0:00:02 > 0:00:07The Arctic, one of the harshest environments on the planet.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Warm the hands up before they get excruciatingly cold.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16Temperatures can sink to minus 50 degrees centigrade,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19the wind can reach 110 miles an hour,
0:00:19 > 0:00:25and all that's between you and 2.5 miles of ink black Arctic Ocean
0:00:25 > 0:00:28are a few thin inches of ice.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36If your pole goes in and you're not in your harness, you go to the bottom of the sea.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Careful!
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Into this extreme, four wounded British soldiers...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Oh, right on the ribs!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48It is quite hard, we're not making a lot of ground.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..two expedition founders...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54It's the end of day... Oh, holy cow.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57..one polar guide...
0:00:57 > 0:01:01We have to be more careful because the pole can run over and break your leg.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06- ..and one prince... - No matter who you are, unless you really hate the cold,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08this place is amazing.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Together they'll attempt the first unsupported trek to the North Pole
0:01:15 > 0:01:17by wounded servicemen.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26If successful, they'll set a new world record.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32This is the story of their journey,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36from the battlefields of Afghanistan
0:01:36 > 0:01:39to top of the world.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01It's 4.30 am and the Walking With The Wounded team
0:02:01 > 0:02:05are landing on the polar ice cap for the first time.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08They're 160 miles from the Geographic North Pole,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12it's minus 34 degrees centigrade.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18A bit of peace and quiet. It's been a while.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21It's a nice place. It's quite far to come for some peace and quiet though.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24I'm not going to lie, it's a bit far away.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27But, hey, amongst friends! What could possibly go wrong?
0:02:31 > 0:02:37They've spent many months in training, but out here they're facing the unknown.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41This is rather unique.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48It's barren, it's oppressive, it's unforgiving.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53It's quite surreal.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00For an able-bodied person this is one of the toughest challenges on the planet.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04For these wounded soldiers the test is obviously far greater.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08It's opened my eyes to a whole new world.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Respect to anyone who does this.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Between them they've been blown up and shot.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'I got shot two-and-a-half years ago, the bullet severed my artery.'
0:03:18 > 0:03:20They've lost an arm and a leg
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and been told they will never walk again.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28'I'm missing an ankle and a calf and, for me, it's not holding me back and it won't hold me back.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:35Jointly they've had 32 operations and years of rehabilitation to put them back together.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'If you put your mind to it, there's nothing that can stop you.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43'What these boys are doing is truly fantastic, it really is.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'To learn more about them, to hear their stories is very special.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'You don't get to meet people like this very often.'
0:03:49 > 0:03:55Their incredible journey across the polar ice cap has just begun.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Something I've always wanted to do, probably the biggest challenge out there.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It is a journey fraught with danger.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06This will be the single biggest test that I've probably ever had.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09But also a journey of recovery.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11One, two, three! 'Never quit.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16'Never...'
0:04:18 > 0:04:19MUSIC: BBC NEWS THEME
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Prince Harry helps launch an expedition
0:04:22 > 0:04:24by wounded servicemen and women to the North Pole.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26But will he go with them?
0:04:26 > 0:04:29If my military commitments allow, I would love to join the team.
0:04:29 > 0:04:3713 months earlier, and the team are holding their first press conference with their Royal patron.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39'Obviously, once I was asked,'
0:04:39 > 0:04:44it was a very easy opportunity to say I would love to join this.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46It's an opportunity I just couldn't let go.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I don't think anybody else would.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'It's going to be serious for them and nobody should underestimate
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'what these guys are putting themselves through
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'not just for themselves but for everybody else who's been injured.'
0:05:00 > 0:05:06This project exemplifies the tenacity and courage of those who serve our country.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07It really is that simple.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It's great to be part of this amazing adventure
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and with such a great bunch of guys.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Three months later and the Walking With The Wounded team
0:05:17 > 0:05:20are on their first UK training session in Norfolk.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23This is the early days of it all.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27We'll start off with this and no doubt build up as the year goes on.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31The plan is to take four wounded soldiers to the Pole,
0:05:31 > 0:05:36but with less than ten months until they depart, and seeing over 100 applicants,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40the expedition organisers only have two suitable candidates.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Come on, Grandad, let's go for a walk.
0:05:44 > 0:05:4929-year-old, Captain Martin Hewitt was serving with the Parachute Regiment
0:05:49 > 0:05:52when he was severely wounded in Afghanistan.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56I wanted to join the Forces and I specifically wanted to join the Parachute Regiment.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00That was the proudest day of my life when I found out I got in there.
0:06:00 > 0:06:08After joining the Army Cadets at 16, Martin went on to serve with the Paras in Afghanistan twice.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13It was on his second tour in 2007 that things went tragically wrong.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24We had a very good talk before we deployed,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27saying, "Listen, lads, about a third of you won't come back."
0:06:29 > 0:06:32It was a risk that I accepted.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Martin was leading a platoon of paratroopers during Operation Herrick
0:06:38 > 0:06:43when he took a direct hit to his right shoulder.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45At first I thought I'd lost the limb
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and I first looked around to try and pick it up
0:06:48 > 0:06:51but realised it was still attached. It was paralysed.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59I knew very quickly it was serious, and I had arterial bleeding.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02You could see it coming out, it was very bright red...
0:07:02 > 0:07:07blood pulsating out of you in line with your heart beat.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I got my hand in there and tried to clamp the artery shut,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15which I was having difficulty doing
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and I could feel the life draining out of me.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21I felt myself going. You do, feel yourself fading.
0:07:23 > 0:07:29I was thinking to myself, "There's no way I'm dying on this desert floor here, not a chance."
