Is Prince Harry going to the North Pole?

by Kraig Becker on

British Prince Harry has always had a bit of an adventurous spirit. The young man has served his country in Afghanistan and is currently training to become an Apache helicopter pilot. But if the 26-year old has his way, he may be off on an adventure of entirely different kind, as he is currently training to go to the North Pole on foot with a group of disabled vets.

The expedition is called Walking with the Wounded, and features four soldiers who were injured in the line of duty for their country. They’ll be joined by two other army officers and a polar guide, who will be tasked with getting the entire team safely to 90º North. According to AOL News, Harry is Patron for the expedition and is keen to join the trek himself, provided he is granted a special leave from his military duties.

The plan is to get underway in late March, setting off from a remote point in Siberia. From there, the team will simply head north until they reach the top of the world. But this is a trek that is fraught with peril as North Polar explorers must deal with extreme cold, inclement weather, miles of desolate terrain, and ice that is continually breaking apart do to climate change. Not to mention the chance encounter with a hungry polar bear.

The expedition is expected to take about a month to complete, with the team hoping to arrive by April 23rd. That’s cutting it mighty close for Harry however, who will be expected at his brother William’s wedding, which is scheduled to take place on April 29th.

It’ll be a few weeks before the prince knows if he’ll be allowed to go on this journey or not, but I for one hope he gets the chance. This sounds like an expedition for a good cause and a true adventure of a lifetime.

[Photo credit: Walking with the Wounded]

DMZ water coming to a Korean grocery store near you

by Tom Johansmeyer on

With all the bottled water you’ll find on grocery store shelves these days, any new player absolutely has to have a gimmick. There are just too many brands on the market. So, a company really does need to go the extra mile to stand out. That’s probably why “DMZ 2km” is getting some media love.

DMZ 2km is drawn from a plant in the southern half of the Korean peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone, the 4 km border area that has split North Korea from South Korea for more than 50 years. On land, there is razor wire – and plenty of landmines. Soldiers walk patrols, and there’s sometimes gunfire. Underneath all this is a spring that ultimately feeds the plastic bottles that consumers can buy for 600 won (50 cents) a pop.

The water bottle is adorned with a bird, which is representative of the wildlife that now lives in the DMZ, which hasn’t had much human activity in half a century. More than 2,900 different plant species are estimated to live there, along with 70 mammals and 320 bird types.

Lee Sang-hyo, spokesman for Lotte Chilsung Beverage, tells Reuters, “We decided on water from the DMZ because it’s different, and the environment there is untouched, so many people thinks it’s clean.” Fortunately, he continues, “Getting the water is not dangerous at all. We worked it all out with the military.”

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[Photo by Constantin B. via Flickr]

Photo of the Day (4-02-08)

by Jamie Rhein on

A spring flower and a tombstone–two images of life’s circle. The face of the soldier makes me wonder what he is thinking? I’m reminded of Inman, the Confederate soldier in the novel, Cold Mountain, whose Civil War experience was mostly spent finding his way back home. There are subtle aspects of this shot by mce323 that are quite lovely. Notice the soft moss on the ledge and the patina of the bronze. According to the tags, this fellow is at Cemetery of Père Lachaise in Paris.

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