Prince Harry’s Trek to Antarctica Delayed - East Idaho News
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Prince Harry’s Trek to Antarctica Delayed

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Getty 111813 PrinceHarry?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1384811219969Karwai Tang/WireImage(NEW YORK) — Prince Harry just departed for his 200-mile trek through Antarctica, and already he’s learned an important lesson when it comes to taking on ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures.  That is, there are some things that one cannot control.

In this case, Prince Harry’s flight to Antarctica was delayed Monday thanks to poor weather conditions, leaving the 29-year-old royal and his teammates stuck in South Africa at least overnight.

Harry was all smiles when he was spotted departing the team’s plane at their scheduled landing in Cape Town on Monday, prior to the announcement of the change in plans.  The prince was dressed down in a short-sleeve polo shirt, a sharp contrast from the attire he will wear when he finally arrives in Antarctica, where temperatures can fall to 40 degrees below zero.

Harry is traveling with a team of four injured British servicemen and women.  They will begin the walk, which is expected to take 16 to 17 days, on Nov. 30, and spend their time beforehand acclimating to the extreme conditions.

Harry, himself an Afghanistan veteran known as Captain Wales in the British army, committed to the walk to raise funds for Walking with the Wounded, a charity he patrons that provides rehabilitation services for military veterans.

In September, Harry joined his teammates, each of whom had limbs amputated after being injured in Afghanistan, in a training exercise that included a 20-hour stay in a subzero training chamber, according to the U.K.’s Guardian.

In 2011, Harry took part in the Walking with the Wounded trek to the North Pole for five days, where he spent the night in a tent while temperatures outside dipped to negative 25 degrees.

In this year’s race, Harry will face off against True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard, who will head the U.S. team, and The Wire star Dominic West, who will race with the Commonwealth team.  Prince Harry has promised he will serve tea to the winner at the finish line.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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