Bristol doctor on polar challenge

Ed Coats, a doctor at Southmead Hospital, trekked to the South Pole

Bristol doctor, Ed Coats has always been sporty, representing Great Britain as a decathlete, swimming the English Channel, and climbing mountains.

But the epic challenge that he undertook last year was perhaps the most difficult of his life.

Ed participated in the 2008 Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race alongside TV presenter Ben Fogle and former British rowing champion and double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell.

The whole thing was filmed by Alexis Girardet for a BBC2 documentary called On Thin Ice, who also directed the programme and photographed the journey.

In pictures: Bristol doctor's South Pole trek

Ed Coats' day job is as a doctor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Southmead Hospital but he landed a place in the team following a high-profile public search and intensive two-day selection process.

He beat 650 applicants for his place on the team, collectively known as Team QinetiQ.

"It's a unique place," said Ed.

"Antarctica is somewhere I've always dreamed of going, ever since I was a boy. To see an opportunity to go there and be involved in one of the first ever races through the continent was an awesome opportunity."

The trio endured temperatures of -50C (-58F) during the 473-mile contest, and their two-week intensive polar training camp included acclimatisation tasks such as working out in a giant freezer.

There were 10 participating teams from across the world racing across the Antarctic Plateau.

Each team of three had to ski, while pulling 200lb sleds, across the largest ice cap in the world and on to the Geographic South Pole.

A difficult task at the best of times, but the area area is known as one of the world's most inhospitable places.

'Mystical place'

Ed continued: "Antarctica is a very strange place to put into words but [it's] just the complete isolation you feel when you're down there.

"It is very cold, you are at altitude, it is extremely windy, and there are days when you would wish you were absolutely anywhere but there.

TV presenter Ben Fogle and former rower James Cracknell also took part

"But then there were equally other days - on the flip side of the coin - when you step out of your tent into this complete bleak environment and there's not a person for miles around, and it's a very strange but mystical place."

The trio had little cross-country skiing and no polar experience between them prior to the race, but they managed to trek up to 20 miles-a-day and crossed the finish line in second place, just 20 hours behind their Norwegian rivals.

All three had lost a large amount of weight by the end of the challenge.

The 2008 Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race was the first since Scott and Amundsen's historic race nearly 100 years ago.

Roald Amundsen completed the trek on December 11, 1911, with Robert Scott finishing on January 17, 1912.