February 2013

With the Ice Team getting on with their task at hand on the ice, Ran was today getting on with his task at hand – namely, his hand. After arriving safely in Cape Town this morning he was whisked away to an undisclosed medical facility for assessment and treatment. He is now recuperating in private until his return to the UK. Earlier today he released the following statement:”I have undergone a…

By Ian Prickett. Many people out there may well believe that The Coldest Journey is all but over due to the injury Ran sustained whilst skiing and his subsequent withdrawal from the expedition. For five people still in Antarctica, it is far from over. We are still giving our all towards being the first people ever to cross the continent in winter, something never before even attempted. We ar…

By Hugh Bowing. After what seems like an eternity waiting for the weather to improve, Ran was finally able to begin his long journey home in the early hours of this morning. Despite winds still up at around 20knots and temperatures at -18c, he set off with a team from the Belgian International Polar Foundation who had managed to reach the Ice Train at around 6am their time (8am GMT). The plan on…

Sir Ranulph Fiennes was been picked up from the Ice Train’s overnight camp this morning by the Belgians from Princess Elisabeth Station and is on his way there now. Weather permitting he will be flown to Novo later today, and once there will await a further flight to take him to Cape Town. In a fond farewell to his teammates today he told them he was unhappy to be leaving them on the ice. We w…

Dear All, Below is the official line on the latest from Antarctica. This is what is being sent to the media around the world right now. We will be keeping our Facebook page, Twitter feed and website up to date with all of these latest announcements, as well as additional blogs, images and footage, making this the place to visit for all the latest for expedition news and Ran’s journey home.

Thank you to all of our well-wishers on this difficult day, your continued support means a tremendous amount to the entire team both in Antarctica and in the UK. Sir Ranulph’s departure from the ice will be the first of no doubt many trials the Ice Team will have to surmount in coming months if they are to succeed in this epic challenge. They are a strong and experienced group, and those of us…

We regret to announce that Sir Ranulph Fiennes has developed a case of frostbite. The condition is such that he has very reluctantly decided with the support of the team doctor and in the interests of the success of the expedition and its associated aims, to withdraw from Antarctica while the possibility to do so still exists, before the onset of the Antarctic winter. This decision has not been…

It’s been a tough couple of days for the Ice Team as they have had to deal with steep ascents in their bid to make a fuel depot high up on the Antarctic continent. Today, they have also been having to make extensive use of the ground penetrating rader to ensure safe passage through a heavily crevassed area and only managed to haul their load 7km. Currently the Ice Train is split, as the team…