Newsletter September

Contact:  Lance Ranger

Zug, September 2011 

Dear Friends, 

2011 Ranger Foundation School, Dog Sled Challenge Appeal

Well, I’m back.

When I last wrote to you, I was full of apprehension as to what lay ahead.

I had set myself the task of racing 500 frozen kilometers across the icy Arctic wilderness in “The World’s Northernmost Dog Sled Race”, the “Finnmarksloepet”.

Frankly, I had no idea how it would go. Indeed, I didn’t know whether my husky dog team and I would even finish the course. After all, I was a complete novice.

My mission was to raise awareness of, and funds for, our project… to construct a purpose-built school for physically disabled children on the island of Mauritius (where Curatus, our trust company is also based). This will raise the number of children that we can help from our present “building-limit” of approximately 25, to over 100.

In my last letter to you, I mentioned that we were in the process of acquiring land upon which to build. I am now delighted to confirm that the land is ours! The site is a two acre (9,000 square meters) plot situated not far from Port Louis (the capital of Mauritius) in a new semi-residential development called Pinewoods.   We have in the last month managed to acquire the land, exclusively through the generosity of Mauritian donors such as the Sugar Investment Trust on Mauritius itself.

Now we are hard at work on the architectural plans for a wheelchair-friendly school and therapy centre. It is the first such project of its kind on the island. The Ranger Foundation Centre will be a unique haven in Mauritius, a centre of excellence, where physically disabled children and young people can receive the special-needs school education and therapy that they so desperately need.

It may be that, in time, other such centres might develop on the island. I truly hope that will happen. However, for the foreseeable future, we are the only hope for these children. Without our care, they would languish at home or in government ‘shelters’, simply sidelined from participation in society.

I set out to raise 300,000 Swiss Francs which will be the approximate cost to build this centre.

I am delighted to confirm that we are over halfway towards reaching this target.

My dog team and I set off on the morning of Saturday, 12^th March at 11.51 a.m. I was so concerned about falling off the back of my sled and losing my dog team (which would mean instant disqualification) that I decided to tie myself to my sled throughout the race. Word got around about this amongst the other contestants and it was a point of great amusement, especially to the more experienced dog mushers. More on that later.

I was supported throughout the preparation for the race itself by Arne Karlstrøm and his lovely wife Marianne. They kindly loaned me the use of some of their strongest and most reliable husky dogs and then freely gave me the benefit of their immense experience in long-distance dog sled racing. Indeed Marianne Karlstrøm is the 2011 World Champion endurance dog sled racer over 400 kilometers. I would need all the advice I could get.

Arne gave up his own chance to take part in the race this year so that I could compete in the Finnmarksloepet together with Marianne (they don’t have enough racing dogs for three teams). Arne then acted as my “handler” throughout the race, ensuring that there was food and drink and a sleeping-bag ready for me at each checkpoint.

During the race itself, my “handlers” were responsible for my survival (definitely second priority!), but I had sole responsibility for the well-being of the dogs (our collective first priority). At each race checkpoint (6 in total) I would first fetch ice-cold water from the nearby frozen river or lake, then boil it over an open fire, mix the dog food and feed my team. Thereafter, my faithful huskies must be made comfortable (straw and blankets…yes really… for each individual canine member of my team). Then, I must tend to their tired paws (although the huskies wear booties on each foot, their paws do still get a lot of ‘wear and tear’ during the race) by applying soothing zinc ‘baby lotion’ (which would then often be licked off by said hound!).

Once my dogs were fully settled, I could eat and get some rest.

The race is “fastest to the finish line.” However, each team must take at least 20 hours of obligatory ‘rest-stops’ at the checkpoints. This is essential for the dogs to adequately rest and therefore be sufficiently refreshed to take on each new section of the race.

My first ‘leg’ of the race was    v  e  r  y    slow.

I was strongly advised to take it really easy on the first leg… This is a marathon race (in fact TEN marathon races end-to-end) and our dogs would need to warm-up during the initial stages of the race, to prepare for the long trail ahead. I did what I was told and, after the start, steadily dropped back from my starting position (number 51) so as to arrive, the 67^th team into the first checkpoint. However, having started so slowly, my dogs were still very fresh and we ploughed-on, straight through the first checkpoint, passing at least five (stalled) teams (some of whom had merrily whizzed past me during the first 50 kilometers). We then accelerated into the second leg and started the slow process of overhauling other teams, to claw back our position in the race. 

The rest of the trail passed in a mad rush of images; struggling up steep mountains, summiting rocky passes during the nights, crossing frozen lakes in bright sunshine, and hurtling down steep hillsides at breakneck speed in the darkness, before the final push for the Finish Line. In all, I passed a total of 40 other teams to finish 27^th, out of 74 starters, at 21.19 on Monday night.

Marianne Karlstrøm finished in second place, approximately 5 ½  hours ahead of me.

I rested my dogs a total of 22 ½ hours, some 2 ½ hours longer than the minimum time allowed.  When I checked my actual ‘moving-time’ (the time that we were actually underway) we were the 15^th  fastest team. During the course of the several nights and days of the race, I overtook some very dour and very serious competitors and, I believe, gained some recognition and respect for our collective achievement. People generally stopped laughing about that life-line, tying me to my sled, as I went past them. 

As I write this letter, I am looking out of the window at sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. I am returning home from a business trip to Canada and the dawn light reminds me vividly of the light on that Sunday morning, after my first full night on the trail. As the Arctic night gave way to the first rays of the new day, I felt a surge of power to continue on my way. To reach my personal Finish Line, and to raise the funds necessary to build our school.

What drove me on through those darkest hours, when the trail was “Berg auf”… literally “up the mountain”, and the dogs wouldn’t go unless I ran alongside them (and there were plenty of such times), was the fear that our sponsors might not feel inclined to support this project if I wasn’t prepared to give it everything I had.

That fear accompanied me to the very end of the race.

I am therefore grateful for every Pound Shilling and Penny, every Euro, every Dollar, every Franc and every Rupee that our supporters pledge to this worthwhile project. It all goes to help these children. There are no “office” administration costs. Those are all paid for by me, Attendus and Curatus.

We are these childrens’ life-line.

I repeat. Without your participation, The Ranger Foundation could not do what we do. This is your project.  I am just a lens that concentrates your ‘light’. The brighter it shines, the more we can help.

Thank you for your kindness in supporting our work.  Whether you give moral support or financial support, it all helps.

The Ranger Foundation will continue to improve the quality of these childrens’ lives, so that someday, maybe, they will be able to help others as we are helping them.   

Yours truly,

Lance D Ranger