ROYAL MARINES 350
l From left, Royal Marines Mne Tom Barker, 45 Cdo, Cpl Anthony Fairclough, CLR, C/Sgt Richie Hayden, 40 Cdo, Capt Sam Moreton, 42 Cdo, L/Cpl Matt Robb, 45 Cdo and Cpl Tom Rounding, 30 Cdo Picture: POA(Phot)Mez Merrill
N l From left, Tom Rounding, Anthony Fairclough, Tom Barker, Richie Hayden, Sam Moreton and Matt Robb were met by a CHF Sea King at Bardufoss, Norway, during the ski phase of the challenge Picture: L(Phot) Paul Halliwell
l Anthony Fairclough was joined by brother Chris for the sailing phase of the challenge
l The 1664 team pictured in France on day 13 of the cycle phase 32 : NOVEMBER 2014
Picture: PO(Phot) Si Ethell
Super six’s epic 1664 Challenge
OTHING sums up the ethos of the Royal Marines more than the 1664 Challenge which saw a core team of six Marines travel roughly 6,849km from the Arctic Circle to Spain, France and around the UK. The five-month challenge was divided into five phases: A 1,664km ski, 1,664km sail, 1,664km cycle, 193km canoe and finally a 1,664km run. The six who completed the challenge are: Capt Sam Moreton, 26, based at 42 Cdo, Plymouth; C/Sgt Richie Hayden, 33, based at 40 Cdo, Taunton; Cpl Tom Rounding, 35, based at 30 Cdo, Plymouth; Cpl Anthony Fairclough, 25, based at Commando Logistics Regiment, North Devon; L/Cpl Matt Robb, 27, based at 43 Cdo in Faslane, Scotland and Mne Tom Barker, 19, based at 45 Cdo in Arbroath, Scotland. The adventure began in February with the ski phase, which saw the six joined by 13 other Royal Marines for the 1,664km journey south across Norway. Averaging a marathon a day on skis, and carrying their full survival kit, they crossed the Finnmark Plateaux and Lyngen Alps in north Norway, and then traversed the Dovrefjell, Jotunheimen and Hardangervidda in southern Norway before arriving in Stavanger in April. Royal Navy colleagues from Commando Helicopter Force met up with the skiers near Bardufoss. A Sea King Mk4 helicopter, from 845 NAS flew out to meet the skiers as they crossed a frozen lake and guided them towards
l The six march at the back of a parade on the final day of 1664, which coincided with the Freedom of the City of London celebrations the Cold Weather Training Camp at Äsegarden, near Harstad. Once the team reached Stavanger they went onboard HMSTC Endeavour for the journey to Cadiz in Spain. Joining the crew was Anthony Fairclough’s twin brother Christopher – the first time the two Marines had worked together since joining the Corps. Chris, a rifleman with 42 Cdo, said: “I’m just really glad we had the opportunity to do this on such a remarkable event.” The challenge continued in Spain with a 1,664km cycle from Cadiz to Port-en-Bessin in
l The team during the kayaking phase from France to the UK
France, from where they paddled canoes across to Portsmouth. During the cycle phase the team cycled more than 80 miles a day in temperatures above 30°c in order to reach the coast by May 17. For it is the French town that their predecessors, the men of 47 Commando, stormed and captured from the Germans on June 6 1944. The team of six were supported on their challenge across the water by 24 other qualified kayakers and Landing Craft crews.The last phase of the RM 1664 Challenge got under way from the Royal Marines Museum in Portsmouth on May 26. Thousands of Royal Marines took part in running events up and down the country. The challenge came to an end in London on July 25 with an overnight marathon. The six then joined fellow Royal Marines for the Freedom of the City of London parade. “The challenge was massively ambitious, but that’s what being in the Royal Marines is all about – to go that extra mile, to achieve the extraordinary,” said Lt Col Gary Green, the brains behind the RM 1664 Challenge. Apart from celebrating 350 years of the Royal Marines Corps, the Challenge also raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. The charity supports injured Marines and their families, providing them with an essential lifeline to help them come to terms with life-changing injuries. To donate to the RMCTF, visit www.1664challenge.co.uk and click on the justgiving link.
Picture: PO(Phot) Si Ethell
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