WOUNDED Selby soldier Ibrar Ali has spent 24 hours in an icy chamber with Prince Harry as they prepare to race to the South Pole.

Captain Ali, 35, of Eggborough, awoke yesterday to a snow blizzard in a test chamber which simulated some of the brutal conditions he will face in the Antarctic later this year.

The soldier, who lost his right arm in a roadside bombing in Iraq in 2007, is taking part in the Walking With The Wounded charity’s South Pole Allied Challenge, which will involve his UK team taking on teams from the United States and the Commonwealth.

During their time in the test chamber at the MIRA motor industry test centre in Hinckley, Leicestershire, the UK team tested equipment and practised their routine for the expedition using exercise bikes.

They also set up camp for the night while being subjected to temperatures of minus 35C and blizzards and winds of up to 200kmph – conditions they can expect during the race.

The team only consumed high energy snacks and hot drinks to try to replicate a typical Antarctic day.

Said a spokesman: “At the end of the exercise, they put up their tents, melted snow for water and prepared a high-calorie dehydrated meal.”

“During this time a myriad of formal tests took place, as it was vital to keep a track of their heart and exercise rate and calorie expenditure. They were monitored by a medical and physiology team throughout the procedure.”

During the four-week expedition, the teams will trek 15km to 20km a day for approximately 15 days.

“It is crucial, therefore, that the members are prepared for the harsh temperatures and weather they will face in Antarctica and this training exercise was a vital part of helping the team prepare for Antarctic conditions and to see how their bodies will cope.”

The challenge will raise money for the charity’s work in funding programmes to reskill and retrain wounded servicemen and women.