An intrepid engineer from Dartmoor is off to the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility to count polar bears and gather data to help scientists understand climate change.

Nuclear engineer Ian Bishop and the team will be mapping melted ice, polar bear numbers, pollution, terrain and weather to aid the understanding of the extent of global warming.

He has been training on the rugged terrain close to his home of Princetown in the worst weather possible to be prepared for the extremes the Arctic can throw at him.

However, nothing on Dartmoor can match temperatures as low as minus 40 or prepare him for meeting hungry unpredictable polar bears.

But Ian is well prepared for the challenge, being an experienced outdoor adventure leader who runs his own guided Dartmoor walks company

He said: ‘Dartmoor is the ideal place to train for surviving inhospitable places like the Arctic.

‘This is an important expedition for data gathering at one of the remotest points in the Arctic.

‘The ice has been melting for a long time and we will be helping scientists work out how long it might be before the Arctic ice melts totally - it’s feared this might be between 5 to 20 years.

‘There’s an urgency to our work. I’m looking forward to the personal challenge in the wilderness - pitting myself against the cold and harsh Artic.

‘I’m also motivated by the work - the importance of it to the whole world, which is in danger from major climate change.’

The former soldier and Royal Navy submariner based in Devonport Naval Base, will be covering 20 miles a day in a team of 8, skiing across the ice dragging equipment behind.

Climate change is melting ice so fast there’s concern the last team might not reach their destination, so they are dragging sledges called Pulks and carrying emergency suits in case they fall into the freezing water.

Ian, married with two children, begins the expedition in February . He has recently returned from 18 days’ training in Svalbard, Norway.

Led by the renowned explorer Jim McNeil, Ian’s fellow explorers are being trained to be as safe as possible. The Northern Pole of Inaccessibility is 200 miles further than the Geographic North Pole.

Their data will be used to benchmark the condition of the ocean for the NASA funded scientists led by Nobel winner Dr Walt Meier.

It is a charitable citizen science trip and all data will be publicly accessible - a key aim. To help fund Ian visit https://gofund.me/44a60c66 More: https://www.ice-warrior.com/the-last-pole