I’d never really considered Polar Travel as something for mere mortals like myself, but rather for the likes of Franklin, Scott, Shackleton and…. Sir Ranulph Fiennes; men on ground-breaking expeditions, pushing  the body and mind to its limits.

But as I found out whilst writing this article for Trek and Mountain magazine it’s no longer out of the question.

Whilst it’s possible to go to the to the North or South Pole as a tourist with a specialist travel company, there is also more  scope for traditional polar expeditions… and you don’t have to be Prince Harry to do it!

Surprisingly, Sir Ranulph Fiennes compares the lure of the Poles to the ‘honeypot’ attractions of Everest and says it’s a good thing; ‘It’s like Piccadilly Circus and I’m glad that it is, and lots of people will enjoy it, the same way they can enjoy places like Kilimanjaro. It’s a positive thing.’

Meanwhile Felicity Aston, the first woman to ski across the Antarctica alone, explains that you can make your first steps into polar travel by entering an organised race such as the Arctic Ultra marathon or the  Greenland Iceman     or dip your toe into polar exploration by going to somewhere like Iceland, Greenland or Norway.

You can read the full article on Polar Travel in 2013/2014 here: Magnetic Poles