(WHITLEY, UK) ‑ February 17, 2014 ‑ British polar explorer and Land Rover Ambassador Ben Saunders, and his team‑mate Tarka L'Herpiniere, have today returned to the UK, celebrating the end of their world record‑breaking Antarctic expedition. Members their families, and Captain Scott's family gathered at Heathrow airport to mark the historic occasion.
The duo re‑wrote history this month as they completed, for the first time ever, the ill‑fated journey of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's iconic Terra Nova expedition. Having trekked 1,795 miles across the inhospitable landscape of Antarctica on a return journey to the South Pole, and back, in doing so they have also achieved the world record for the longest polar journey on foot in history.
Ben Saunders said, "To be able to accomplish a lifetime ambition is such a privilege and I can't believe the journey that I've been working towards for more than 10 years is now complete. "
"To be greeted by such warmth and support is overwhelming. I knew that we had a fantastic community following us online but to be home and hear what this journey has meant to people all over the world really does drive home its significance."
The Scott Expedition, which has taken a total of 105 days (just over ¼ of a year), has pushed the limits of physical and mental fortitude and reset the bar for polar expeditions of the future. Ben and Tarka hauled sleds with a starting weight of almost 440lbs each and walked on average 17 miles daily in temperatures as low as ‑51oF wind chill.
"This journey has pushed us to our very outer physical and mental limits. For the last four months the furthest I've thought is mustering the energy and strength to take the next step. To make it through an 80 minute session became the greatest of achievements. In that light, both Tarka and I feel a combination of awe and profound respect for the endurance, tenacity and fortitude of Captain Scott and his team, a century ago ‑ and incredibly lucky to be honouring their memory."
"It would not have been possible without the support of my family, friends and fantastic partners and I can't thank you all enough, in particular Land Rover and Intel, who have been instrumental in making the Scott Expedition a reality," he continued.
Land Rover and Intel are co‑presenting partners of the Scott Expedition and have both played an important role in facilitating the expedition. Land Rover assisted Ben in his training which has taken him to many inaccessible places across the UK, Europe and Greenland; and Intel provided Ultrabooks powered by its latest 4th generation Intel® CoreTM processor technology allowing Ben and Tarka to share their journey with the world along the way in their daily blog (www.scottexpedition.com/blog). Intel put the technology through its paces over several weeks prior to Ben and Tarka's departure by freezing the Ultrabooks at temperatures of ‑40oF.
Mark Cameron Jaguar Land Rover Director, Brand Experience said, "It has been a true privilege for Land Rover to have played a part in this incredible expedition. I have followed Ben and Tarka each day, trying in some small way to live the experience so vividly and eloquently described through Ben's blog. To complete this journey has taken the very highest levels of physical and mental fortitude as well as a sheer determination to succeed."
"We all need heroes, incredible individuals or teams to provide inspiration to spur us on to achieve better for ourselves and the people around us. There are few feats of any description that exemplify more appropriately the Land Rover mantra of going 'Above and Beyond'. Congratulations Ben and Tarka."
Commenting on Intel's support of the Scott Expedition, Patrick Bliemer, Regional Manager for Intel Northern Europe said, "Congratulations to Ben and Tarka for this enormous achievement. We are honored to have played a small part in this record‑breaking Scott Expedition. We are incredibly proud that Intel technology helped them to share their experiences with people around the world ‑ this unprecedented access is the first of its kind and one which will change the future of expeditions to come."
Falcon Scott, grandson of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Robert Swan OBE, first to walk the North and South Pole, and 2041 Founder are expedition patrons.
# # #
About Land Rover
Land Rover, the British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles, is renowned for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world. Every Land Rover vehicle is equally at home both on and off road, and in any setting; be it in the heart of the city, or traversing the countryside. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the legendary Defender, LR2 (Freelander 2), LR4 (Discovery 4), Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures their vehicles in the United Kingdom. Land Rover is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information visit the official Land Rover website at http://www.landroverusa.com.
About Jaguar Land Rover
• The United States is one of the leading global markets for both Jaguar and Land Rover
• Jaguar Land Rover employs 25,000 people and sells vehicles in 170 countries around the world
• Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and design facilities and three advanced manufacturing plants in the UK
• In the 2012/13 fiscal year, Jaguar Land Rover has reported revenues of $23.8 billion, up 17% year on year ($20.4 billion last year)
• Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA. Jaguar Land Rover has offices in the following locations: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.
• Jaguar Land Rover is represented by more than 330 independently operated retail outletsin the USA