• Land Rover Global Ambassador and professional explorer Ben Saunders sets off on the most ambitious polar expedition in more than 100 years

• A 1,800‑mile, four‑month unsupported return journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole on foot that will retrace the route taken by Captain Scott on his ill‑fated Terra Nova expedition more than a century ago

Whitley, UK, 25 October 2013 ‑ Land Rover Global Brand Ambassador and Polar explorer Ben Saunders and fellow adventurer Tarka L'Herpiniere will today set out from Scott's Hut, Antarctica on day one of their world record‑breaking return journey from the edge of the continent to the South Pole and back. 

At 1800 miles it will be the longest unsupported polar journey in history and first completion of Captain Scott's iconic ill‑fated 1910‑12 Terra Nova expedition.

Land Rover is a co‑presenting partner of The Scott Expedition, which promises challenges that reflect the spirit of adventure, capability and rugged quality that are fundamental to Land Rover's brand and heritage.  

Ben's Land Rover Discovery has played a vital part in assisting his training, which often takes place in hard to reach places in the UK, Europe and Greenland. Ben's preparation for the expedition also included the use of the Cold Climate Chamber at Jaguar Land Rover. The chamber is an integral part of the development of all Jaguar Land Rover Products.

Follow the Scott Expedition

The duo will be blogging daily at www.scottexpedition.com/blog and plan to share regular images and video (an expedition first) as well as copy across a host of social media channels while away:

For details on the build up to Ben and Tarka's departure please visit www.youtube.com/scottexpedition

Website (and blog) ‑ www.scottexpedition.com/blog

YouTube ‑ www.youtube.com/scottexpedition

Twitter ‑ www.twitter.com/scottexpedition

Facebook ‑  https://www.facebook.com/TheScottExpedition?ref=ts&fref=ts

Instagram ‑ www.instagram.com/scottexpedition

G+ ‑  https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114367232090040829063/114367232090040829063/posts

ENDS

Editors Notes

Ben Saunders

• Ben is best known for skiing solo to the North Pole in 2004, and for blogging live from his expeditions. He is the third in history and the youngest by ten years to reach the North Pole alone and on foot
• In his home and work life, Ben drives a Land Rover Discovery. This vehicle enables him to travel to many training locations, as well as providing the space required to house all of his specialist equipment.  With the history‑making Scott Expedition, he will go further to demonstrate the spirit of "Above and Beyond" that's at the heart of the Land Rover brand

Technology

• 2 x Intel 4th Generation Sony Vaio Pro Ultrabooks to blog daily and regularly send back content for the Scott Expedition YouTube channel The Ultrabooks have SSD memory, so no moving parts to go wrong when it's ‑40. They're also super‑light and have a class‑leading battery life.
• Iridium Extreme Satellite phone ‑ the phone handles calls, messaging and data transmission
• 2x custom 62‑watt folding solar panels and 3x lithium‑polymer battery packs using Antarctica's 24‑hour daylight to power the technology
• Iridium Nano tracker ‑ an always‑on tracking beacon that automatically sends our GPS coordinates back to Ben's UK‑based support team on an hourly basis

Land Rover

• The technology that is now available to Ben has developed considerably since Captains Scott's mission in the early 1900s; the world of Land Rover has also evolved significantly since it was founded 65 years ago.  With continuous advances in design and engineering and high‑tech systems giving today's models even greater off‑road capabilities and on‑board connectivity. At the same time, Land Rovers have retained at their heart the same essential principle of all‑terrain ability that inspired the original, in the same way as Scott's polar ambition remains central to what Ben Saunders wants to achieve
• Although Land Rover vehicles will not play a physical role in Antarctica, they are highly valued by Ben as his vehicle of choice for all types of occasion ‑ with the versatility to carry all the kit he needs to the remote training areas beyond the Arctic Circle, and take him across the UK on a busy schedule of speaking engagements and personal appearances. A great supporter of the Land Rover Discovery 4 ‑ with its reputation as the go‑to vehicle for many modern explorers ‑ he says that it is "never just a journey" in a Land Rover as the brand is so closely associated with "adventure and excitement"
• Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true breadth of capability across the model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors. Land Rover products are currently sold in 178 global markets

For further information log onto www.media.landrover.com or contact:

Lydia Haley
Senior Press Officer
+44 2476 564147/+44 7730 923507
Lhaley1@jaguarlandrover.com