A DOUSLAND teenager will be walking ?in the steps of Shackleton? in September, when he embarks on a gruelling once in-a -lifetime expedition.

Tom Murray is one of only 21 students across the UK selected to participate in the challenge which takes place in the remote areas of Patagonia, The Falklands and the infamous island of South Georgia, from where Ernest Shackleton was famously rescued .

The youngsters, who had to go through a tough selection process, will spend three challenging long months in the wilderness departing on September 30 this year.

Organised by the youth development charity BSES Expeditions, the trip will involve valuable environmental fieldwork including mapping remote regions, as well as a range of adventurous activities including ice climbing, survival training, mountaineering, trekking and cross country skiing.

For ?A? level student Tom, who is hoping to do a geography degree, the adventure cannot come too soon.

?It?s going to be brilliant ? some of the things we will be doing are so unique. It is very rare that anybody gets the chance to go to South Georgia. It?s not the Antarctic but it?s pretty close,? he said.

The students will be climbing mountains, some of which have never been climbed before, and will get the chance to name them. They will also travel to areas of Chile and the some of the remote Falklands Islands, for which no maps exist.

Weekends mountaineering in Snowdonia and Aviemore in Scotland were some of the activities the youngsters had to go through to prove themselves to BSES, which was formerly the British Schools Exploring Society.

Tom, who has achieved the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, said fitness, resourcefulness and enthusiasm all had to be demonstrated in order to cope with living under canvas for the duration of the expedition ? and to face the mental and physical challenges of such an adventure.

?You have to be totally self sufficient and in Scotland we were digging snowcaves in preparation for going to South Georgia,? said Tom.

The group will be assisted by David Nicholls, who has climbed Everest five times, members of the Royal Marines plus leaders in the fields of education, industry, medicine and the services.

But before the adventure begins each student has to raise in the region of £6,000 towards the cost of their travel, logistics, food, equipment and insurance.

Tim is busy organising fundraising events but will welcome any donations and can be contacted on 01822 852173.

BSES Expeditions is a charity founded in 1932 by the late Surgeon Commander G Murray Levick, a member of Scott?s final Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13.

For more than 70 years BSES has provided opportunities for young people of all abilities to take part in science and adventure projects in wilderness areas throughout the world.