Lieutenant Scott Sears (Royal Gurkha Rifles) has become the youngest person to reach the South Pole on his own and unsupported in only 38 days.
He reached his destination on Christmas Day after negotiating 700 miles+ of Antarctic plateau, crevasse fields and glaciers.
The 27-year-old officer has raised over £30,000 for The Gurkha Welfare Trust and schools destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Whilst waiting at the pole for a gap in the weather to be taken by plane back to Union Glacier he said: “The last 5 weeks have been a huge challenge but I’m proud to be standing here now after 2 years of planning and training.
“It’s going to take a few weeks for everything to sink in, I’ve been alone in a tent for nearly 6 weeks so it’s all a bit overwhelming”.
He said his 38-day trek saw him face wind and cold that saw temperatures fall below -30C (-20F).
He pulled a sledge containing all of his food, fuel and equipment that at more than 100kg (220lb) was heavier than him. His route from Hercules Inlet saw him gain more than 11,000ft over his trip.
He also had to deal with whiteout conditions which either meant he could barely see where he was going or he had to stop and make camp until the weather cleared again.
Lieutenant Scott Sears is hoping to be back in the UK for the New Year celebrations.
You can read more from Scott on his Blog.
