Now to follow where he led Ernest Shackleton's thwarted bid to reach the South Pole in 1909 has inspired a team of like-minded souls to 'finish the task'. Former Army officer Richard Gray tells his friend Nigel Farndale why he is relishing such a ferocious test of strength

Take up Buddhist chanting, learn to play the bagpipes, buy a Harley-Davidson - these are the traditional ways to deal with a looming midlife crisis. What a father of three [...]