Pole trek highlights globe damage

Brian Douds will join eight other explorers

A North East man has begun a trek to the North Pole to raise awareness about the impact of global warming.

Brian Douds, 24, from Bedlington in Northumberland, wants to highlight the damage which is being done to the planet's polar ice caps.

He plans to visit schools when he returns to talk about the trip and how the planet is changing.

Mr Douds, a marketing graduate, will join a team of eight other explorers and intends to ski eight hours a day.

He believes the rate ice is melting could mean that his is one of the last expeditions to reach the North Pole on foot.

Snow blindness

He said: "I am about to face my greatest challenge yet. I will rely on hard work, determination and tenacity to guide me through it.

"I will be following in the footsteps of Nansen, Peary and Cook, trekking over drifting ice packs on the Arctic Ocean to the geographic North Pole - literally the top of the world.

"I will have to overcome, exhaustion, snow blindness, vast open water leads, 30ft Pressure Ridges and possibly frost bite or polar bear attack."

On his return from the Arctic Mr Douds will work with the Northumberland Strategic Partnership and Newcastle City Council, visiting schools in the North East.

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