Leadhills’ Newall Hunter enjoys life at South Pole

AN ADVENTURER from Leadhills has become the first Briton to ski solo to the South Pole from the Messner Start on the Filchner Ice Shelf at the edge of the Antarctic continent.
By Craig Goldthorp
Published 28th Jan 2015, 15:00 GMT
Arms aloft...Newall Hunter celebrates his arrival at the South Pole, after a solo ski which included the terror of seeing a crevasse open under his skisArms aloft...Newall Hunter celebrates his arrival at the South Pole, after a solo ski which included the terror of seeing a crevasse open under his skis
Arms aloft...Newall Hunter celebrates his arrival at the South Pole, after a solo ski which included the terror of seeing a crevasse open under his skis

After a gruelling 570- mile/41 day trip in which snow collapsed beneath his skis at one point to reveal a gaping crevasse, heroic Newall Hunter eventually arrived at the South Pole on January 4.

His daily website log explained his narrow escape from catastrophe.

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Newall posted: “There was a bit of excitement today – that I could do without.

“I was skiing along thinking it was time to stop for some food, when the snow below my right ski felt a bit soft.

“I looked down – the snow had gone and a crevasse had opened up right under my feet. My ski tips were on one side of it with my ski tails on the other and nothing under my feet.

“I felt the snow give way under my skis and I couldn’t see the bottom – just blackness. It was about a metre wide. The crevasse ran from east to west at 90 degrees to my travel – luck​i​​ly.”

For more on this story pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette, which is in the shops now.