Hero Luke is Scot of the Antarctic
HE skied 730 miles alone across the Antarctic, battling temperatures of -50c and winds of 100mph.
But the 39 days of snow and ice were all worth it when at 2.30am yesterday 30-year-old Luke Robertson became the youngest Briton, and the first Scot, to reach the South Pole unaided.
Celebrating with a dram and a shower, the adventurer from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, was delighted to have a place in the history books.
‘What an unbelievable and surreal feeling,’ he said. ‘I feel on top of the bottom of the world.
‘All those months of training and preparation have really paid off, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many people who have helped to make this expedition a success.’
His epic feat, which raised £45,000 for the Marie Curie charity, saw him burn more than 400,000 calories and climb twice the height of Ben Nevis.
He dragged 286lbs of equipment from his start point at Hercules Inlet on the edge of Antarctica, and spent Christmas Day alone in the wilderness.
The achievement is all the more remarkable considering Mr Robertson, who has been nicknamed ‘Luke Snow-walker’, has had to overcome several serious health problems. At the age of 23 he was fitted with a pacemaker after suffering a complete heart block, and in February last year he underwent a five hour operation to remove a cyst that had formed near his brain.
Mr Robertson said: ‘I hope this shows that you really can overcome challenges to achieve your dreams, whatever they may be. Now, I think it’s time for a big feed, a wee dram and a shower.’
Fellow explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes was among Mr Robertson’s many supporters and yesterday offered his congratulations.
Sir Ranulph said: ‘I am delighted that Luke has reached the South Pole and becomes the youngest Brit ever to do so, unaided. It is an incredible achievement.’