- Land Rover Global Ambassador Ben Saunders and team mate Tarka L'Herpiniere reach halfway point of arguably the most ambitious polar expedition in more than 100 years
- 63 days in, the team have covered 900 miles (1,450km) on foot, consumed almost 378,000 calories and experienced temperatures down to ‑46°C
Whitley, UK, 27TH December 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.
A video of the team training in Iceland can be seen here ‑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNGP‑Z9tgbo&list=PLUAuh5Ht8DS2V‑HoHJdb6FRKngyfxB6YB&index=7
Their journey can be traced day by day live via their blog ‑ www.scottexpedition.com/blog ‑ and followers can track their journey live at www.scottexpedition.com/tracking.
Land Rover is a co‑presenting partner of The Scott Expedition, which reflects the spirit of adventure, capability and rugged quality that are fundamental to Land Rover's brand and heritage.
Follow Ben and Tarka via:
Website (and blog) ‑ www.scottexpedition.com/blog
YouTube
‑ www.youtube.com/scottexpedition
Twitter
‑ www.twitter.com/scottexpedition
Facebook
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https://www.facebook.com/TheScottExpedition?ref=ts&fref=ts
Instagram
‑ www.instagram.com/scottexpedition
G+
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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
Land Rover
- The technology that is now available to Ben has developed considerably since Captain 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