Prince Harry and wounded servicemen get a big send-off from Trafalgar Square on their epic race to the South Pole (and they hope to be there in time for Christmas!)

  • The 29-year-old royal and his team of adventurers will travel 208 miles
  • It is part of the Walking With The Wounded challenge
  • Harry's participation in the challenge is one of his toughest tests yet

By Leon Watson

PUBLISHED: 08:55 EST, 14 November 2013 | UPDATED: 13:46 EST, 14 November 2013


Prince Harry and the wounded servicemen and women he is trekking to the South Pole with got a warm send off for their gruelling charity race today.

The 29-year-old royal and his team of adventurers were at London's Trafalgar Square before the start of the 208-mile Walking With The Wounded challenge.

The group are due to fly to Cape Town, in South Africa, on Sunday before moving on to Antarctica two days later.

Although he has always been the 'action man' of the royal family, Harry's participation in the challenge is one of his toughest tests yet.

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Prince Harry today hailed the courage of 12 wounded servicemen and women who are about to race each other across Antarctica

Prince Harry today hailed the courage of 12 wounded servicemen and women who are about to race each other across Antarctica

Gruelling trip: Prince Harry was in London's Trafalgar Square
The 29-year-old royal and his team of adventurers were at London's Trafalgar Square before the start of the 208-mile Walking With The Wounded challenge.

'Action man': Prince Harry (pictured) and his team of adventurers were at London's Trafalgar Square before the start of the 208-mile Walking With The Wounded challenge

Harry, who will take time off from his job as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps to compete, will be part of a five-strong team of Britons

Harry, who will take time off from his job as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps to compete, will be part of a five-strong team of Britons

He told the Walking with the Wounded departure event the expedition will prove 'even when you've lost a leg or lost an arm, or whatever the illness may be, that you can achieve pretty much anything if you put your mind to it'.

'The cause is for one cause and one cause only and that is to raise awareness for all the wounded, sick and injured whether it's in military life or whether it's in civilian life,' the prince said.

 

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Harry, who will take time off from his job as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps to compete, will be part of a five-strong team of Britons racing against rivals from the U.S. and the Commonwealth to the southern-most point on the globe.

The marathon effort will see them travel a distance of 208 miles in temperatures of up to -50C, all while hauling custom built arctic sledges, weighing in excess of 11 stone.

Ready: Prince Harry arrives for the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge launch in London

Ready: Prince Harry arrives for the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge launch in London

Challenge: The prince is planning to race along a 208-mile route to the South Pole
Challenge: The prince is planning to race along a 208-mile route to the South Pole

Challenge: The prince is planning to race along a 208-mile route to the South Pole 

Long road ahead: The South Pole team at the Trafalgar Square photocall

Long road ahead: The South Pole team at the Trafalgar Square photocall

Britain's Prince Harry, sixth left, poses for a group photograph on stage with other competitors, including actor Dominic West

Britain's Prince Harry, sixth left, poses for a group photograph on stage with other competitors, including actor Dominic West

Harry told the Walking with the Wounded departure event the expedition will prove 'even when you've lost a leg or lost an arm, or whatever the illness may be, that you can achieve pretty much anything if you put your mind to it'

Harry told the Walking with the Wounded departure event the expedition will prove 'even when you've lost a leg or lost an arm, or whatever the illness may be, that you can achieve pretty much anything if you put your mind to it'

Harry took to the stage and was presented with the expedition flag.

He said how much the men and women he will be walking with had done just to get here.

The money raised will go towards helping wounded service personnel.

He added: 'This trip is another way of reminding everybody that as Afghanistan draws down and these guys aren't in the news anymore so than they already are, it's a reminder to everybody that support must continue.'

Prince Harry poses with children from Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Primary School in Brixton, south London

Prince Harry poses with children from Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Primary School in Brixton, south London

The marathon effort will see them travel a distance of 208 miles in temperatures of up to -50C, all while hauling custom built arctic sledges, weighing in excess of 11 stone

The marathon effort will Harry's team travel a distance of 208 miles in temperatures of up to -50C, all while hauling custom built arctic sledges, weighing in excess of 11 stone

Prince Harry told the crowd how much the men and women he will be walking with had done just to get here

Prince Harry told the crowd how much the men and women he will be walking with had done just to get here

Prince Harry gets out of a car as he arrives to attend the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge departure event

Prince Harry gets out of a car as he arrives to attend the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge departure event

The team expect to trek for between nine and 12 miles a day (15 to 20km), dragging 11-stone (70kg) sledges, and are likely to encounter vast crevasses, moving ice-shelves, glaciers and snow storms

The team expect to trek for between nine and 12 miles a day (15 to 20km), dragging 11-stone (70kg) sledges, and are likely to encounter vast crevasses, moving ice-shelves, glaciers and snow storms

Three of the other teams ready to depart for their trek to raise funds for the charity Walking With The wounded

Three of the other teams ready to depart for their trek to raise funds for the charity Walking With The wounded

Actor Dominic West, who is an 'Honorary Team Soldier On Member', was also at the launch

Actor Dominic West, who is an 'Honorary Team Soldier On Member', was also at the launch

As part of his expedition training, Prince Harry, an Army pilot who has served in Afghanistan, spent a night in a sub-zero Army test facility in September.

He and four team-mates, who all lost limbs in Afghanistan, were subjected to ambient temperatures down to -35C (-31F) and wind speeds of 45mph (72kph).

In the Antarctic, the team will face even lower temperatures of -45C (-49) and savage 50mph (80kph) winds.

They expect to trek for between nine and 12 miles a day (15 to 20km), dragging 11-stone (70kg) sledges, and are likely to encounter vast crevasses, moving ice-shelves, glaciers and snow storms.

Of the location, the prince said: 'Antarctica is the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame that, but I can assure you the boys and girls behind me will do their very best.'

The race begins on November 30 and competitors are expecting to reach the geographic South Pole by December 16.

The competitors hope to reach the geographical South Pole on December 16

The competitors hope to reach the geographical South Pole on December 16

Hopefully they'll all be home safely for Christmas
Hopefully they'll all be home safely for Christmas

Hopefully they'll all be home safely for Christmas which no doubt the new uncle hopes to celebrate with family

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He's a stud and revels in it. Nice to se in someone that could be a effete layabout. Hope they make it. Something like that seems like it would always be more grueling than you think.

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Good luck to all the teams . Lovely that Prince Harry is so involved .

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Good luck to all of them.

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Harry and William are both a credit to their late mother who gave them compassion and humbleness ...She would be so proud

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Good luck and God Speed.

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What a star

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Good for him

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He is starting to look like Charles and Philip as he gets older

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It would be interesting to follow their trek. All the best to Prince Harry and the rest of the team #WalkingWithTheWounded.

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Wishing all the teams safe travel, hope they all enjoy what will be a life changing experience for them. As for Harry his parents and family must be so proud of him for the commitment and compassion he shows to his fellow service men and women.

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