Boxing Day Marks South Pole Arrival For Two Explorers On World Record Antarctic Expedition

WHITLEY, UNITED KINGDOM – Dec30, 2013: Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador and Polar explorer Ben Saunders and fellow adventurer Tarka L’Herpiniere have reached the South Pole – the halfway point on their expedition to retrace and complete Captain Scott’s iconic ill-fated 1910-12 Terra Nova expedition.

The teammates have covered 900 miles (1,450km) along the Ross Ice Shelf, traversed the Beardmore Glacier and crossed the Antarctic Plateau to the South Pole in 63 days. The temperature with the wind chill has sunk as low as -46°C, and coupled with no darkness - Antarctica has 24-hour daylight in its summer season – the expedition has been pushing the pair to their limits.

Ben and Tarka consume almost 6,000 calories daily – the equivalent of 4.8kg of egg-fried rice, 23 and a half hamburgers or a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

On day 39 of their journey to the South Pole the duo successfully navigated the Beardmore Glacier, an 8,000ft obstacle of nature. The punishing climb took 10 days and only a small band of men have achieved the climb, including Ernest Shackleton, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Robert Swan and Henry Worsley.

Mark Cameron, Land Rover’s Sponsorship Director, said: “I have been following Ben and Tarka’s remarkable progress daily with complete admiration. They are both remarkable men with incredible determination and fortitude. They epitomise all that Land Rover stands for and I am delighted they are doing so incredible well.”

Ben and Tarka will now head back towards the coast and Scott’s Hut, retracing their steps, and will once more battle the Beardmore Glacier. They will pass the Ross Ice Shelf and aim to complete their journey by mid-February.

The pair undertook an intense 12 month physical training programme ahead of the Scott Expedition, where Ben’s Land Rover Discovery played a key role taking them to hard to reach places in the UK, Europe and Greenland. Ben’s preparation for the expedition also included the use of the Climatic Development Suite at Jaguar Land Rover. The Climatic Chamber is an integral part of the development of all Jaguar Land Rover Products.