0:07:31 > 0:07:36The bullet ripped through Martin's shoulder leaving a four-inch exit wound.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41It shredded the brachial artery, the main blood supply to the arm,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and severed all the nerves,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46leaving the limb paralysed.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Learning to adapt to life with the use of one arm, you can do.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54The most difficult battle I've had is the psychological impact
0:07:54 > 0:07:57of not being able to do the job I wanted to do and that I loved.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I will not command soldiers on operations again.
0:08:08 > 0:08:14You'll notice that Ed's given me and Guy significantly bigger tyres than what he's given himself.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16MARTIN LAUGHS
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Is it that obvious?
0:08:18 > 0:08:21That's about twice the size as everybody else's, it's a radial.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27Stop whinging! That's the worst thing about old people, is they whinge non-stop.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33For charity founders, ex-servicemen Ed Parker and Simon Daglish,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35it's a challenge finding wounded soldiers
0:08:35 > 0:08:39that can tackle one of the world's toughest expeditions.
0:08:39 > 0:08:46Losing an arm, particularly when doing work around the camp, is a severe restriction.
0:08:46 > 0:08:53We've discovered it's difficult finding people who'll be physically capable of doing what we're asking.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58It's been highlighted to us, the extent of the challenge we're embarking on.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01A lot of what we do is going to be in the mind.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05If the mind is confident then we will achieve what we aim to achieve.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08I tried this one instead of this,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11but this one is very wobbly, so I'm not going to do it.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12I'll use this one instead.
0:09:13 > 0:09:1828-year-old, Captain Guy Disney, who serves with the Light Dragoons,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21lost his right leg in Afghanistan in 2009.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- What was wrong with that? - It's too wobbly.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- Really?- Yeah.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29I think looking at footage of Afghanistan on the news, you felt
0:09:29 > 0:09:33almost a duty to go and do your bit.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39On 6th May 2009, the armoured reconnaissance vehicle that Guy was commanding
0:09:39 > 0:09:42was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Effectively a jet of molten metal came through the side of the vehicle
0:09:47 > 0:09:52and that went through my leg and tragically killed the soldier next to me.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I looked down and it was hanging off, and...
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It's almost like when you hold a boot by its laces and swing it,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06there were a couple of bits of tendon left.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11The bone had all gone and initially it was like, "Christ, that's definitely coming off."
0:10:13 > 0:10:17The initial feelings were, you know, "Bugger," if that makes sense.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The RPG, destroyed Guy's leg just below the knee.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Within hours, the doctors in Afghanistan were forced to amputate,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33leaving a raw stump that's needed four separate operations to repair.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I couldn't really believe it had happened.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I still felt I was meant to be out there doing the job
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and suddenly you're having everything done for yourself, that's a frustrating period.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Trekking to the North Pole in ten months' time
0:10:56 > 0:11:00will be Guy and Martin's biggest challenge since being wounded.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Guy and I are still in a state of rehabilitation ourselves.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08I've had 13 operations to date, myself.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I'm nothing like as fit at the minute as I was when I got shot.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17I've got a long way to go get that level back, but it's coming.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25This morning's escapade on the beach was quite punchy.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27That was over the top, this morning.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31If it's like that on day one, when we're up there, I'm going home.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- I'm stuffed if doing that! I'm telling you right now. - MARTIN LAUGHS
0:11:35 > 0:11:40For Guy and Martin, proving themselves ready to take on the world is important,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44not just for them, but for their fellow wounded soldiers.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48I know how difficult it is for me to adapt to life with my injury,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I've had soldiers under my command who've come from broken family backgrounds,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55who perhaps haven't got any academic qualifications,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58who now find themselves in the position
0:11:58 > 0:12:00where they have lost both legs, perhaps.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04I find it difficult with all the help and support I've got.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06God knows how difficult these guys are finding it
0:12:06 > 0:12:11and that's where the system, the Forces' charities, the public,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and me, as a serving officer, have a duty of care to do what we can to help.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22Every now and then you'll see someone and they'll look at you with the "poor guy" smile or chat.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25You know, when the leg's on and I've got a pair of trousers,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28no-one would know I've got anything wrong with me.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29I think it's to prove to people that
0:12:29 > 0:12:32it's not the best thing to have happen in the world,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36but there's no reason why it should stop me at all.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Ed and Simon may have their first wounded servicemen,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44but time's running out to find two more.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47While they continue their search,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Guy's off to in New York with team patron, Prince Harry.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54With the Afghanistan War in its tenth year,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57they're here to help strengthen military relations,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00but also to promote the expedition.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Ladies and gentleman, Prince Harry.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06APPLAUSE
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12I would just like to steal a few moments of your time
0:13:12 > 0:13:15to talk about an important and very serious matter.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18It's the welfare of our men and women in uniform,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22those who we send out to fight our wars and protect our freedom.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27You know, myself and my brother and, I suppose, a huge majority of the British public as well
0:13:27 > 0:13:31support these guys in everything they do and always will do, hopefully.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36For... I probably speak for William, as well, but mainly for myself,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39after doing a very small stint in Afghanistan,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I'd like to think that I've got a rough idea
0:13:42 > 0:13:44about what goes on and how they feel.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Good evening. I have to say straightaway, the triage I received and the treatment
0:13:49 > 0:13:51has been nothing short of exceptional.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56'I met Prince Harry yesterday, it was great to meet him, and the good thing about'
0:13:56 > 0:13:58having someone like that coming over,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01it just adds so much more credibility to what we're doing.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06# Can you see by the dawn's early light? #
0:14:06 > 0:14:13Prince Harry and Guy are also taking part in a charity run in Central Park.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18HARRY: After seeing the way these guys dealt with it,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23if I did go back, I wouldn't have as much fear of getting hit as I did the first time.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29I'm not saying I've accepted that if I go out and get shot then that'll be fine.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I'm just saying, to see the way these guys have dealt with it
0:14:32 > 0:14:37and the way that every other soldier deals with it back at Selly Oak and Headley Court,
0:14:37 > 0:14:43it gives you that feeling of going, "If I do go back and do get hit, I hope I end up like these guys."
