He has conquered Everest, scaled the north face of the Eiger and has run across deserts, but Sir Ranulph Fiennes appears to have met his match in a clash with Whitehall bureaucrats, according to reports. The 72-year-old, called “the world’s greatest living explorer” by Guinness World Records, claimed the Foreign Office blocked an attempt to traverse the Antarctic during winter as it would be “embarrassing” for them if he got into difficulties. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) guidance says the British Antarctic Territory is inaccessible during winter months – March to October – and that permits may be required for travel to the icy wilderness. A spokesman said: “There is not a blanket ban on travel to Antarctica in winter, but it has to be safe. Sir Ranulph Fiennes is a great British explorer who we can be proud of and in 2013 the FCO gave permission for Sir Ranulph to travel there in winter, but unfortunately, as was widely reported at the time, he had to abandon that expedition.”

Source: The Guardian October 13, 2016 06:10 UTC