A Brit dentist has travelled to the South Pole on a solo expedition.
Cat Burford faced temperatures of -30C as she skied 700 miles across Antarctica to complete her challenge in 53 days.
In doing so she achieved a childhood ambition to do it completely alone and unsupported.
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The 43-year-old – known as ‘The Molar Explorer’ – has become one of only a handful of women to cross Antarctica solo.
“It’s been really brutal.
“Originally I wanted to do it in 50 days,” she said.
“There was an unusual dump of deep soft snow early on in the expedition, making it impossible to make a good distance as the skis and pulk just sank.
“That made it mentally tough and put pressure on as I had to ration food and restrict my fuel use to ensure I could succeed unsupported.
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“But I became really determined, aiming to do my best each day so that I would have no regrets or ‘what ifs’ – and it has paid off.”
She also told What’s The Jam: “My final day was probably my strongest.
“It has been a crazy and magical adventure.
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“The landscape changes so much with each degree travelled south with really impressive sastrugi wind-formed ridges and grooves in snow ensuring that there was never a day that felt easy.”
She said her home in Kehelland, near St Ives, Cornwall was a perfect training ground for the expedition as the cliffs and sand helped her prepare.
She pulled all her food, fuel and equipment behind her and faced wind speeds of up to 60mph, losing 22lb throughout the challenge.
She celebrated with fish and chips when she reached camp at Union Glacier.
Her fascination with Antarctica was inspired by her school geography teacher Allyson Taylor, she said.
“Her enthusiasm really sparked that in my mind,” she said.
“I really wanted to do this in her honour.
“I can’t tell you how many times I drew on that energy when it was tough.
“It also made me realise how just one word or something you say that might seem insignificant might have an impact on someone else.
“Don’t underestimate the power of what you can do for others.”
She took videos of family and friends to help her cope with the solitude in the vast open spaces of Antarctica.
“It’s so huge and you realise how small you are – that can be overwhelming and a bit daunting,” she said.
“It’s mentally the one thing that you really can’t train for.”
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