0:14:43 > 0:14:48# O'er the land of the free
0:14:48 > 0:14:53# And the home of the brave. #
0:14:53 > 0:14:55CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:15:00 > 0:15:05No-one wants to get injured, but the guys have accepted that your life's not over,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10it's not come to an end, there's other things you can do. Walk to the North Pole, for instance.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14The inspiration these guys give to everybody else is unbelievable.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Back in the UK, with only seven months to go,
0:15:23 > 0:15:29Ed, Simon, Guy and Martin have come to Bodmin Moor for a training session.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Crucially, they've brought along two more would-be team members.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38One of them, a guy called Jaco,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42we met for first time in January when we did the selection
0:15:42 > 0:15:44and both of us really liked him.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But he was pretty badly beaten up
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and then we heard a couple of issues he had, had been sorted out.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54That's a lovely spot, it's really beautiful.
0:15:54 > 0:16:01So we got him and a new guy, who was blown up in Babaji last year, had his back broken.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04This guy, Steve Young, he was told he wouldn't walk again.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09He spent about six weeks on a spinal bed, not able to move.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13He was back on his feet within four months, which is pretty incredible.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19Today will let Ed and Simon know just how well the new boys can cope with a hard physical challenge.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Time is running out for us to get four team members,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26so we just hope that these two will be able to stay with us.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The pressure's on a bit, yeah. We've got to get it right.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35The youngest prospective team member is 26-year-old South African, Jaco Van Gass.
0:16:36 > 0:16:43He was hit by an RPG during a firefight in Afghanistan on his second tour with the Paras.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49'I came over to the UK in 2006, to join the British Army.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'I literally just landed'
0:16:51 > 0:16:55the Saturday morning and in the Monday morning
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I was in the recruiting office signing the paperwork.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02For me, serving in Afghanistan was absolutely brilliant. I loved every second of it.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10It's a brotherhood that you pick up,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and even the day you leave the Army, you'll always be part of that family.
0:17:17 > 0:17:24In the early hours of August 20th, 2009, Jaco's unit was heading out on an operation.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29The chopper's came in, we landed on the target.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I just heard a massive noise.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38By the time I woke up, I didn't really know what happened.
0:17:40 > 0:17:47As I sat up and tried to raise my weapon, that's when I realised that I've lost my arm.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56I just sat, flat on the ground and fired a couple of rounds off from my hip.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01The amount of blood I lost was ridiculous.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04The pain was unbelievable.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10There was a point where I think, "Yes, I'm going to die."
0:18:11 > 0:18:15That was the point that I lost consciousness and then that was it.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The next time I woke up I was in Selly Oak.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28The blast severed Jaco's arm above the elbow,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32a third of the muscle on his left leg was blown away.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36He suffered extensive damage to his internal organs
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and has had 15 operations over the past 12 months.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Going out with my mates again, to the pub, or to a club,
0:18:45 > 0:18:51all the girls are interested in them, and then you turn around and you've got no arm, and...
0:18:51 > 0:18:53they don't really know what to say.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54It was really hard.
0:18:57 > 0:19:03There are certain days, I look back and I'm thinking, "Bloody hell, I was in good shape there."
0:19:03 > 0:19:10There is something in you that says, "I really wish I could get back to looking like that."
0:19:11 > 0:19:18You need to sit down with yourself and realise that you're not a fully able body any more.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21You've got certain injuries and certain stuff that happened to you.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30The reason why we're doing this, is for other servicemen and women,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33to show them that something like this is possible.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Right, next point.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42What, that little scarp there?
0:19:42 > 0:19:47Yeah, you're going to hit that knoll on the left-hand side there,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49so come up the left-hand side of the scarp.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Good to stretch the legs, really.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Haven't tabbed for a while, so it's good to get out and stretch the legs.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00I think that's about the first two miles done, another ten to go, so... We shall see.
0:20:00 > 0:20:07Sergeant Stephen Young, a 28-year-old Welsh Guardsman, was injured in Afghanistan in 2009.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I was that typical kid running around with a toy gun,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and it has always been my ambition to join the Army.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18His fiancee, Emma, has been his bedrock ever since.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20It means absolutely everything to him.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24I'd love him to have a 9-5 job and come home to me, but it's not going to happen.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31On 1st August, as Steve was redeploying back to the front line,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34his vehicle was blown up by an IED.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It's not just like hearing a noise - bang.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38It travels through your whole body.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44I remember being thrown forwards, like face down on the floor.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47So I tried getting up, and that's when I felt
0:20:47 > 0:20:50a massive, massive intense pain just in my back.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55And when I pulled myself up, my legs swung, er,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59because I couldn't use them properly, and my back crunched.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I really thought, yep, that's me, I'm dead.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09The blast broke Steve's back, causing a complicated burst fracture of the vertebrae
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and extensive soft tissue damage.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16He was told he would never walk again.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19It was 1,001 things going through my mind, a lot of them were selfish -
0:21:19 > 0:21:23me walking, me running, me, me, me, me.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Didn't at that stage really think of the family,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29which I knew later on it would have had a massive impact on.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35The initial finding out was absolutely horrendous,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39and I don't think it really hit me until I was driving home
0:21:39 > 0:21:42after telling everybody, and I was on the motorway
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and I had to pull over because it all hit me at once.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51I was flown home then within a day, and when I got back to Selly Oak,
0:21:51 > 0:21:56they said, "Look, you will walk again, but with a frame for life."
