Successful Liverpool-based businessman and former Royal Green Jacket Ian Hughes is embarking on an extraordinary solo ski expedition to the South Pole, aiming to raise £100,000 for the Always a Rifleman Programme (AARP).
The charity helps serving and former servicemen and their families, providing connection, friendship, and vital help for those living with PTSD, depression, and hidden conflict wounds. Last year, The Queen, Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles, became the first Patron of The Rifleman’s Association, which oversees the AARP.
This November, Ian, who is the chief operating officer for energy solutions business OEG's subsea division, will set out on an unsupported 730 mile (911km) ski to the South Pole, hauling a 115kg Pulk (sled ) for 10 hours a day in minus 10 - 45°C temperatures, spending up to 60 days alone across the Antarctic Plateau including his birthday, Christmas and New Year on the ice.
The South Pole challenge marks the key hurdle in the rare Explorers Grand Slam (climbing the highest peak on every continent plus both Poles), completed by fewer than 75 people globally. Only seven Brits have achieved it, and Ian, at almost 57 years old, will be the eldest to attempt the feat.
“PTSD and depression affect thousands of veterans in the UK every year and many suffer in silence due to the stigma. Every climb, every step is a chance to raise awareness of the challenges they face, and I hope my journey will spark deeper conversations about mental health in the armed forces. As well as honouring all those veterans we have lost, all funds raised will go towards treatment and outreach for those who are suffering.”
Alongside his long list of extreme adventures - including Everest, Denali and the various Ultra endurance events, Ian has also built two multi-million-pound subsea businesses, including Hughes Subsea which was acquired in 2021 by OEG, while raising two children with his wife, Carolyne.
Ian Hughes climbing Everest earlier this year
Despite having 30 plus years’ experience in extreme environments in the military, deep-sea diving and exploration, Ian explains why this is his biggest challenge yet:
“As a deep-sea diver, you spend many days in isolation in conditions where you can’t see what’s right on front of you but being alone for 50 days without seeing a living soul will be mentally tough, not to mention the extreme cold. The Antarctic storms and winds can drop the temperature to below -50, so protecting even the smallest areas of skin from exposure will be an ongoing battle and the physical exertion of pulling a 115kg sled will put huge demands on my body.”
Colonel Commandant of The Rifles, General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes, KCBCBE said: “Ian Hughes has already conquered the challenges that many of us could only dream of.
“His Herculean effort to complete the Explores Grand Slam is inspiring and humbling in equal measure. We wish him all the best Swift & Bold’
As part of Ian’s fundraising efforts, OEG has committed to a £10k sponsorship. Anyone interested in sponsoring Ian’s Grand Slam challenge can do so via his Givewheel page here or find out more about sponsorship packages by emailing ian@antartic-rifleman.com.
Key stats include:
- Expedition distance: 911 km / 492 nautical miles solo ski to the South Pole.
- Duration: up to 60 days on the Antarctic Plateau, skiing 10 hours a day.
- Conditions: temperatures as low as −50°C; solo through birthday, Christmas, and New Year.
- Weight of pulk: A sledge weighing 80– 115 kg.
- Kit list: Can be found attached.
- What Ian will consume daily: 6,000kCals.
- Communication method: Ian is the first person to use Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet service, in an Expedition in Antarctica, but he will also have two Sat Phones (Iridium), two Garmin GPS tracking devices, and is going to sign up to Zero Six. Zero https://zerosixzero.com.
- Current training schedule: pulling two tyres as he runs 16km to his office.
- Ian will also be climbing Mount Vinson after, and Aconcagua on the way home completing the 7-summit challenge, leaving only the North Pole to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, of which only 75 people worldwide have completed.