Could You Do This? Teacher Aims To Break Record In ‘Loneliest Place In The World’

A Scottish science teacher aims to break a record by staying on a barren rock in the Atlantic Ocean named Rockall. The islet is considered the “loneliest place in the world,” and is located 230 miles from the nearest inhabited place in the Outer Hebrides. Read on to find out more about Chris Cameron, 53, and his plans to break a record in aid of charity.

Teacher aims for record stay on remote Rockall

Rockall is the summit of an extinct volcano and is an inhospitable lump of granite, set in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, the nearest inhabited islet is 230 miles away in the Outer Hebrides. There are no buildings on the rock, which is totally exposed to the elements.

Scottish science teacher Chris Cameron, 53, is an adventurer and is planning a two-month solo stay on Rockall. In fact, he hopes to break the current record for the islet in order to raise money for charity.

Stuck out in the ocean, northwest of Scotland, the islet is set in fishing grounds over which there are ongoing territorial disputes between Ireland and the UK. However, British ownership was established in 1955.

The previous record was set by Nick Hancock from Edinburgh in 2014. However, while he had also planned to stay there for 60 days, bad weather conditions led to him losing essential supplies, leading to an early exit from the islet. This is likely why Cameron is making his expedition during the warmer months. Still, the weather can be pretty bad out there in the Atlantic at any time of year.

What led Cameron to want to break the record?

The first person to occupy the rock was a SAS officer, Tom McClean, who stayed there for 40 days in 1985. It was his efforts that attracted the Scottish teacher to try to beat the record. However, he won’t be solo all the time, as he will initially have two companions, a radio expert and a mountaineer. They will stay with him for the first seven to 10 days of his expedition.

One is Adrian “Nobby” Styles, the radio operator, who will share Cameron’s small survival pod. The other, Emil Bergmann, is a Bulgarian mountaineer and radio ham. He plans to sleep outside on a hanging platform known as a portaledge. Reportedly, these are used by mountaineers to sleep while dangling off cliffs. However, should a storm hit, all three men will have to squeeze into Cameron’s pod. According to the science teacher, “It’s comfy for two people; very, very crowded for three.”

Remote stay on Rockall for charity

Cameron is a former soldier in the Gordon Highlanders and plans to raise £50,000 ($62,190) for three military charities. In fact, the money will go to The Royal Navy, The Royal Marines and ABF Soldiers’ Charity.

According to the science teacher, he sees his solitary stay as a tribute to military personnel who often spend long periods away from home. However, he also wants to make a positive impact in a world where people were left feeling isolated and lonely during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

“The COVID lockdowns made me feel remote, isolated and alone,” he said, adding, “It just got me thinking. Can I challenge myself further and do some good.”

While making his plans, Rockall popped up as the “most isolated, loneliest place in the world.” Cameron added that he will challenge himself to do something “uncomfortable and really difficult” which is why only five people have stayed on the rock for any length of time.

According to The Guardian, the three men will reach Rockall on a chartered, 60-ft yacht, the Taeping, that will stay in the area for the first week. At that time, the yacht will return Styles and Bergmann to the mainland, leaving Cameron all alone.

He will have supplies, a laptop, a VHF radio and an Iridium satellite terminal to use as a Wi-Fi router. Meanwhile, he will also have a small solar panel to ensure his battery packs stay fully charged.

We wish him good luck as he sails later this week. Learn more about Rockall in the video included here.

Reader, could you see yourself taking an extended stay in a remote place in the world? Let us know by dropping a comment below.