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Unless someone's actually got this sort of injury,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06you don't understand, you don't realise how much it affects you on a daily basis.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08It's just a constant ache.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- But you learn to deal with it. - You just adapt, don't you?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Yeah, yeah, that's it, yeah.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22After 15 miles slogging across Bodmin Moor,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25both Steve and Jaco have impressed the organisers.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30It's really great having Jaco and Steve with us.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Jaco is... To see him here now
0:22:32 > 0:22:37is I think the essence of everything we're trying to show people.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42So yeah, I think we could have our team.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45But there are still challenges to overcome.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Steve - he's a great guy, he's definitely got it mentally.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55His back's a bit sore now, if you look at him walking, he's a little bit tentative.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58So it's important he gets that strong.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09There are ongoing concerns for all the wounded soldiers, but with the team complete,
0:23:09 > 0:23:14at least they can begin preparing for everything the North Pole will throw at them.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I'm getting excited now.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21I haven't had that feeling for three years now, since I been shot.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25This is the first time I've got that kind of excitement that I used to get
0:23:25 > 0:23:29every week in work, so it's good, getting back in the game.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Albeit doing something completely different.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34But yeah, it's all good, mate.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47As of July 2011,
0:23:47 > 0:23:531,712 service personnel have been injured in Afghanistan.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Four months later, and the team are doing
0:24:00 > 0:24:06a photo shoot for GQ magazine, to raise the profile of the expedition.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10The shoot's with one of Britain's best-known photographers, David Bailey.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Bailey, a keen supporter of the Armed Forces,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19is donating his services for free.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Who did the artwork at the back, the Apaches?
0:24:22 > 0:24:27I nicked that, someone had painted it on the wall, so I photographed it and nicked it.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30'It's pretty amazing having your photo taken by David Bailey.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:32It's brilliant that he's taken the time to do it.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- And you were stationed... - I was only here for about...
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- Three days?- Three or four days, yeah.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Yeah, taking them in and dropping the new ones off.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43I'm not a very photogenic person, I don't take a good picture.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46It doesn't matter if it's on a mobile phone or David Bailey,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48I don't think I'll look that good on picture.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53It's not only a chance to have their portraits taken by one of the world's best-known photographers,
0:24:53 > 0:24:59it's also a chance to spend some time with their patron, Prince Harry.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01We're very fortunate and humble to have him on board -
0:25:01 > 0:25:03and it'll be good to meet him.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06He's trying to help us raise the profile of the charity
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and raise as much money for the charity as he possibly can.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10He's met some of them before,
0:25:10 > 0:25:15but this is the first time that the full team has come together.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18We can hopefully get to know him a bit, so when he comes up,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20he's not meeting a bunch of strangers.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23We all sort of know each other already.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Very excited to meet him and to socialise a bit with him.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I'm just happy to be here with them
0:25:37 > 0:25:41and give them as much support as I can, and have a laugh with them.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Because I like to think I'm just one of the lads - whether I am or not!
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Shall we go, shall we start?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59- Yes, I've started.- You've started?!
0:26:01 > 0:26:04He is obviously a prince, part of the royal family,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07but he is also a squaddie. So, we're all squaddies here,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11we've all got the same mentality, so hopefully we'll get along.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It's basically do whatever you want, so yeah!
0:26:21 > 0:26:23It's important we do get to know each other a bit.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's going to be quite intense living conditions, 10-12 hours skiing together,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and then living in the tents as well.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I think it makes it easier for someone from my position,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43it's nice to be able to relate to them, and to be able to say that I've been there
0:26:43 > 0:26:48and they know that I've experienced similar things to them, up until the injury itself.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's nice to be able to sit down and have a bit of banter with them,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and that they've lost an arm or lost a leg.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59It is very interesting having this time to talk to the guys.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Despite knowing their backgrounds and their stories, there's so much more to it.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07And that is fascinating, it's actually quite sad in a way as well.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17With nine weeks until they depart
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and Prince Harry on an army helicopter course,
0:27:20 > 0:27:25the rest of the team come to Norway for their final winter training.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29The cold is tough enough for an able-bodied person,
0:27:29 > 0:27:35but for these wounded soldiers, it's another level of risk.
0:27:35 > 0:27:41The constant strain will push their delicate injuries to the limit.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It's their last chance to see how they cope in the extremes.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50As they set off in the morning, it's minus 28.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53They still have a few important lessons to master,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58like skiing downhill with 60 kilos of kit chasing after you.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Nearly! Ha-ha-ha!
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I want to see Dags come down this.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Shit!
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Luckily, the North Pole is flat.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31One of the most important skills is managing body temperature in the extreme environment.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36If you get too hot, you sweat, making your clothes wet.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41That freezes, ruining their thermal properties.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Equally, if you're too cold, you can get hypothermia or frostbite.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I'm just putting on some thermals,
0:28:52 > 0:28:57because I've got a slightly cold John Thomas at the moment, if I'm honest.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01The old chap's getting a bit chilly, and I daren't lose a bit.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Steve's back is also starting to hurt.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Just starting to feel it now, starting to ache now.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13So, just trying to stay on top of it,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15use the opportunity to have my stretch-off.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Not on the painkillers yet, still early days.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Going to try and get through today without any painkillers, see how I am tomorrow.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35The guys push on, skiing for the next eight hours.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51At the end of the day, they've learnt a lot, but at a cost.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Steve is in pain.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00I got through till about half one this afternoon,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03and then I took some painkillers, But it was all right after that.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08And what's left of Jaco's arm is worrying him.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13The arm was getting very cold in the last two hours.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Once it goes cold, it takes a little bit of a while to warm it up.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24I feel I need to help, or to do something,
0:30:24 > 0:30:26but sometimes I just get in the way.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29It's a bit frustrating not being able to help.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34I'm just helping Jaco with his boot off.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38He's perfectly capable of doing it himself, but it just saves a little bit of time.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Double knots, Jaco, absolute no-no.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47As charity founders, Ed and Simon are responsible for the welfare of the team.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51There is an issue with Jaco's arm, in that we couldn't get it warm.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56So we need to find a way to pack Jaco's arm with heat
0:30:56 > 0:30:58that can last a month.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03Ultimately, it's their decision who goes to the pole.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Steve's my worry. Steve's back is my worry.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10Because I've got to be honest, I don't know how to solve it at the moment.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14For Steve and Jaco, it's been a worrying start,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18and there are still five more days to go.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24As they get into a routine, there's time to enjoy the scenery,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26especially for South African Jaco.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Amazing to think that we're on a frozen lake now.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Back home, I would never even see something like this, it's unreal.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Actually walking on water.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Breathtaking.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Today's been absolutely incredible, stunning.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56We haven't seen another person full stop since we started.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01With good weather, the team move on well.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12But as at the pole, the weather can change dramatically and dangerously.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16I'd rather be anywhere but here!
