Tri-Service

Antarctic Expedition Reaches South Pole For Christmas

A group of six Army reservists undertaking an Antarctic traverse have passed a major milestone, after reaching the South Pole on Christmas Day.

The group are making the journey in honour of their friend and colleague, SAS officer Henry Worsley, who died last year after attempting the same expedition, solo.

The group set off from the coast of Antarctica in an attempt to complete a 1,100-mile coast-to-coast crossing in Henry's memory.

Unfortunately, when attempting the mission himself last year, Henry fell just 30 miles short of his target and sadly died after being airlifted to Chile.

The Spear 17 team is made up of six Army reservists aged between 24 and 47. They plan to hold a memorial service at the point where Henry was unable to continue.

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

Speaking on their Facebook Page, team member Ollie Stoten said of their Christmas arrival:

"Rolling into the South Pole on Christmas Day was incredible.
"We had a great reception from ALE [Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions, a company that provides expedition support and tours to the interior of Antarctica], putting on a big Christmas dinner for about 30 of us all crammed into the tent at the Pole, it was quite something to remember."

"They've looked after us very well for the last few days while we've been resting, and eating, and we've all been hugely thankful to ALE for putting us up."

But the trip hasn't been without its difficulties. Earlier in the week the team announced that one member, Alun George, would be unable to continue due to a number of health concerns. Fellow team member Lou Rudd made the announcement via Facebook, saying:

"Alun will not be in a position to carry on with the team on the second leg of the expedition."

"All the team members have had extensive medical assessments, and it's come to light that Al has lost a significant amount of body weight, but more importantly, he's lost a huge amount of muscle mass, which has significantly weakened him.

"To this end, primarily for medical reasons, he will be unable, and it would be unsafe for him to continue on the second phase of the expedition, which is a further 400 miles with a lot of climbing."

Understandably, the team are on high alert for any health concerns following the death of Henry last year.

The post continues, with Lou speaking of his admiration for Alun's determination in the first leg of the expedition, saying:

"I've been nothing but impressed by Al's performance on this first leg of the journey and he gone through extreme hardship but has always had a smile on his face and has always had complete resolve and his personal disciple has been beyond measure and he's put in an absolutely superb performance."