Sir Ranulph Fiennes a complete nutter !

At 68 years of age, an age when most men are shuffling around in carpet slippers and sipping from a mug of cocoa, before turning in for another early night,  Sir Ranulph Fiennes is planning to schlep 2000 miles across the Antarctic in winter. With temperatures plunging as low as -92C, (average home freezer temp - 20c) that seems pretty cold to me, not to mention winds of up to a hundred miles an hour. There is no doubt about it Fiennes is a complete nutter. Remember, this is the man who four months after a heart attack and double heart bypass surgery ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Back in May 2009 he became the oldest man ever to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. As I say a nutter, but a glorious nutter, over our history we have had some great nutters, Nelson, Churchill, Shackleton et al. We need more nutters but they are a dying breed. Where have all the great leaders gone ? Today we have the dynamic duo, the chinless wonders Dave and Nick. Can you see those two putting up two fingers to Hitler and the largest and most powerful Army in history.

“It is the latest feat of endurance by the explorer who is hoping to raise $10 million (£6.2 million) for Seeing is Believing, a blindness charity. Sir Ranulph will lead on foot with a skiing partner, but will be followed by two bulldozers hauling industrial sledges packed with the crew's living quarters, supplies, fuel and a science lab.

The large amount of kit is necessary because the British government demands that any Antarctic expedition is self-sufficient. Sir Ranulph was speaking as he prepared to set sail on a month-long journey from the Thames to Antarctica.”

Let’s hope he and his team completes their mission and return safe and well. It will be great tracking their progress, from the comfort of my warm armchair, sipping a mug of cocoa, admiring my usual Christmas present, yet more slippers.

Eddie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranulph_Fiennes

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/antarctica/9726512/Fears-of-Sir-Ranulph-Fiennes-ahead-of-lung-bursting-impossible-journey-across-Antarctica.html