0:32:16 > 0:32:18The wind's howling.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20It is very beautiful,
0:32:20 > 0:32:25but truth be known, it's quite hard.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29The team ski into a 35mph wind for the rest of the day...
0:32:35 > 0:32:40..only pitching camp as the weather finally calms, just before sunset.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Jaco is concerned about his role on the expedition.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51It's only now that I realise how difficult it is
0:32:51 > 0:32:53to do stuff with one hand.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55I'm just frustrated, basically.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57I'm keen to help, I want to help,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01I want to do...my part of the deal.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Sorry, it's just getting to me a bit.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11While I'm pulling, all I can think about is
0:33:11 > 0:33:17what can I do, you know, to make it worthwhile that I'm in the team,
0:33:17 > 0:33:22to carry my weight, to show that I'm here for a reason.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26I really do hope the other boys see it as well,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30and they can see that I'm really putting in 110%.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45Overnight, the bad weather has returned, but worse.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50In these conditions, the only shelter is your tent.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Without it, it's game over.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00While the storm rages on, all they can do is wait it out.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- Do I live at the North Pole?- Nope.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Playing games...
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I'm in the movies,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10and I'm surprisingly not good-looking.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Watching kit dry...
0:34:14 > 0:34:16We could do a bit of rotation.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- Anything to pass the time. - Am I the Hulk?
0:34:19 > 0:34:20Yes!
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Oh, yes!
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Oh, no, the South African one!
0:34:33 > 0:34:36The next morning, the weather's cleared.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It's all hands on deck to dig themselves out
0:34:41 > 0:34:43and get ready to start skiing again.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I'm having difficulty, Dags, I've only got the use of one arm.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51It's taken me quite a long time to put your jacket inside your pulk, but hang on a minute...
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- Mind over matter! - OK, yeah, we're getting there.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57But the mood in camps soon changes
0:34:57 > 0:35:01when Steve's fragile back takes a turn for the worse.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Go on, keep doing it.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12As Steve's tent buddy, it's Jaco's job to help
0:35:12 > 0:35:15when his spine locks up and goes into spasm.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19So that's my vertebra there...
0:35:19 > 0:35:24If you can't find the gap between the vertebrae, put the palm of your hand on there and press down.
0:35:24 > 0:35:30I've always had Steve as our top risk, because he's the one you can't see.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Is that better?
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- Keep going...- I think he's in a great deal of pain.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Up about an inch, yeah?
0:35:39 > 0:35:43We know they're never going to say "Stop",
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and so we have to do the saying of the stop.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50And he'll start thinking that it's the end of it for him.
0:35:50 > 0:35:56I'm sure it's not, but his back is far, far, far more important.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59You can't do this hard enough, mate, the harder you do it, the better.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05If there's doubt, then we will have to say no.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Steve takes time to rest his back and allow his painkillers to kick in.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Half an hour later, he emerges.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- All right, Steve.- Boys.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Still a bit sore, mate.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27I think I'm going to have to take it easy today.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Feel a bit jacked really, standing here watching the boys do all the work.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34But I suppose that's just part of being of in a team.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41The team set off again, with Jaco pulling Steve's pulk
0:36:41 > 0:36:44for a couple of hours to give his back a rest.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51It took a long time, a good couple of hours,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55after stretching, taking painkillers, to come round a bit.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58I've had to swallow my pride and let Jaco pull my pulk for a few hours.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06'He took a couple of painkillers, he took a couple of hours off,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08'skiing without pulling his pulk,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12'and then he pulled the pulk for the rest of the day, on our longest day.'
0:37:13 > 0:37:16'Steve's back is the one I just don't know about.'
0:37:19 > 0:37:24Being injured, it shuts quite a lot of doors, but it opens up just as many.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28And this door has opened up, and I'm really glad it did.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32It brings back a feeling of being able to do something again.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Taking wounded soldiers on the first unsupported expedition
0:37:39 > 0:37:42to the North Pole will be tough enough,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45but the guys have shown what can be achieved
0:37:45 > 0:37:47with determination and teamwork.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52We step onto the ice two months today.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56I've always thought we are going to do it - I wouldn't be
0:37:56 > 0:37:59standing here if I thought it wasn't doable -
0:37:59 > 0:38:02but I know it's going to be very, very hard.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06But I've got much more confidence now that we are going to succeed.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10If it was all about willpower, we would cruise this,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14but it's a bit more than that, and that's the jeopardy in it, really.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17I suppose that's the excitement, and that's why no-one's done it.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22Initially when you come back injured, you think life's probably not that great.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25For us, we're doing something we'd have probably never dreamed of doing
0:38:25 > 0:38:30when we were lying in our beds in Camp Bastion after having bits chopped off us.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38MUSIC: "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Back in the UK, and with just a few weeks left
0:38:45 > 0:38:49until they depart for the ice, the team's adventure
0:38:49 > 0:38:51has caught the imagination of both the public...
