Prince Harry warned about 'deadly' trek

Britain's Prince Harry has been warned that conditions on his charity trek to the North Pole will be "deadly".

The third in line to the throne - who today (29.03.11) joined his team at Longyearbyen, north Norway where he will undertake three days of training before leaving for a five day trek to the Arctic Circle on Friday (01.04.11) - has been told to expect "unpredictable" terrain as he attempts to raise £2 million for injured troops.

Inge Solhiem, the expedition's polar guide said: "Harry's training has been going very well: he has the right attitude. I'm sure Harry has healthy concerns about the dangers - as he should.

"You have no idea how different the pole is from everything else on the planet. The old Norwegian explorers called it the 'devil's dance floor'. It is unpredictable. Deadly.

"If you're not paying attention it will just slap you... You can walk ten miles in one day, pitch your tent overnight, and the ice will have drifted you back eleven miles in the opposite direction."

However, Harry - who will join four injured soldiers Captain Guy Disney, Private Jaco Van Gass, Captain Martin Hewitt and Sergeant Steve Young on the trek to raise money for Walking With the Wounded - said taking part in the challenge is the least he can do to show his thanks to those who have suffered injuries in the armed forces.

Harry - who has previously served on the front line in Afghanistan - told Britain's GQ magazine: "This extraordinary expedition will raise awareness of the debt that this country owes to those it sends off to fight - only for them to return wounded and scarred, physically and emotionally.

"The debt extends beyond immediate medical care and short-term rehabilitation. These men and women have given so much.

"We must recognise their sacrifice, be thankful, so far as we can ever repay them for it."