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I conquered Antarctica with Ranulph Fiennes
Developing
In Short: Dr Mike Stroud, battling terminal cancer, hopes to see Sir Ranulph Fiennes one last time.
Dr Mike Stroud, now battling terminal cancer, is desperate to see Sir Ranulph Fiennes one last time.
Stroud and Fiennes attempted to reach the North Pole together in extreme conditions, battling temperatures of -50°C and fierce winds.
Stroud reveals he once considered faking a stroke to call for rescue during their expeditions.
Stroud, 71, says he wrote to Fiennes' wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, expressing his wish to see Fiennes.
Fiennes has reportedly been moved between care homes under an alias, complicating Stroud's efforts to meet him.
Stroud chuckles about his initial optimism, writing in his diary, 'Remember: do not ever do this again,' after just one hour of their next trip.
Stroud's colleagues had recently walked 900 miles to the South Pole, but the North Pole expedition proved much harder due to the terrain.
Stroud and Fiennes faced frostbite and other ailments, with Fiennes cutting insulation from his boot to relieve pain, worsening the condition.
Stroud says, 'I thought I might feign an illness. I would think when we'd get to the tent: I'll have a subarachnoid haemorrhage.'
What this adds
Stroud and Fiennes also attempted to conquer Antarctica, where Stroud's colleagues had recently completed a challenging trek to the South Pole.
Background
Stroud and Fiennes also attempted to conquer Antarctica, where Stroud's colleagues had recently completed a challenging trek to the South Pole.
What's still developing
- He and Fiennes, known as the world’s greatest explorer, failed to reach the pole but survived those tortuous conditions – so they tried again.
- Now, Stroud may never have another chance to sit down with Fiennes and share memories of their icy adventures.
- “I wrote an email to Louise two or three months ago, saying I’m terminally ill and would really like to see him,” he says.
- “I’ve got throat cancer that’s spread,” reveals the 71-year-old doctor, speaking to me from his home in Hampshire.
- But it remains “overwhelmingly likely” the disease will kill him before long, Stroud admits.