Teenage adventurer Lewis Clarke has become the youngest person to successfully ski trek from the coast of Antarctica to the geographical South Pole, at the age of 16.
The record attempt, which Clarke began on December 2 last year, saw the 16-year-old journey more than 700 miles across the Antarctic ice sheet amid temperatures of -50C and wind speeds of up to 50mph. Joined by polar guide and expedition partner Carl Alvey, Clarke skied an average of eight hours per day while pulling a sledge full of supplies along the Hercules Inlet route, following stints of training in Greenland and Norway. The pair reached the Pole on January 18 at 18:00 GMT.
Of his success, Clarke said: ‘’Nothing can really prepare you for what it’s like out there. I was really excited and happy just being there because it was what I had been working towards for a few years. I arrived the day after Scott did 102 years before. It was quite amazing thinking that these heroes from years ago had done exactly the same thing as me and were going through the exact same emotions as I was walking towards the Pole.”
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