Royals

Harry heads for polar trek starting line

The 29-year-old royal has left the base camp where he and a team of injured servicemen and women, also completing the charity trek, have been snowed in since late last week.

The crew have left for the starting line of the 16-day charity trek as blizzard condition settle and they prepare to march on through -45C temperatures and snow storms.

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said Harry and his team had arrived at the first stage of their 330km journey.

“Prince Harry and half of the Walking With The Wounded teams have left Novo today for their second base camp at 87 degrees south,” a statement from the Palace read.

“The rest of the teams will leave Novo tomorrow to join them, where they will all spend a few days acclimatising to the altitude and colder temperatures.”

The race between three teams is due to start on November 30. Harry will journey to world’s southern-most point with his 12 colleagues.

Prince Harry is well-prepared for the gruelling journey, facing temperatures as low as -45C. He spent weeks in preparation, including 24 hours in an ice chamber, and sustained a broken toe on the way which he described in an interview as “a massive fail”.

The helicopter pilot is joined by twelve servicemen and women who have lost limbs during battle.

In his first interview from Antarctica yesterday, Harry shared his admiration for his teammates.

“Every single person who takes part in this challenge is extraordinary,” he said.

“The fact these guys have made it to this point is extraordinary and I count myself incredibly lucky to be a part of it.”

Harry is patron of the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge, and will race more than 330km to the South Pole to raise funds for military charities.

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