SEVEN months after becoming the first person to reach the North Pole, solo and unsupported, Dartmoor's Pen Hadow is to lead a two-man Antarctic expedition in December.
Pen, 41, and 63-year Hong Kong based author and entrepreneur Simon Murray will be raising money for an £11 million Royal Geographical Society appeal.
The men will set off from Hercules Inlet, on the edge of the Antarctic continent, to the South Geographical Pole, a total of 731 miles which they aim to complete in 65 days.
Mr Murray, a former Foreign Legionnaire, will be the oldest person to tackle the trek and the two adventurers will be pulling sledges laden with 125 kilos of food and supplies.
The money raised will go towards restoring the Royal Geographical Society's entire polar archive including artifacts, maps, images and journals from the world's greatest polar explorers including Scott and Shackleton.
It is part of a multi-million pound project to provide full public access to the society's heritage collection for the first time in transformed buildings in London's Kensington.
Pen, who lives at Hexworthy, said as a Fellow of the RGS, raising money for this project was the main motivation for him.
'That is the real agenda for me although it will be very nice and a very different experience to be able to walk in the company of my colleague Simon Murray,' he said.
The explorer has never done this journey before and said it was by no means a forgone conclusion.
'It is going to be tough and challenging and of course we have to both get there this time,' added Pen.
'I am really excited about it and I hope it will stimulate interest in geography, particularly amongst children as my solo expedition did.'
Pen Hadow was made the first ever Honourary Freeman of the Borough by West Devon Borough Council in July in recognition of his achievement.
Chairman of the council Peter Hill said: 'I wish Pen all the very best on behalf of the council and will be watching his progress with interest.'