Letchworth schoolboy and round-the-world sailor Ben Edwards gave a talk about his exploits on Thursday night, and revealed that he is set to walk to the magnetic North Pole this summer.
St Christopher School pupil Ben, 15, last year became the youngest person to circumnavigate the North Pole anti-clockwise in a season as part of the first British crew to complete such a voyage, led by explorer David Hempleman-Adams.
And Ben showed photos from the trip at the school’s theatre as he told how he and his Polar Ocean Challenge crewmates had encountered polar bears, dolphins, hurricanes and the Northern Lights.
Among other things, Ben spent time at the Ilulissat glacier in Greenland – the likely source of the iceberg that sank the Titanic in 1912.
Asked when he’d felt most adventurous, he said: “Crossing the Arctic circle in reverse – so when we came out of the Arctic circle while sailing down Greenland. That just felt like we’d managed to do it all.”
He added: “Is this the end? The answer is no. For some reason we’ve decided to sail up the coast of Greenland this summer and then walk to the magnetic North Pole.”
Ben completed the trip in aid of the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and has so far raised more than £8,600. See act4addenbrookes.org.uk/supporter/benspolarchallenge.
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