Record-breaking polar adventurer Luke Robertson will have his wife alongside him for his next bid to notch up another world first.
The inspirational explorer, who grew up in Stonehaven, became the first Scot to complete a solo unassisted and unsupported trek to the South Pole, raising money for Marie Curie after himself undergoing major surgery to remove a suspected brain tumour.
Luke’s Due South feat saw him spend Christmas and New Year at the South Pole during the gruelling 39-day trek at the end of 2015 and for the next challenge, titled Due North, he will be joined by wife Hazel as they take on another great wilderness.
In the expedition due to get under way in May, the couple, both 31 and now living in Edinburgh, plan to go from the southernmost tip to the northernmost point of the Alaskan mainland.
Over some 80 days, they will kayak, cycle and run across and through rainforest, glaciers, tundra and the Arctic Ocean in a journey of more than 2,000 miles.
Mrs Robertson, who is also from the Mearns coastal town of Stonehaven, boasts experience of participating in endurance events such as the 140 mile Arctic Ice ultramarathon, and the couple will set off just weeks after competing in the gruelling Marathon des Sables, a 156-mile foot race through the Sahara desert.
Luke said: “We’re excited by the physical endurance challenge that comes with an expedition of this scale.
“We will be out there for almost three months, which will be tough both mentally and physically, but very rewarding too.”
Bears will be among the Alaskan inhabitants the couple will be on their guard against — but they also face a very much smaller foe with which they are entirely familiar.
The Alaskan midge is as prolific as its Scots counterpart so they will be taking every measure possible to avoid becoming a target.
As well as regular filming and social media updates, the Robertsons will also be working with the Scottish Government body Education Scotland with the aim of engaging young people with wildlife.
Luke added: “Skiing to the South Pole was an incredible experience and so heading into another big wilderness seems like the next logical step.
“It will be much tougher distance wise — we’re travelling about three times the 730 miles that I skied to the South Pole and this expedition will take at least double the time.
“Because we are effectively cycling the length of the UK, kayaking the distance from the UK to Iceland, and then running 30 marathons — all back to back — fitness levels have to be greater too, and so we’ve been building up the strength and fitness required.
“It’ll be nice to have some company — 40 days by yourself is a long time — so I’m hoping not to hallucinate quite so much.
“Antarctica is a beautiful and very special place, but it’ll be great to see a little more varied scenery and wildlife, as well as having someone to chat to other than my sledge.”
