A Liverpool-based businessman and former Royal Green Jacket is embarking on an extraordinary solo ski expedition to the South Pole.

Ian Hughes is aiming to raise £100,000 for the Always a Rifleman Programme (AARP), a charity helping serving and former servicemen and their families, providing connection, friendship, and vital help for those living with PTSD, depression, and hidden conflict wounds.

This November, Ian will set out on an unsupported 730 mile (911km) ski to the South Pole, hauling a 115kg sled for ten hours a day in -10 to -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 and will need to consume 6,000 calories per day.

placeholder image — Ian Hughes. | Submitted

Ian said: “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.

Despite having 30 plus years’ experience in extreme environments in the military, deep-sea diving and exploration, Ian explained why this is his biggest challenge yet.

He said: “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.”

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Colonel Commandant of The Rifles, General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes, KCB CBE 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.