Karrimor SF is sponsoring Sir Ranulph Fiennes expedition The Coldest Journey, the first ever attempt to cross the Antarctic during the polar winter. The expedition is going to be led by 'the world's greatest living explorer' (Sir Ranulph Fiennes) and will begin on 06 DED 12, when all involved with depart England for the Lazarev Sea coast in Antarctica.This crossing has been described as the "last major remaining polar challenge" since a Norwegian team succeeded in a winter crossing of the Arctic recently. For more about Sir Ranulph Fiennes' perspective on what is and is not possible, read down to the video and watch it...you'll find his words have an application to the noble profession of arms.
The Coldest Journey traverse will take place between the two seasonal equinoxes (21 MAR to 21 SEP) with the team traveling from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya to Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s base at McMurdo Sound on the Ross Sea - through the Antarctic winter. Over the course of their 6 month expedition, the team will travel over 2,000 miles, mostly in complete darkness in temperatures reaching as low as 130 degrees below zero. They'll be attempting a number of scientific tasks during the crossing to gather data on glaciology, marine life, oceanography and meteorology.Previously the longest such expedition was the unsuccessful attempt by Capt. Scott, in 1911. It reached sixty miles.
The ultimate goal of The Coldest Journey is to raise money for Seeing is Believing, a collaborative charity between the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and Standard Chartered. The overall goal is to raise $10 million (US).
Now, about Sir Ranulph Fiennes. If you like Bear Grylls or Les Stroud, you are going to love this guy. I don't know why the haven't made a movie about this guy or inducted him into the Justice League. You'll see why.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes was born in the UK in '44 (that's right; he's leading this expedition in his 60s), he grew up in South Africa and served in the Royal Scots Greys during the Cold War years (his father's regiment, now part of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; his father was killed in WWII), followed by service in the 22ND Regiment SAS beginning in 1965. At one time he was the youngest Captain in the British Army, and for two years in the late 60s was attached to the Sultan of Oman's forces, where he received the Sultan's Bravery Medal from Her Majesty the Queen.
He has several major expeditions and accomplishments under his belt. He and his wife and Charles Burton were the first to reach both the Poles...they were the first to the cross Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean and the first to circumnavigate the world along its polar axis. He led the first hovercraft expedition up the Nile (the longest river in the world) in '68-'69 and in '90 achieved the world record for unsupported northerly polar travel. In '92 he led the team that finally discovered the lost city of Ubar (after seven previously unsuccessful expeditions over a quarter of a century).
In '92-'93 he set another world record by completing the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Continent with Mike Stroud. This was the longest unsupported polar journey in history. In 2003 he suffered a massive heart attack, was in a coma for three days and had a double bypass surgery. Just three and a half months later he completed the first '7 x 7 x 7 Marathon Series'. The 7 x 7 x 7 is a series of seven marathons on seven consecutive days on each of the seven continents.
You read that right.
He climbed Everest in '05 from the Tibetan side (to within 30m of the summit) to rise money for the British Heart Foundation and climbed the North Face of the Eiger in '07 to raise money for an
other charity. In '08 he climbed Everest from the Nepal side to within 400m of the summit to benefit another charity. Then in May '09 he successfully reached the summit of Everest - the oldest Briton ever to do so - raising another several million dollars.
%embed1%
I think the fact that Sir Fiennes chose Karrimor SF to provide part of his kit speaks volumes about their gear. I'll find out what gear he's choosing specifically as soon as I can.
If you're interested, you might Like and watch the Karrimor SF Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/karrimorsf). I have it on good authority they will be giving a pack away later this week.
Karrimor SF's distributor in the US is Grey Ghost Gear.
