Presented by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, the latest in the popular series of An Evening with… was a sell-out event.
Two hundred people made their way to London Scottish House to hear first-hand the exploits of Karl Hinett, Jason Fox, Brian Wood MC, and Aldo Kane who together faced the challenge of an unsupported 500-kilometre ultra trek through the wintry snows of Swedish Lapland while pulling their kit on sleds during Project Fire and Ice, a fundraiser for the charity.
An Evening with Project Fire and Ice helped bring the total raised for SSAFA to £190,000.
The adventure in the snowy forests of Swedish Lapland was recorded and the film – scheduled for broadcast on January 19, 2026 on Channel 4 after SAS: Who Dares Wins – documents the highs and lows of their trial of endurance, spirit, and camaraderie. The SSAFA event gave an eager audience the exclusive chance to watch previously unseen footage of Project Fire and Ice.
It was hosted by veteran and comedian Pat Smith, who chaired an open and frank, and sometimes gritty, panel discussion with the intrepid quartet, followed by a Q & A session with a range of questions from the audience.
Comments from those in the audience included:
“I’m veteran myself, but what those guys did in Sweden was just incredible. Fair play to them!” and “Listening to them was like hearing about one of those epic World War Two stories, you know, like the Heroes of Telemark as they escaped. Amazing stuff.”
Karl thanked everyone who attended the event and those especially those who organised and supported it, while Aldo said:
“It was a great evening reliving the Project Fire and Ice Arctic ultra with the SSAFA team and supporters.”
SSAFA adds its thanks to Contact Coffee, which donated coffee bags to each of the 100 VIP ticket holders, and to ThruDark, Vivobarefoot, and Hotspur, which gave prizes for the event’s raffle.
Inspired by this and willing to pit yourself against a Scandinavian winter? If so, consider signing up for the SSAFA Warrior Challenge: Lapland Edition to run or walk in Swedish Lapland in the footsteps of the Fire and Ice team. Taking place on January 24, 2027, two distances – 25km or 50km – can be covered. Just 50 places are available, and to learn more keep an eye on the landing page here.
To learn more about SSAFA’s work for veterans and serving personnel, and their families, search for “SSAFA near me”.
