CAPTAIN. LEADER. EXPLORER. RECORD-BREAKER. AWARD-WINNER. FATHER.
A true polar titan in modern terms, Louis Rudd MBE is a British record-breaking polar adventurer, expedition leader, former Royal Marine Commando and SAS soldier, with 34 years of service. He is the first - and only - person to have traversed Antarctica twice using human power alone, has reached the South Pole four times from different coastal start points and summited Antarctica’s highest mountain.
He is a member of the Explorers Club, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an Ambassador for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Director of Expeditions for Shackleton, a Published Author and accomplished Public Speaker.
Image Credit: Joseis Dein
WHERE IS ALL STARTED
"I was born in a blizzard in 1969, February, during a terrible winter in the UK...From there, I think it was destiny."
RECORD-BREAKER
Besides his birth in a snowstorm, Louis cut his teeth in polar terms during The Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race in 2011/12. The expedition commemorated the historic 1911 race to the South Pole with two British Army teams retracing the original routes of Scott and Amundsen. Louis, together with his teammate the late Lt Col Henry Worsley MBE took the Amundsen Route, departing from the Bay of Whales and climbing to the plateau through the Axel Heiberg glacier.
Louis thirst for polar exploration only deepened when he was asked to lead SPEAR17 (South Pole Expedition Army Reserves 2017). Initially it was planned as a 730-mile unsupported ski journey to the South Pole, but following Worsley's death in 2016, the mission was altered to honour his legacy by attempting to complete a 1,100-mile coast-to-coast Antarctic traverse. The six-man team, led by Louis, completed the gruelling journey in 2017, overcoming extreme conditions and pushing physical and mental limits.
In May 2018 Louis self organised and guided a team of five civilian friends on a 570km west-to-east traverse of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Despite a difficult season and hurricane-strength winds, the team completed the crossing in 27 days. They were one of the few teams that season to make it across and Louis conducted a rescue of a stranded team mate from a collapsed tent during a violent piteraq.
The Spirit of Endurance expedition in 2018/19 aimed to honor Shackleton’s vision by completing a 920-mile solo, unsupported crossing of Antarctica, a feat requiring extreme resilience and determination. Louis, carrying 145kg of supplies and enduring temperatures of -30°C, successfully achieved this monumental challenge over 56 days, drawing on polar expertise and inspiration from past explorers and friends including Worsley. He was the first Briton and second globally to achieve the feat. Post-expedition, he led a five-month schools program for the Army. He received the 2019 Scientific Exploration Society ‘Explorer of the Year’ award.
THE EPITOME OF TRUE COURAGE
"To me, mental strength or courage is what stands out...Seeing people pick themselves up and keep going after setbacks - that, to me, is the epitome of true courage."
TAKING IT FURTHER
With thousands of polar miles under his belt and a career carved by resilience and grit, Louis finds profound gratification in guiding others through extreme conditions, often balancing physical endurance with the psychological demands of leadership.
From guiding the disabled person to trek from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole and climb Mount Vinson, unsupported and unassisted, to leading Shackleton clients through their own transformational journeys on Shackleton Challenges, Louis' work reflects his lifelong commitment to exploration both geographical and introspective. Driven by challenge, for Louis, each journey is not only a test of endurance but also a celebration of personal growth, teamwork and inner strength.
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LOUIS' KIT BAG
