Walk across the Arctic

Former British military man marches for landmine charity

A former British commando has begun an unsupported 300km expedition across the Arctic to raise money for a landmines charity. Dave Leaning, 30, took on the challenge after witnessing the destruction caused by landmines when he served in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Svalbard Island, where the expedition will take place, is notorious for its punishing conditions. Its name means ‘cold edge’ in old Norse, and it is where polar explorer Roald Amundsen disappeared in 1928 while searching for the survivors of an airship crash. It is illegal not to carry a weapon to defend against polar bear attack. Aside from the bears, Leaning will also have to withstand ice storms, glaciers and crevasses, alongside a restricted diet and sleep deprivation. The expedition will be a race against time; the team warns that ‘too early and we will stand little chance in the powerful winter storms; too late and the snows may melt, preventing us from dragging the sledges which will be our lifeline.’

Leaning is leading the trek across the island, accompanied by marathon runner Anton Havas and former Special Forces operative Apostolos Alafogiannis. They are skiing ski cross country across the island, hauling their food and supplies on sledges weighing over 70kg. On his blog, Leaning writes that it is ‘impossible to describe the emotions we have been through’. They have seen four sets of polar bear tracks, but as yet have not come face-to-face with the ‘mountain kings’ themselves.

While he was in Afghanistan, Leaning saw many casualties coming back as a result of landmines. Landmine charity HALO, which he is supporting, says that between 2004 and 2008 there were 3,800 landmine and explosive victims in Afghanistan. The charity estimates that up to 640,000 mines have been laid in Afghanistan since 1979.

Leaning has completed two previous fundraising expeditions to support landmine charities. In 2008 he skiied the entire length of Norway and in 2009 he walked from coast to coast across central Australia. His current challenge is supported by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, ‘the world's greatest living explorer' according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

You can follow the expedition at www.coldshores.co.uk