Brit set for Shackleton-inspired South Pole trek

A British man is looking to emulate the achievements of some of the 20th Century's greatest explorers by travelling unaided from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.

Frederick Fennessy, from Great Tew, in Oxfordshire, has spent the last five years preparing for the 870 mile (1400km) trek.

He is aiming to become the first Briton, and second-youngest person ever, to complete the 65-day route from Gould Bay to the South Pole solo.

The challenge is due to begin near to where the ship Endurance became trapped in sea-ice on explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's infamous 1915 expedition.

The 29-year-old told the BBC that Antarctic exploration had been a "passion" of his for "years and years".

The route chosen by Mr Fennessy will trace the steps that Shackleton had intended to take in 1915, before his expedition fell into peril.

"I started reading the books about [Captain Robert Falcon] Scott and Shackleton back in my mid-teens, and I got completely inspired by the stories of survival and exploration down in Antarctica," he said.

The mechanical engineer has spent the past five years travelling around the Arctic Circle, taking part in smaller expeditions to prepare for the challenge.

He described it as "training for the Olympics and building the stadium at the same time".

Setting off in November, Mr Fennessy will spend the majority of the expedition closer to the astronauts on the International Space Station than to any people on Earth.

"You really are on your own a lot of the time, and that's why the experience I've built up is so important - if something happens, you can't just call for help," he said.

During the expedition, he will traverse across ice shelfs, ascend mountains and have to deal with wave-like ridges in the snow, known as sastrugi.

He will also be exposed to temperatures as cold as -50C, and will experience permanent daylight for the duration of the challenge.

"It's such a visceral feeling that you can't really remember when you're out of that experience and you're back in like a cosy cottage on your own," he said.

Throughout the journey, he will be pulling a specially-built carbon fibre sled weighing 298lbs (135kg), and containing everything he will need to survive during the expedition.

He added that he was "excited to see what Scott and Shackleton had experienced", although he will be hoping his journey is more successful than his heroes attempts.

Captain Scott died on his journey home, having been beaten in his attempt by three weeks, while Shackleton never managed to reach the pole.

Mr Fennessy will celebrate his 30th birthday, Christmas and welcome in the New Year before reaching his finishing point at the South Pole - where he will hope to become one of just roughly 350 people to complete the journey.

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