A TAUNTON man is taking on one of the biggest geographical challenges to date – trekking to the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility.

Simon Morton, 33, is going on an expedition to the centre of the Arctic Ocean, which is the furthest point from safety, as part of the Ice Warrior’s Quest.

He will be joined by 27 novice explorers who, like him, have never done anything like this before.

The team will be led by worldwide acclaimed explorer and survival expert Jim McNeil, who previously attempted to reach the inaccessible pole by himself but failed because the ice broke.

The trek will take around 80 days and covers 800 miles of one the world’s most inhospitable environments.

Simon, along with his team members, will be exposed to risks of melting ice, freezing temperatures and polar bears.

“I applied because an advert popped up on Facebook,” he said. “I didn’t think I would actually hear back but then I got an email inviting me to a selection weekend in the Peak District.

“We weren’t allowed any food or water, I had to kip on the floor in the middle of nowhere and put up a 20 man tent by myself with no instructions.”

The trek, which will be going ahead around February, is tasked with bringing home vital, groundbreaking data that will help with climate change and satellite images of ice and snow.

“The research will be helping climate change – it’s important to this part of the world because of all the flooding in Somerset,” continued Simon.

“My son was born when the county was practically under water so we called him Noah.”

“The Met Office and the University College London are involved among other organisations, and the expedition is officially approved by the Royal Geographic Society.

“I’m already having nightmares about polar bears and we’ve got to have training on how to distract them.”

Simon is hoping local businesses will get behind him and sponsor him, which will help with recording of data and the expedition, in exchange for having a badge on the equipment plus exposure, Jim coming to do a talk or other exciting opportunities.

What makes this expedition stand out from others before it is that the people involved are not explorers but are normal, working people.

“I can’t ski or ice skate or anything like that,” explained Simon. “It’s totally ordinary people doing this and that makes it fantastic.

“We’re going to burn 9,000 calories per day on the expedition which is right out of our comfort zones and the fact we get to be part of research that will help show the difference between snow and ice from a satellite is amazing.”

Jim McNeil said: “This is about ordinary people going to an extraordinary place to collect vital information for the future of our planet.”

Simon urgently needs to raise £22,000 and needs the help of the local people and businesses.

To get involved, visit simonicewarrior.wix.com/fundraising.