Pole-to-pole pair win major award

The pair were raising awareness about climate change

Two young British explorers who completed an epic 22,000-mile journey using only human and natural power have won a major award.

Rob Gauntlett, from West Sussex, and James Hooper, of Somerset, finished their trek from the Magnetic North to the Magnetic South Poles in April.

The 21-year-olds were named National Geographic 2008 Adventurers of the Year at the society's base in Washington DC.

They carried out the expedition to raise awareness about climate change.

Mr Hooper said: "I could not have wished for a greater accolade than to win the National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year Award.

I hope this will help us promote our messages to other young people and prove that anything is possible Rob Gauntlett

"I hope that through this, Rob and I can inspire other young people to believe they can succeed in their ambitions and appreciate all our responsibilities to looking after our environment."

The National Geographic Society said the award celebrates the most outstanding accomplishments in the world of exploration, conservation and humanitarian work.

Mr Gauntlett said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we have won this prestigious award. I hope this will help us promote our messages to other young people and prove that anything is possible."

During the expedition between the Earth's magnetic poles, Mr Hooper and Mr Gauntlett skied, used dog-sleighs, sailed and cycled through Greenland, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.

While skiing and pulling their supplies between Canada and Greenland, Mr Gauntlett fell through melting sea ice and was left unconscious for three hours as Mr Hooper phoned for help to organise their evacuation to safety.

The former pupils of Christ's Hospital in Horsham, West Sussex, then sailed to New York to begin the 11,000-mile cycle ride to Punta Arenas, Chile.

After completing the trip from the North to the South Poles in April the pair sailed 1,800 nautical miles to Australia.

Their expedition also helped to raise money for the Prince's Trust.

In 2006 they became the youngest Britons to climb Everest.