The chilly Omanis: students 'freeze' for Antarctic expedition

Bader and Ameer are the Omanis freezing for a mission.

A former student of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has been spending time in industrial-sized freezers to train for his expedition to Antarctica.

“Spending time in freezers allows us to acclimatise our bodies to the extreme colds, which not only prepares us physically but mentally as well,” said Bader Al Lawati, who is undertaking the two-week trek to the Antarctic as part of a 30-strong Youth Ambassadors team to raise global awareness about climate change and its effect on local communities.

“We have already seen benefits from this as we’re now able to comfortably spend several hours in the freezers rather than the initial brisk few minutes we were able to endure at the beginning of this training,” Lawati said, adding that both him and his fellow Omani trekker Ameer Abdulhussain expect to face an extra hard time, having been born and raised in desert climates.

The participants, who start their voyage on Thursday, February 28, will live in sub-zero temperatures, while enduring the bone-chilling Antarctic winds. However, sub-zero temperatures are not the only concerns that the two ‘Freezing Omanis’ will face, as Antarctica is known to be the windiest place on earth.

Follow the trekkers on their journey on Twitter: @FreezingOmanis

Are they crazy to get in giant freezers? Or is there no better preparation for the Antarctic? Tell us what you think below.