0:38:51 > 0:38:54You keep them on, I'll get one with the jacket on...
0:38:54 > 0:38:56And the world's press.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00My phone hasn't stopped, all the lads saying, "Just saw you on the telly, heard you on the radio."
0:39:00 > 0:39:05The boys are swept up in a media whirlwind of photo shoots...
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Can everyone look this way, please?
0:39:09 > 0:39:11..TV appearances...
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Filled in the forms...
0:39:13 > 0:39:16..visits to meet the Prime Minister at Number 10...
0:39:16 > 0:39:18How are you...?
0:39:18 > 0:39:22..and a celebrity fund-raising ball.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25# They tried to break us
0:39:25 > 0:39:29# Looks like they'll try again
0:39:29 > 0:39:31# Wild boys
0:39:31 > 0:39:34# Never close your eyes
0:39:34 > 0:39:38# Wild boys always... #
0:39:38 > 0:39:43APPLAUSE
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Just over 12 months after launching themselves on the world,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52the team arrive in Svalbard,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55an island deep within the Arctic Circle.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00It's the start of the final phase of their expedition to the North Pole.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Prince Harry will be joining them soon,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07after he's finished the next stage of his helicopter training.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10- It's a bit colder. - It will be a little bit colder!
0:40:11 > 0:40:17In five days, they're due to land on the polar ice cap for the very first time.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22The team are staying in Longyearbyen,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25an old coal-mining town
0:40:25 > 0:40:30that for a brief period every spring is a hub for polar expeditions.
0:40:30 > 0:40:36In a local warehouse, they start prepping their kit, their freeze-dried food
0:40:36 > 0:40:43and everything they will need to survive on the ice cap for the planned three-week trip.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47You've got to force yourself to eat. Especially when you're tired,
0:40:47 > 0:40:48it becomes a significant chore,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52and you've got to just force yourself to get it down you.
0:40:52 > 0:40:59Every day the team will need to consume at least 6,500 calories just to fuel their bodies.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02That's almost three times the normal requirement.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Hang on - why do you want 50 breakfasts?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Sorry, 25 breakfasts, 50 main meals.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12- OK. That's more like it, I get it now.- Happy with that, yeah.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15It's going crazy! HE LAUGHS
0:41:15 > 0:41:18You're either going to starve or arrive at the Pole about 90 stone!
0:41:23 > 0:41:25With Prince Harry's arrival...
0:41:25 > 0:41:27How are you doing, mate?
0:41:27 > 0:41:30..the team is complete.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31Very good to see you.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35'My father knew I was coming out, and so did my brother,
0:41:35 > 0:41:37'but I kind of kept it quiet.'
0:41:37 > 0:41:40My grandparents and the rest of my family probably just found out
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and probably think I'm completely mad - it's probably right.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47My father was nervous because of my lack of training and quite rightly so.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49He's got a lot of friends who've done this.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54Professional opinions no doubt would've advised him, saying, "Do not let your son go."
0:41:54 > 0:41:57But hopefully when I get back,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01my father will be pleased.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Harry plans to be with the guys for five days -
0:42:06 > 0:42:08two preparing and three on the ice.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19They head off on a 20-mile training ski -
0:42:19 > 0:42:22their first together as a full team.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32HE LAUGHS Woo-hoo!
0:42:37 > 0:42:39LAUGHTER
0:42:47 > 0:42:50First day with the team - fantastic, great experience.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Probably a little bit harder than originally thought.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56It's really interesting just to see the guys,
0:42:56 > 0:42:58the amount of training they've been doing -
0:42:58 > 0:43:00it's just so slick, and just runs off their feet.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05The guy with one leg as well, it's fantastic to watch them.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09They've been at the front of the pack the whole time, me and the old boys have been stuck at the back.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Climbing, that's where it really becomes difficult with having one arm.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23You haven't got the weight or the balance of both arms to pull you up.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26So for quite a steep bit, I had to go sideways,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29which is really hard work on the legs.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37'I'm only around for five days, which is nothing compared to those guys, doing four weeks.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43'Generally, I have no idea what to expect. The unknown is slightly scary.'
0:43:43 > 0:43:48Coming up there, when the wind picked up, you start feeling hot spots on your face and your neck,
0:43:48 > 0:43:54but hopefully everybody will look out for each other, and frostbite and such things won't happen.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00'He's fitted in with the boys, really when he walked through the door.'
0:44:00 > 0:44:04He is one of them, he's a soldier just like them. It's been great,
0:44:04 > 0:44:09it's given the team a bit of a lift. We spend all our time with one another and we get on very well,
0:44:09 > 0:44:12but to bring someone else into the team has been great.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17LAUGHTER
0:44:19 > 0:44:22'With any bunch of guys, it would probably be a pretty exhausting trip,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25'but with these guys, it's once-in-a-lifetime.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27'For me, I couldn't say no.'
0:44:28 > 0:44:33LAUGHTER
0:44:36 > 0:44:38There's been a party mood all day,
0:44:38 > 0:44:43a good sign for the team's departure, the day after tomorrow.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Back in their hotel, Martin's still full of beans.
0:44:54 > 0:44:55Stop it!
0:44:55 > 0:44:58DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Doin' a dance for you, Maximus.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Hey, do one, this is private!
0:45:03 > 0:45:05LAUGHTER
0:45:05 > 0:45:10But Harry's feeling less energetic after seven hours on skis.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13The first bit of it was actually quite fun.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Yeah, it started all right.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20Afterwards, the second bit of it was, erm,
0:45:20 > 0:45:22was a bit of a nightmare, actually.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Hard work. Those boys - they're doing seriously well.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30I know they had a lot of training, but that still doesn't excuse
0:45:30 > 0:45:35the fact that they went up that hill at mach 10, and left us all behind.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38So yeah, it was fairly embarrassing.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42My whole body's a bit sore, to be honest.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Thank God the North Pole's flat.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Jaco struggled in the cold.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53I just stood about 20 minutes in the shower to try and warm it up and get some feeling back into it.
