all these things and still made it to both poles. TO THE POLES WITHOUT A BEARD tells her hilarious and incredible story.