Scottish adventurer · Polar expeditions
700 miles.
57 days.
Alone.
On 13 January 2023 Ben Weber skied into the Geographic South Pole after a solo journey from Hercules Inlet across the Antarctic ice — the latest in a decade of polar, cycling and mountaineering expeditions, now raising funds for Cancer Research UK.
Approaching 90°S · January 2023
700MI
Solo to the South Pole
57D 10H
Hercules Inlet to 90°S
−40°C
Wind chill on the ice
7
Expeditions since 2012
A decade on the ice, the road and the mountain
Previous expeditions
Polar crossings, winter cycling and high-altitude mountaineering since 2012 — documented as they happened and, since 2018, raising funds for Cancer Research UK.
Featured · Antarctica 2022–23
Solo to the South Pole
700 miles from Hercules Inlet to the Geographic South Pole in 57 days, 10 hours and 22 minutes — whiteouts, sastrugi fields and a brutal 18-hour final day, told in 58 daily journal entries.
Greenland · 2022
Greenland Crossing
560 km east to west across the ice sheet with the Hvitserk group — 80 kg sleds, temperatures down to −40 °C.
Canada · 2014–15
The Cross Canada Expedition
South to north in winter: cycling from the US border through Manitoba, then skiing with 100 kg sleds to Baker Lake.
Baffin Island · 2014
The Auyuittuq Traverse
Qikiqtarjuaq to Pangnirtung through Auyuittuq National Park — a first independent polar expedition.
South America · 2014
The Daylong Challenge
3,600 km by bicycle from São Paulo to Santiago in 40 days, over the Andes into Chile.
Britain · 2013
The Winter LEJOG
1,500 km from Land’s End to John o’ Groats — in winter.
Bolivia · 2012
The Bolivian Andes
Huayna Potosí and Pequeño Alpamayo summited; Illimani, the one to go back for — the first major expedition.
Dispatches from the ice
The daily journal
Fifty-eight days of entries from the South Pole expedition, plus Greenland, Norway and the Highlands. Read them in order, jump to a milestone, or pick a day from the timeline.
Day 1
17 Nov 2022
Arrival by plane and first night under canvas
It was strange yesterday being dropped off – a spectacular 30min flight in over the mountains.
Day 34
20 Dec 2022
Half way!!!!
Can’t believe it! After another 27km, I have reached Thiel Corner – an unmanned ski way and supply depot for airplanes going to the Pole…
Day 58
13 Jan 2023
The push to the Pole
It started when my alarm woke me up at 4am, though on thinking that I only had three more kilometres to ski than the previous day…
About Ben
Orkney-born. Late starter. Polar by choice.
Benjamin Weber was born in Orkney and has lived in Brazil, China and India. Inspired by Scott and Amundsen, he didn’t ski or camp until 2014 — then came polar survival training with the McNair family in Iqaluit, Arctic crossings, high-altitude mountaineering and winter cycling. He now lives in the Scottish Highlands.
Why every expedition counts
Raising funds for Cancer Research UK
After his mother’s death from cancer in 2018, Ben dedicated his journeys to Cancer Research UK. His expeditions raise money through JustGiving — and a Cancer Research shirt went all the way to the Pole.
Raised so far: £5,000 for Cancer Research UK