Property auctioneer and extreme adventurer, Paul Fosh, is currently trekking across the Arctic in a bid to raise £3,000 to help fight homelessness in Wales.

The 57-year-old managing director of Paul Fosh Auctions set out from a village in the Norbotten region of Sweden over the weekend as part of the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra. He hopes to complete the 500km distance, all while pulling his food, gear and essential supplies in a sled, within 10 days.

This will be the second time Paul attempts the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic Ultra event, having to pull out mid-way through due to Covid. However, the auctioneer has competed in similar events, including the Likeys Ultra in Canada when he was one of just eight to finish, coming fourth out of the 24 that entered. He also completed the 300-mile Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra in 2016.

Paul comments: “I am thrilled to be participating in the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra, a 500km personal challenge that will push me to my limits.

“I am fundraising for Llamau, a charity that is close to my heart. They provide vital support and resources to individuals experiencing homelessness in Wales. Their dedication and commitment to helping those in need is truly inspiring.”

Extreme effort

Putting his latest challenge into perspective, Paul adds: “These extreme Arctic ultra events tend to have a completion rate by athletes of around just 20% compared to say a race people may have heard of called the Marathon des Sables which has a completion rate of around 80%.

“Conditions are so brutal that in 2018 just one of the 23 competitors, who began the full distance race, made it to the finish line.

“Frostbite is a constant peril hanging over every racer. One year an experienced ultra-runner from Italy lost part of both legs and an arm to the condition.

“The Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra is something for which I have been in training for months and now the time is here I’m raring to get going.”