Two girls from Brunei, Aniza (19) and Era (25), are currently undergoing training/selection in Scandinavia. Only one will go through for the Commonwealth Women’s Expedition to Antarctica.

If successful either Aniza or Era will become THE FIRST PERSON from Brunei to go to the South Pole.

However, the expedition is about more than national records. As well as marking the 60th anniversary year of the Commonwealth, the expedition hopes to demonstrate the potential of greater intercultural dialogue and celebrate the achievements of women Worldwide.

In case you didn’t know, Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region in Northern Europe including the Scandinavian Peninsula and consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The training promises to be a tough one. It reminds me of my first time hiking the Great Glen Way in Scotland. It was a hundred something kilometer trip through the majestic mountains of Scotland along the coast of Loch Ness.

It’s nothing like the Appalachian trail but it was tough because it was my first time. Even though we had a boy Scout leader with us, we still broke a lot of rules like building a fire where we’re probably not supposed to, sleeping on a slope with a fire burning a meter or two from our makeshift tent, using cotton clothing that turned soaking wet when you’re on the move, sweating and more. A balaclava would have helped in dealing with the cold at that time.

It was tough experience but this one will be at least 10 times worse.

For one, the girls will be camping in tents ON ICE. When you sleep in a sleeping bag you will lose most of the heat you need from the ground. That’s why a lot of us use air mattresses or self-inflating pads some even use leaves for further insulation. There are no leaves in Antarctica from what I’ve heard.

What about fires? Well good luck in finding fuel for that. They’ll have to rely on camp stoves.

There’s a good chance though that Aniza will make the selection because she’s in pretty good shape and has a least some backpacking experience.

The other girl, Era, is said to have no experience backpacking at all but she ran the Brunei Marathon in 2005 and won 8th place at the Bukit Shahbandar Challenge. Still, both will require serious training, much more than probably anything they’ve undergone before. It will be one to remember.

The Brunei Adventure and Recreation Association (BARA) has done a lot in preparing these girls for the training and they’ve been instrumental in the girls’ fundraising efforts organized by Aniza and team.

There’s a lack of support though from local companies. Maybe they don’t believe that publicity is good for business.

The training will begin late evening Saturday in Hardangervidda, Norway.

The formal launch of the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition will be held at the Royal Commonwealth Society on Tuesday 10th March where the final expedition team of 8 women will be announced and introduced.

Braving blizzards and sub-zero temperatures may not be your idea of fun but I’m sure that being the first person from a country to go to the South Pole is a big deal and will surely be an experience both girls will never forget.

Good luck Polar Girls and have fun!