HOW to scare off a polar bear with a saucepan and what you need to wear if you go swimming in icy waters while pulling a sledge — these were just some of the topics covered by adventurer and explorer Pen Hadow at a talk in Tavistock recently.

Pen, the first Briton to trek solo and unsupported to the North Pole, spoke to Mount Kelly Prep pupils during the school's first Mount Kelly Oracle Lecture.

Pen described his expedition in graphic detail, including his meticulous planning for the excursion based on his estimated ten-minute survival window and used a variety of unconventional props to make his points come alive.

He later took questions from the floor, including one relating to any sightings of Father Christmas en route to the North Pole.

The school said it was very grateful to Pen for sharing this 'no holds barred' tale of courage and grit — and providing true inspiration to all would-be explorers.