Ed Henebury of Leeds-based executive search firm Hitchenor Wakeford Group is preparing to lead a team of hardy explorers across 250km of snow capped mountains, icebergs and glaciers - in aid of charity.

The SIKU Extreme Arctic Team Challenge, which starts on Friday, involves a five-day trek across East Greenland that covers 250 km and over 10,000 vertical metres in one of the earth’s most challenging landscapes.

Henebury, 30, a former Army Captain, who is a now a headhunter at Hitchenor Wakeford Group, is taking on the challenge to raise funds for BLESMA, the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association: “BLESMA does fantastic work for people all over the UK. I’m looking forward to the challenge and we hope to raise around £10,000 for the charity. I spent eight years in the British Army where I planned and led numerous expeditions and operations both in the UK and abroad but in many ways this will be an even bigger challenge.”

Adrian Hitchenor, chief executive of the Hitchenor Wakeford Group, added: “We are proud to support Ed on this mammoth challenge and hope he escapes frostbite and avoids being eaten by an Arctic shark. He’s a brave man and we’ll certainly add a few quid into the charity’s coffers.”