Former soldier embarks on epic 2,500-mile skiing expedition in Antarctic

Ex-soldier Justin Packshaw (LEFT) and partner Jamie Facer-Childs
Handout
Sami Quadri12 November 2021

It is a dangerous trip that would frighten even the most daring adventurer.

Two British men will battle brutal conditions to reach one of the coldest places on earth in an 80-day skiing expedition in the Antarctic.

The intrepid explorers have set off on an arduous 1,100 mile trip to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility (POI).

The POI, which marks the centre of the Antarctic, is the most inhospitable part of the terrain and is the point furthest from any coast.

Ex-soldier Justin Packshaw and partner Jamie Facer-Childs flew by plane from Cape Town, South Africa, to Novo on Tuesday morning.

The duo set off on their journey on Friday, which will take them over ice crevasses, through glacier fields and on to the Antarctic ice plateau in freezing -50C conditions.

Once the centre of the continent is reached, the pair will set off on the second leg of the trip which will see them ski 560 miles to the South Pole before taking on a final 800-mile stretch to the coast.

Team leader Justin Packshaw, 56, from London, who has climbed Everest and is chairman of luxury adventure company Juro Experiences, said: “I’m super excited – the day before these things are always fraught because there is so much to do. As soon as we arrive in Antarctica, that’s it. You don’t have access to comms and you have to make sure you have all the right kit. My partner Jamie and I are as ready as we can be.”

They will receive no mechanical assistance, relying solely on their own man-power with only kites to aid them.

The aim of the expedition is to conduct research in collaboration with organisations including NASA, the European Space Agency and Stanford University.

Ex-soldier Justin Packshaw and partner Jamie Facer-Childs (both pictured) have set off on an 80-day skiing expedition in the Antarctic
Handout

Mr Packshaw added: “There’s two sides to the science – one is on the environment. We’ll be looking at radiation levels, UV levels and then general meteorology, so things like temperature and wind speed, ice levels and how the ice is, snow density, which we’ll be measuring every day.

“The next point is on our physiology and psychology. We’re probably up there with the most tested individuals on the planet at the moment – that is done with smart technology that we’re wearing which measures our heart rate and stress levels and sleep levels.

“We will also take samples of our blood, saliva, pee and poo once a week – we have been doing it for the past five months and will do it for the whole trip and four months after. Once all of that data is crunched it gives a huge amount of interesting stats…so from a scientific point of view the trip is going to be quite awesome.”

The pair have been recommended by doctors to stick to a gruelling 8000-calories a day diet.

Mr Packshaw says breakfast will consist of cereal or porridge, “lots of chocolate and nuts and pork scratchings” for lunch and a freeze-dried meal in the evening, which could be anything from spaghetti bolognaise or chili con carne, and a pudding for dessert.  They will also have two protein shakes each day – one in the morning and another in the evening.

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