British explorer sets off on history-making expedition

British explorer Captain Scott had hoped to become the first man to reach the South Pole.

Little did he know as he trudged for weeks across the cruel Antarctic landscape to do just that, Norway’s Roald Amundsen had already beaten him to it – by 33 days.

‘Great God! This is an awful place’ Scott wrote in his journal as he set off on foot back towards the coast, a beaten man.

It has been a century since Scott died on that return journey and while many have since visited the South Pole, no one has ever even attempted to walk the entire 1800 mile (2987km) round trip without a support team. Until now.

British explorer Ben Saunders and fellow trekker Tarka L’Herpiniere are setting off to complete the journey Scott did not. If they are successful, it will be the longest unsupported polar journey in history.

No dogs. No support team. Just two men walking across what Scott described as a ‘slough of despond’.

They will however have vital survival kit that their predecessor could only have dreamed of – space-aged clothing and satellite technology.

The ability to communicate with the rest of the world while they trek across the bottom of it could not only save their lives, but will enable them to keep us up to date on their progress.

You can follow the two-man team on scottexpedition.com and if there is something you would like to ask Saunders during his four month journey, you can leave your questions.