“The 1,000km mark was a huge emotional milestone for us. We have one more degree to deliver the mission to the South Pole. Still no easy feat but the Commando Spirit is strong.
Now we have crossed this point we would love people to donate 1,000 pennies each – the price of a pint of good Guinness in central London! This will greatly boost the fundraising our final push to the South Pole.”
Former Royal Marines, Alan Chambers MBE and Dave Thomas reached the monumental 1,000 km point on their unassisted journey from Hercules Inlet to the geographic South Pole this weekend (Saturday 13th January 2024) meaning they now have ‘just’ 130 gruelling kilometres left to go on their 1,130km Mission Spiritus Antarctica expedition.
They will have been on the ice for close to two months when, weather permitting, they reach their destination on or around 19th January 2024 having dragged heavily laden sleds with all their food, fuel and stores for the 54+ day trek.
There will be extra reason to celebrate their arrival there, too, as Welshman Dave from Port Talbot – at the age of 68 years and one month – will set a new Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest person to reach the South Pole unassisted, beating the previous record by an impressive four years!
On reaching the 1,000 km point, Alan – who is a fellow of the Explorers Club NYC – flew one of its most treasured flags. This is one that was first awarded to an expedition heading to the Philippines in 1940 and since then has been around the world. It was awarded to the team and the expedition by the Club’s President.
The flag is a symbol of courage and fidelity – two of the characters of a Royal Marines Commando – which ties in nicely with the expedition also raising vital funds for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity.
Having now reached the polar plateau and with the steepest part of the journey behind them, progress remains a brutal challenge. This is the centre of Antarctica, often described as ‘the highest, coldest, windiest and iciest land mass on the planet, an inhospitable wasteland’ lying at 2,800m above sea level where summer temperatures fluctuate from highs of -23 to lows of -28 degrees and where a frigid light breeze can easily plummet temperatures into the -30’s.
The past few days have been dogged by fresh new snow on an icy base layer, but the snow is not the ‘gliding’ type for fast travel, dragging heavily on the sleds and skis. The constant endurance of the daily toil, mental strain and precise concentration needed over the final kilometres is energy sapping on now very tired bodies.
Mission Spiritus Antarctica is a multi-faceted polar scientific expedition undertaking research into the global impact of nano plastics on behalf of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and the effects sensory deprivation has on the body in prolonged remote climates in conjunction with Manchester Met University.
The team used the 1,000km milestone to thank their many friends who helped fund the expedition and its visible sponsors together with their families and all those who continue to support them and who have provided some all-important encouragement and moral support.
They said: “MS has been two years in the making, planning, organising, training and fundraising and it has been a monumental effort just to get to the start point. It would not have happened if our wonderful sponsors, families and supporters didn’t believe in our mission.”
MS has been two years in the making, planning, organising, training and fundraising and it has been a monumental effort just to get to the start point. It would not have happened if our wonderful sponsors, families and supporters didn’t believe in our mission.”