0:45:53 > 0:45:54It got really, really painful.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58But it's Steve who has suffered the most.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Right, I'll lift a little bit, try to relax.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05He's called in a physiotherapist to try to sort him out.
0:46:05 > 0:46:11'The last about half hour before we got back, it was quite steep and I went over on the skis.'
0:46:11 > 0:46:15I landed quite heavily on my back, and it was really painful.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18- That's a nice stretch, I like that. - Yes?- Yep.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20That feels good.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25New man, thank you very much, mate.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28Cheers. I'm going to definitely have to take it easy now.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Fingers crossed it will be OK for Friday.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38The next morning, the guys are in their room sorting kit.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44Tomorrow, they're due to depart for the ice.
0:46:44 > 0:46:51- OK, cool.- Have you seen Dags about? - Er, yes, I thought they went out to go and get bungee.- OK, brilliant.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Harry's playing catch-up organising his rations.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Some of it's better than army rations, some of it isn't.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Choc chip dessert is, that can go there.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15What d'you reckon that says, lamb...mullade?
0:47:15 > 0:47:18- Lamb mullen?- It's like a cross between lamb and duck.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Whatever it is, it's going to get eaten.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25Are you starting to get to know the guys a little bit?
0:47:25 > 0:47:30Yeah, I am actually. On that first day, that little ski trip we did,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34had a chance to spend some time with each of them.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36That's very good, by the way.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Had it this morning, it's really nice. Doesn't look nice.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44Definitely looking forward to it, actually. Just trying to work out
0:47:44 > 0:47:46whether I'll be glad to get off the ice or not.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Hopefully I won't be glad,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52hopefully I'll miss them and hopefully I'll want to stay.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56Because then that means it hasn't been too hard, it means they'll make it.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59Sunshine cereal with raspberry...
0:47:59 > 0:48:03That will cheer my day up.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07Is this very different for you, you know,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I say getting away from the limelight, but...
0:48:10 > 0:48:12being able to go off and do something on your own?
0:48:12 > 0:48:16Do you mean without policemen and security and so on? Yeah, I know,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18I am looking forward to that.
0:48:18 > 0:48:24I think this takes it to the extreme. I could have just gone for a walk at home, couldn't I, really?
0:48:24 > 0:48:26It will be nice to be just with these guys.
0:48:26 > 0:48:32It's going to be five army lads, and then two old blokes and a couple of guides,
0:48:32 > 0:48:34and then you two.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37It's quite a strange bunch, to be honest.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39We'll all send each other mad!
0:48:39 > 0:48:411,2,3,4,5,6,7.
0:48:41 > 0:48:46If I eat that much in five days, my body's going to be doing things that it's never done before.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49With the main packing out of the way,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53the team can concentrate on smaller, unfinished tasks...
0:48:53 > 0:48:57- HARRY LAUGHS - That guy's pretty...
0:48:59 > 0:49:01..like customising their kit for the North Pole.
0:49:01 > 0:49:02Oh, yes!
0:49:02 > 0:49:08I'm about to make a Household Division standard. How am I going to do this?
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Both Prince Harry and Sergeant Steve Young are part of the Household Division,
0:49:11 > 0:49:16whose colours are blue, red, blue.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Harry wants to make a regimental flash for his polar jacket.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23This is the only problem with being part of the Household Division.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25If you want to do this, you have to do it properly.
0:49:25 > 0:49:30If I don't, old Stevie boy next door is going to go, "No you can't wear that."
0:49:30 > 0:49:33I can't... I...
0:49:33 > 0:49:35HE LAUGHS
0:49:35 > 0:49:39But the third in line to the throne isn't experienced with a needle and thread.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40Oh-la!
0:49:44 > 0:49:45Don't zoom in.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Don't! I can see your fingers working.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50LAUGHTER
0:49:50 > 0:49:52I bet you can't see the green string.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- That's pathetic.- Don't rip it! - That is pathetic.- Please don't!
0:49:56 > 0:49:59- If it was one of my blokes...- Does it take you long to sew, though?
0:49:59 > 0:50:01About five minutes, probably.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Five minutes? I knew there was a reason you were on the trip.
0:50:04 > 0:50:05What, for sewing?
0:50:05 > 0:50:08It's great to feel you're needed, honest to God, it is.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10It's great to feel part of the team.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12'Prince Harry is obviously an officer.'
0:50:12 > 0:50:18Obviously, an officer. But I suppose it's not expected for officers to be very good at sewing!
0:50:18 > 0:50:23Proofs in the pudding - it was a good effort, but I'll do it for him, no problem, yeah.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28I can hear you in the corridor!
0:50:32 > 0:50:38As the day wears on, thoughts turn to friends and family at home.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42Jaco's showing Harry some family pictures.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47- Who's that? - That was my girl at the time.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50- So that's your...- Sister.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52My mother.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58- Millennium Stadium... - And you guys probably won.
0:50:58 > 0:51:05It's a little photo album my sister made for me as a surprise just before we came out.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07That's Greenwich Park.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12If I keep going through here, there's going to be like a different girl with you every time.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15Unfortunately not, no!
0:51:15 > 0:51:17That's my ex-girlfriend.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21She's still in South Africa.
0:51:22 > 0:51:28It was kind of hard keeping a relationship going.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30It's heartbreaking. I still love her to bits.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36- Oh! That's a tiny little nipper! - Yeah.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42It's unbelievable, the circle,
0:51:42 > 0:51:46the amount of people that gets affected by just your injuries.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48Friends and family.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52I couldn't even walk, couldn't even wash myself.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59They supported me, they helped me to be where I am today,
0:51:59 > 0:52:03so I'm taking them to the Pole with me to show them a good time!
