ONE hundred years after the death of the legendary explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and his team's failure to be the first men to cross Antarctica to the South Pole, a Horrabridge man will be following 'close in their footsteps' to commemorate their bravery and fortitude.

Lieutenant Commander Paul Hart, aged 48, is the deputy leader of British Services Antarctica Expedition 2012, one of the two expeditions commemorating Plymouth-born Captain Scott's outstanding contribution to the nation and to science.

The BSAE will travel in the 'Spirit of Scott', but not in his tracks. Instead, and very much in the ethos of Scott's 1910-1913 expedition, the BSAE aim will be 'to conduct scientific exploration in remote areas of the Antarctic Peninsula, seeking to further the bounds of human exploration and knowledge'.

In the winter of 1912 Scott's party made heroic efforts to reach the South Pole through a combination of incredible fortitude and immense physical effort.

Scott, along with Dr Edward Wilson, Lt Henry Bowers Royal Indian Marine Service, Capt Lawrence Oates of the Inniskilling Dragoons and Petty Officer Edgar Evans RN, were to find that they had reached their destination behind a Norwegian party led by Roald Amundsen. Undeterred, they remained committed to their science projects and after taking ice-samples, they began their return journey of some 810 miles, pulling the ice-cores behind them across the frozen wastes of the Antarctic.

Exceptionally bad weather hindered their progress and ultimately led to the team's tragic demise just eleven miles from safety.

When Scott and the remaining members of his team were found frozen in their tent, the ice-samples which they had taken at the South Pole were found at the camp.

Despite the hardships they endured, such was Scott's dedication to his science and the advancement of human exploration and knowledge and in the face of certain death, they had refused to abandon the ice-cores.

It is this incredible story that is the inspiration for the British Services Antarctic Expedition 2012.

The expedition will seek to conduct the scientific exploration in the Peninsula Arm of Antarctica, an area which is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet. Among other things, this science will contribute to an understanding of the factors influencing this rapid warming.

Paul is married to Helen and they have two children, Tara, ten and Cameron, eight, who go to St Andrew's School in Buckland Monachorum, while another son Connah, 13, lives in Plymouth.

Paul told the Times: 'I am doing the Spirit of Scott expedition for two reasons —first, as a fellow Royal Naval officer I want to promote the values and story of Captain Scott RN — and his interest in science, his endeavour, his determination, his selflessness and his indomitable spirit.

'He was a weak boy from Plymouth who was told he would not be strong enough or clever enough to join the navy, but became the strongest man of the polar party and achieved the earliest command of a RN battleship.

'He still is an inspiration for learning and achievement to young children in society today.

'Second, we are undertaking science which will contribute to our understanding of why the Antarctic is warming so rapidly – this has knock on effects for all of us as the circumpolar current has huge influence on the flow of the currents of the oceans and therefore the weather systems around the world.

The melting ice is also contributing hugely to sea-level rise.'

Although admitting he is a fairly 'mature' person to be undertaking such an expedition, Paul is obviously in good health and fit.

Last year he was part of a British team who made an attempt to climb the previously unclimbed south east ridge of Mount Makalu in Nepal — the fifth highest mountain in the world and arguably the toughest route on any mountain.

Paul climbed tantalisingly close to the summit, reaching almost 27,000ft before being forced down by heavy snowfall and bad weather.

In the 2012 expedition various activities will be undertaken to ensure the science activity is linked to an educational outreach programme to inform and educate the general public and in particular primary and secondary school children.

It will seek to emulate the values and qualities of Scott and present these through the information campaign.

The expedition will sail from Chile in the 75ft yacht Australis and cross the infamous Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Once on the peninsula the expedition will follow Scott's model and set up a base from which to mount exploration and conduct forays into remote areas of the Peninsula.

The expedition also plans to make a series of daring ascents of previously unclimbed mountains in the region.

After news of Scott and his teams demise reached the UK in 1912, funds were contributed by the public to look after the families of the heroic explorers.

In keeping with this sentiment, the BSAE 2012 aims to raise money for the modern day military hero — attempting to raise £10,000 for the charity 'Help for Heroes.'

There is a further intriguing link to the story. To mark the 2012 expedition a 'Spirit of Scott' beer is available from Creber's, Tavistock.

Scott's family actually owned the Hoegate Brewery on the Barbican in Plymouth. The Spirit of Scott beer has been produced by Dartmoor Brewery using the same waters that the Hoegate Brewery would have drawn upon.

l If you would like to support Paul and the BSAE 2012 expedition nominated charity or see more details on the adventure go to the website http://www.bsae2012.co.uk">www.bsae2012.co.uk