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EXPLORER Luke Robertson has become the first Scot to complete a solo trek to the South Pole without help or support. The 30-year-old finance industry worker from Edinburgh undertook the feat for cancer charity Marie Curie, raising more than £47,000 in the 39-day challenge. The feat was hailed by veteran adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who called it “an incredible achievement” and said he hoped it would inspire others. But following in Robertson’s footsteps is no mean feat – and involves taking on some of the most challenging conditions Earth can throw at you.

WHAT, WORSE THAN ALTNAHARRA? YES – most of the time. The mercury in the Highland village frequently drops lower than anywhere else in Scotland, plummeting to a record low of -27.2C in 1995, but it can also be very warm. In contrast, travelling in the Antarctic summer, Robertson endured bone-chilling lows of -24C and the coldest temperature ever recorded there – or anywhere else in the world – was an unimaginable -89.2C at the Vostok Station in 1983. The highest? A mere 12.3C. In 2013 a Nasa satellite showed a dip to -94.7C, but this could not be entered into record books because it had not been measured by thermometers. At the time, Ted Scambos of the National Snow and Ice Data Centre told the American Geophysical Union the conditions were “more like you’d see on Mars on a nice summer day”, adding: “Thank God I don’t know exactly how it feels.” He said scientists working at the pole often make nude dashes outside as a stunt in -73C weather – a level that is survivable for around three minutes. However, wrapping up warm is a must to cover the 730 miles from the Hercules Inlet at the continent’s edge to the pole, an effort which took Robertson 39 days, 19 hours and 23 minutes.

SO IT’S COLD – WHAT ELSE? IF that’s not enough for you, factor in chill winds of up to 199mph around the coast, easing to a maximum 55mph at the pole. The continent is the coldest and windiest on earth and also experiences precipitation levels comparable to that of deserts, so don’t expect regular snow flurries. Only two per cent of the land is free of ice, which is an average 1.2 miles thick. And if you’re expecting some cracking wildlife, dream on – there are no penguins, bears or in fact any other animals at the South Pole and, at best, you might meet a lost polar skua or snow petrel. However, that’s not to say there are no sights.


I’M LISTENING... A MUST-SEE for any polar adventurer, the Ceremonial South Pole is a metallic sphere on a plinth surrounded by flags of the states signed up to the Antarctic Treaty. Meanwhile, the tent erected by the first expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911 is also there – but it’s buried under several metres of snow and ice and has been designated a historic site, so don’t go digging. The Norwegian expedition was led by Roald Amundsen and reached the target one month ahead of a rival British bid led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Scott had been to the Antarctic before on The Discovery – now a popular attraction in Dundee – but this time he and his four companions perished on their return trip from the pole, dying just 11 miles from safety. However, they did uncover important plant fossils proving the area had once been forested and connected to other land masses. Meanwhile, Amundsen’s team had discovered the Axel Heiberg Glacier and conducted the first exploration of King Edward VII Land. Now the rivals are remembered in a scientific research station bearing both their names. The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, now approaching its 60th year, is home to around 50 people during the winter months, rising to a peak of up to 250 in the summer season, which stretches from October to February. Run by the US Government and built on ice that is 2,700 metres (9,000 ft) thick, the centre moves with the ice sheet towards the Weddell Sea at a rate of approximately 10 metres per year and welcomes around 190 tourists and other visitors annually. This hit a peak of 495 visitors in 2011-12, driven by interest in the South Pole in the centenary year of Amundsen and Scott’s historic expeditions.


HOW DID ROBERTSON RATE HIS ADVENTURE? Reaching the Pole at 2.30am in bright sunlight, Robertson called it “an unbelievable and surreal feeling”, adding: “I feel on top of the bottom of the world.” Nicknamed Luke Snowwalker by supporters, Robertson was inspired to take on the challenge following surgery to remove a suspected brain tumour. He said: “All those months of training and preparation have really paid off, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many people who have helped to make this expedition a success. “I hope this shows that you really can overcome challenges to achieve your dreams, whatever they may be. “Now, I think it’s time for a big feed, a wee dram and a shower.”