0:52:09 > 0:52:13Tomorrow, the team depart for the ice.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17It's their last chance to enjoy a proper meal.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26OK, video diary, erm, Harry Wales...
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Can't wait to get on the ice with these guys.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Just get to spend some time with them in a very special place.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41So, I can't wait to see it, and then I'll be very sad to leave them.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48They're not just doing it for themselves, they're doing it for all their mates
0:52:48 > 0:52:51and their comrades and everybody else in the British Forces,
0:52:51 > 0:52:53who, you know, have given the ultimate sacrifice.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I hope everything goes according to plan, and they get to the end,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01and there's tears and hugs and all that sort of stuff.
0:53:01 > 0:53:06So, good on them. Good luck, guys, really good luck.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11It's very hard to be serious with you, because you're always laughing,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14but I mean it from the bottom of my heart -
0:53:14 > 0:53:15best of luck.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Signing off. If I can find the right button.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26The next morning, there's a nasty surprise.
0:53:26 > 0:53:32Overnight, an Arctic storm has blown in and the team's departure is delayed.
0:53:34 > 0:53:39The jet meant to fly them to Barneo, the Russian ice station, is grounded.
0:53:40 > 0:53:45Their goal of reaching the North Pole has just become even harder.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47'We've got no room for error.'
0:53:47 > 0:53:51It means that if our pace slows for one reason or another,
0:53:51 > 0:53:54we really risk not completing the expedition on time.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59'There's already been talk about doing some good long days, 30-36 hours,
0:53:59 > 0:54:00'which we may have to do'
0:54:00 > 0:54:05- as part of it. - I think we're going to be forced to.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09From a personal opinion, yeah, a bit gutted,
0:54:09 > 0:54:13but mainly for those guys, not being able to get out there and get the job done.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15That's all I really care about, to be honest.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19For four days, all they can do is kill time.
0:54:24 > 0:54:25Yeah, we'll do that tonight.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29That's all right, we suddenly thought that was a bad idea.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37On the back of my diary, I've got all the dates, how long we're here.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43I've crossed off a heck of a lot! We haven't taken one step yet!
0:54:49 > 0:54:51And then...
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Good news or bad news? Bad news?
0:54:54 > 0:54:57- Yep.- It's minus 42 out there.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59- Nice, nice.- Good news?
0:54:59 > 0:55:00- Yep.- Finally...
0:55:00 > 0:55:03- green light.- Get it on, get it on!
0:55:06 > 0:55:12We're taking the pulks out tonight at six, and then we will fly tomorrow afternoon.
0:55:12 > 0:55:13Finally going!
0:55:13 > 0:55:17That's good news, that's what that is. Let's get going.
0:55:19 > 0:55:20Good news.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Is that good dancing or bad dancing?
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Erm, we're going tomorrow.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- What's tomorrow, Sunday?- Yeah.- Cool.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32- Is that coming?- Yeah. - HE LAUGHS
0:55:32 > 0:55:34That is coming? That's coming?!
0:55:36 > 0:55:44After 13 months of planning, preparation and training, the team are on their way.
0:55:44 > 0:55:45Walls don't move with you!
0:55:45 > 0:55:49THEY LAUGH
0:55:58 > 0:56:02'It's unbelievable really, that I've been given this opportunity to do it.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07'Stevie, from the Rhondda Valley, it's unheard of.
0:56:08 > 0:56:14'I think this is like, sort of, the end of a two-year part of my life.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17'It's taken a massive chunk out of my life, this injury.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21'It's like, sort of, an end goal,
0:56:21 > 0:56:22'me going to the North Pole.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30'Before I went to Afghan, I had several major fears - one, to lose a bloke, and that happened.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34'It's something that'll be with me until the day I die.
0:56:35 > 0:56:40'Two, I didn't want anyone to die in our regiment - we lost six guys.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44'Three, quite selfishly, I didn't want to get injured myself,
0:56:44 > 0:56:47'I didn't want to lose legs - and that happened.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52'It's a fault of the young - you feel completely immortal until you have a bit of a knock.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56'It's going to be hard, it's going to be difficult.
0:56:56 > 0:57:01'All you can do is train, seek advice from those that have done it.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05'And then prepare yourselves as best you can -
0:57:05 > 0:57:10'in our case, adapt and improvise to accommodate our injuries.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12'I think we've done that.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16'Life isn't easy.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21'It takes me always a couple of minutes extra to do something now.
0:57:21 > 0:57:26'And then when you're on your own, you need a bit of help, but there's no-one to help you.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29'There is days when I'm angry and fed up, yes.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32'You just need to put your pride away,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35'you just need to let someone help you.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39'I think it's great, I think it's going to be life-changing, to be honest.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45- HARRY:- 'My only concern is the mentality within the British Forces
0:57:45 > 0:57:48'is, if you're feeling yourself becoming man down,
0:57:48 > 0:57:52'then you don't say anything, cos you're so mentally willing to be at the front.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54'You will eventually just drop.
0:57:54 > 0:57:59'But obviously in these environments, you can't do that, you have to be honest with yourself.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02'Gone are the days of trying to be Mr Tough Guy - if you have a problem, a niggle,
0:58:02 > 0:58:08'you talk about it and you share the pain, because otherwise you're never going to survive,
0:58:08 > 0:58:09'simple as that.'
0:58:11 > 0:58:14Four wounded British soldiers,
0:58:14 > 0:58:16two expedition founders,
0:58:16 > 0:58:19one polar guide,
0:58:19 > 0:58:21one prince,
0:58:21 > 0:58:24and one polar ice cap.
0:58:33 > 0:58:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:37 > 0:58:40E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk