CHALLENGES TEAM
We work with some of the very best polar guides, ensuring the highest possible safety, tuition and expertise on every expedition. Every Shackleton Challenge has at least two highly-qualified guides, led by Director of Expeditions Louis Rudd, and managed by Expedition Manager, Wendy Searle – between them they have accumulated thousands of miles on foot in polar regions. You will have several interactions with Wendy and Louis prior to departure, they will advise on pre-expedition training, kit recommendation and what to expect when on a Shackleton Challenge.
Book a 30-minute introductory call with our challenges team to find the right Shackleton Challenge for you.
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the shackleton CHALLENGES TEAM
DIRECTOR OF EXPEDITIONS
LOUIS RUDD MBE
Louis Rudd MBE is a record-breaking polar adventurer, former Royal Marine Commando and SAS soldier. He is the first and only person to have traversed Antarctica twice using human power alone and has reached the South Pole three times from different coastal starting points. Louis has covered more than 3000 polar miles on skis, with multiple extreme cold-weather tours in Northern Norway with the special forces. He has guided expeditions on a 1100-mile crossing of Antarctica and a 350-mile crossing of Greenland. He is also a military Arctic warfare instructor, a military ski instructor, a qualified army patrol medic, and a military snowmobile instructor, with additional training in crevasse and avalanche rescue. A member of the Explorers Club and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Louis has written of his journeys to date in his autobiography ‘Endurance’.
EXPEDITION MANAGER
WENDY SEARLE
Wendy is a polar explorer with experience in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Antarctica. In 2020, Wendy became only the seventh woman in history to complete a solo, unsupported journey from Hercules Inlet to the geographic South Pole. She has also completed a full traverse of Greenland and trained extensively in Finse. In addition to her own trips, Wendy has extensive experience in planning and managing other major expeditions – she was the expedition manager for Louis’ record-breaking Spirit of Endurance Expedition in 2018. Wendy also has a wealth of knowledge about the history of polar exploration and scientific research at high latitudes.
SHACKLETON CO-FOUNDER
IAN HOLDCROFT
Ian is a Founder of Shackleton and committed endurance adventurer. He competes in a wide range of endurance events across running, cycling and rowing. He has successfully taken on major challenges such as multiple ultra marathons, including the Atacama Desert crossing, UTMB, TDS and in 2020 he rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Ian's passion is to help other people build the myriad benefits of adventure into their lives.
HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT&
EXPEDITION PREPARATION
MAX THORPE
Max is a world record-breaking athlete and the protagonist of an unlikely comeback story. His experiences have taken him to the very edge when in 2017 he and his teammate were hit by a devastating rogue wave during a race to row across the Atlantic Ocean. The resulting capsize, fire and rescue is widely regarded as some of the most perilous sequence of events in the history of ocean sport. Two years later he returned to win the race and set a new world record for the fastest pairs crossing in history. Prior to joining Shackleton, Max ran his own consulting business focused on helping individuals and teams from boat, boardroom and beyond to tackle the critical challenges of preparedness for extreme and uncertain environments.
CHALLENGES GUIDE
SIMON ABRAHAMS
Simon is a professional IFMGA Mountain Guide based in Chamonix, France, offering mountaineering and ski guiding both here in the European Alps and Worldwide.
He has been climbing and mountaineering around the world for over 35 years and has worked full time in the mountains since 1987. He lives in Chamonix in the French Alps. As an International Mountain Guide, Simon holds the prestigious IFMGA carnet, which is the highest internationally recognised qualification for instruction and guiding in the disciplines of rock and ice climbing, mountaineering and skiing. He also holds the Mountain Instructors Certificate (MIC), which is the UK’s highest qualification for Mountain Professionals.
Simon is Shackleton’s lead guide for our Mountain Challenges.
CHALLENGES GUIDE
ROB SMITH
Rob Smith has been adventuring and guiding around the world for 25 years. He has worked in Antarctica since 2000, supporting national science programmes and guiding expeditions. He has skied to the South Pole twice from the edge of the continent on opposite sides of Antarctica, and climbed Mount Vinson 19 times.
He has climbed Mount Everest 7 times from the Tibetan and Nepalese sides, in addition to climbing K2 8611m 2 times, Lhotse 8516m, Cho Oyu 8211m and Manaslu 8156m. Furthermore, he has climbed 6 of the world’s 7 summits, the highest points on each continent, and abandoned his attempt on Denali 150m from the top to rescue a collapsed climber. In 2021-22 he climbed Antarctica’s 3 highest mountains, Vinson Massif 4892m, Mt. Tyree 4852m and Mt Shinn 4660m in 1 week. A feat not repeated since their first ascents in 1966.
