Later this week Mountain Equipment Pro Partner Ben Saunders sets out to reach the Geographic North Pole solo and unsupported, and aims to break the North Pole speed record in the process.
In 2005 a guided team using dog sleds and several air-drops of food reached the Pole in 36 days, 22 hours, and in 2010 a Canadian team reached the Pole on foot in 41 days, 18 hours with one resupply flight. Ben is travelling alone and on foot, and will have no support en route. His start point is Cape Discovery, on the northern coast of Canada, and he will travel using skis and snowshoes, hauling a carbon fibre and kevlar sled containing his food and equipment, and a cutting-edge satellite tracking beacon that will enable real-time position updates as Ben heads north.
We'll have more from Ben over the coming weeks as North 3 gets underway, but you can also keep up to date with all the latest and follow Ben at his website here and his facebook page here
