Former marine making record Antarctica crossing attempt in 'good spirits'
A former Royal Marine is now more than a quarter of the way through his world record-breaking attempt to cross Antarctica.
Sam Cox has completed 600km of his 2,000km expedition as he attempts to complete the longest solo unsupported crossing on behalf of Team Forces.
The adventurer said he was "feeling strong and in good spirits".
Mr Cox said in his latest update: "It was a big climb up with 300m elevation over 3km.
"It's now a much steadier climb to the pole. I'm at 1,300m and the pole sits around 2,800m, but that's spread over another 820km.
"I've had to cope with some pretty hot conditions and vicious winds, and I'm still pulling a lot of weight."
Last week he was able to reach the mainland of Antarctica after travelling over 500m across the Ross ice shelf.
However, he was forced to decant his kit into smaller loads over two trips when he attempted to climb the slopes on the land.
In his last confirmed position, Mr Cox was on the Salee Snowfields, which are 160km away from the Antarctic plateau.
Some days have seen him working hard for up to 14 hours to cover the distances required.
Mr Cox served for over a decade in the Royal Marines and was deployed to Norway and the Arctic Circle during his career.
These experiences no doubt helped prepare him for the freezing environment that he now finds himself in.
In the lead-up to his adventure, Mr Cox worked with a team of academics and students at Plymouth Marjon University to understand more about how his body performs to help him on his journey.
His mission follows a similar intensity to that of "Polar" Preet Chandi's solo, unsupported and unassisted expedition in 2022.
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