Para takes Pole position

Heading north: Arctic adventurer Lt James Hooley (2 Para) overcame sub-zero temperatures and 30mph headwinds during his race to the magnetic North Pole
Pictures: Rob Holden, John Bamber and Peter Trapp

Report: Richard Long

INTREPID explorer Lt James Hooley (2 Para) has conquered the inhospitable Arctic terrain to become the first solo competitor to finish the gruelling 370-mile race to the magnetic North Pole.

The 2010 Polar Challenge saw the officer go head-to-head with eight three-man teams in extreme conditions that included 30mph headwinds and bitter temperatures that plummeted as low as -50 degrees.

His remarkable effort saw him complete the route in 13 days, 5hr and 55min, despite dragging approximately a third more weight than competitors in the rival teams.

As a soloist he had to carry all the kit that would usually be divided between the group.

This included a shotgun, tent, stove, shovel, GPS and satellite phone.

“The organisers had warned me not to get too involved in the race because I was the first ever soloist,” a defiant Hooley told SoldierSport.

“All they wanted me to do was finish. However, my regimental pride would not accept last place.

“I knew I couldn’t ski faster than a lot of teams due to the extra weight I was dragging so my only option was to ski for longer.”

Hooley set an initial target of skiing for 16 hours and resting for eight hours each day.
But after reaching the first checkpoint his competitive spirit kicked in and he decided to take full advantage of the near-perfect conditions by increasing his work rate.

“The rules stipulated that you were not allowed any outside assistance so I never knew my position in the race,” Hooley explained.

“I began to increase the length of time I was skiing from 16 hours up to 24 hours without stopping. But despite pushing hard I was still unable to see any teams on the horizon.”

His frustration soon turned to surprise when he came across a shoot-off between one of his rival teams and two polar bears.

One of the beasts got to within five metres of the petrified competitors before they made a narrow escape.

Hooley managed to avoid such terrifying encounters and on his arrival at the second checkpoint he saw two teams preparing to leave.

This equated to a lead of around ten hours and the solo star was determined to make rapid progress when he returned to the ice.

“I decided that the only way to catch up and get round them was to do two 24-hour days back-to-back, with only eight hours rest in between,” he said.

“But when I skied away from the checkpoint I could see the weather was beginning to turn. Within an hour visibility was down to five metres and the wind had picked up to 30mph.

“The wind in the Arctic rarely changes direction and blows from the north to south. Since I was heading north the whole time I had to endure the full force of the Arctic weather head-on.

“In these conditions I couldn’t ski longer than 16 hours a day. My focus shifted from travelling as fast as I could to just being able to travel without getting hypothermia or frostbite.

“For three days I skied head down in horrific weather.

“Since I couldn’t pick any reference points due to the lack of visibility, I had to rely on the direction of the wind to help me navigate.

“I knew that as long as I kept the wind blowing directly in my face I was heading north.”

In the height of the terrible elements Hooley was skiing at a speed of just 1mph, but when conditions improved he made a 21-hour burst without rest in an attempt to catch the other competitors in the race.

He said: “Out of the eight teams I managed to beat three of them and was only a matter of hours behind the two ahead of me.

“Upon finishing I realised how exhausted I was and how much my body had been hammered by the harsh Arctic weather.”

During 13 days of racing Hooley lost a stone-and-a-half in weight, but his determined effort raised more than £26,000 for Help for Heroes and the Afghanistan Trust.

“Taking part in the race was an unbelievable experience and I am extremely fortunate to have sampled the challenges and beauty the Arctic holds,” he added. “While at times it was hard, overall it was an incredibly-enjoyable race.”