Students Put on Ice

Extreme South

Robert Conway and Toby Williams, medical students on the five year MBBs course spent the afternoon in one of the giant freezers in St George’s Hospital canteen in preparation for the extreme conditions they will face when they attempt to reach the South Pole later this year.

The team, who hope to reach the South Pole unsupported, used the time in the freezer to test some of their equipment as well as get a feel for the extreme temperatures in the Antarctic. The freezer was set to minus 25 degrees celsius with is about 25 degrees warmer than the most severe temperatures they can expect to experience on their expedition.

The trio, collectively known as Extreme South, plan to follow the route taken by Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Edward Wilson, a St George’s Alumni.They will undertake the trek unguided and unsupported and will be relying totally on skills gained over the years and on training expeditions.

The group consists of expedition leader Robert Conway, who is aiming to become the first insulin dependent diabetic to the pole with no resupply, Toby Williams, who will race to become the youngest British person to the pole and Doug Orr.

Toby commented that “an afternoon in the deep freeze will give us a good feel for Antarctic and is a welcome opportunity to take a break from the monumental task of meeting our fundraising goals.We have got to raise £250,000 to go on the expedition and then we hope to match that for charity.Before even reaching the ice of Antarctica we will have had to achieve a huge amount”

If you would like to find out more or make a donation, please go to www.extremesouth.org