Feature

The Antarctic Expedition Honouring A Fallen Soldier

A year ago, explorer and former SAS officer Henry Worsley embarked on an expedition no person had succeeded in before.

Setting off from the coast of Antarctica, he was attempting to become the first man to complete an unsupported coast-to-coast crossing of the Antarctic, and in the process finish Sir Ernest Shackleton’s trans-Antarctic route.

Unfortunately, Henry fell just 30 miles short of his target and sadly died after being airlifted to Chile.

Now, a group of six army reservists is honouring Henry Worsley's memory by undertaking an Antarctic traverse of their own, using his own compass.

The Spear 17 team is made up of six Army reservists aged between 24 and 47, who will attempt to trek 1,100 miles across the polar continent to the South Pole.

They will then go on to complete a full traverse of Antarctica, and finish Henry's challenge in the process.

At the point where Henry was forced to abandon his journey, the group will hold a memorial service.

Sergeant Major Lou Rudd, leader of the expedition, was a close friend of Henry, and the two men trekked together to the South Pole in 2011.

The feat, which has only been achieved by six people so far, hopes to raise £100,000 for ABF The Soldiers' Charity.

A full traverse of Antarctica has never been attempted by an Army Reserves team before.

They expect to complete the full traverse by the end of January, after being dropped on the Antarctica coastline by ski plane in November.

Each man will be hauling an individual pulk - a type of sledge without runners - weighing around 160kg (350lb), which will contain everything they need to survive for three months.

The team will be completely self-sufficient and aren't intending to receive any form of resupply or outside assistance until they reach the Pole.

Challenges along the way will include harsh polar weather, crevasses, whiteout conditions, a climb from sea level to 10,000ft, isolation from the outside world and the mental and physical battle of hauling their pulks across the ice

Antarctica is the coldest (-93°C), windiest and most inhospitable place on the planet.

Each reservist will burn off around 10,000 calories a day, with 10 hours of non-stop trekking every 24 hours.