BAFTA is perhaps best known for the glitterati, pomp and ceremony of the annual showbiz awards, but last week it played host to a much more significant event; the launch of the Spirit of Endurance expedition. In simple terms, one very brave man with his world packed on a sledge, trekking on skis over 1000 miles across the incredibly inhospitable vastness of the Antarctic! As if that was not enough, he will be alone, unsupported or re-supplied — a feat never yet achieved. Capt Louis Rudd MBE (honour awarded on the same day!) sets out this week for Chile before the epic journey starts by mid November. Along with Shakleton, a headline sponsor and many other sponsors, friends and families, including the Team Army Sports Foundation who have helped support this awesome challenge, it was the chance to hear what is expected over the next weeks, the months of preparations and training and of course to launch Lou off with our very best wishes for success and a safe return.
We join the others in shear awe at the enormity of the challenge that lies ahead and cannot wait to see Lou reach the finish line some 75 days later. Team Army has proudly joined others in sponsoring Lou in this attempt to be the first to succeed where others have failed and our intention is to have a link on this webpage to pick up his daily live feeds and track his progress.
Good Luck Lou!
In mid-November, Captain Louis Rudd MBE will set-off from Hercules Inlet in the Weddell Sea on a journey into Antarctica’s known unknown. He will do so alone. For over two months and more than 1,500 kilometres, he’ll go head-to-head with nature’s most brutal and inhospitable environment. Temperatures will drop as low as -50C. Winds will gust upwards of 100mph. The elevation above sea level will reach 10,000ft. His ultimate aim, to be the first person to cross the continent without assistance and without support.
On average, Rudd will ski for ten to 12 hours a day in 70-minute shifts before allowing himself five-minute breaks. As he reduces his load by working through his meal supplies, he’ll gradually increase his daily mileage. On a good day, he’ll cover 13 miles. To power himself, he’ll consume around 6,500 calories a day. It may sound like a lot, but given he’s burning over 10,000 calories a day, approximately the same as a rider on the Tour de France, extreme weight loss is inevitable. For further information visit https://shackletonlondon.com/blogs/blog/expedition