The Commonwealth wishes Sir Ranulph Fiennes a speedy recovery after the explorer had to withdraw from the first-ever Winter crossing of Antarctica after developing a case of frostbite.
‘The Coldest Journey’ said Sir Ranulph very reluctantly decided to withdraw in the interests of the success of the expedition and its associated aims. The team is now working towards evacuating him from Antarctica.
The remaining expedition members have unanimously elected to continue with the Commonwealth-flagged expedition to enable new scientific research on climate change and its impact on the polar regions. It also aims to raise US$10 million for 'Seeing is Believing' - an international initiative to combat preventative blindness, which operates in 15 Commonwealth developing countries.
The team have reached the point where they can readily establish a supply depot on the Antarctic plateau, which puts them in an excellent position to start the crossing as scheduled on 21 March.
As soon as his injuries permit, Sir Ranulph will continue to support 'The Coldest Journey' by fundraising and promoting awareness of ‘Seeing is Believing’.