by HELEN PERKINS A SOUTH Lakeland adventurer had a close encounter with polar bears in a race across the Arctic.

Sixty-years-old John Bamber, from Holme, was travelling in a skiddoo – a snow mobile – during a 364-mile trek around the North Pole when his team spotted a nine foot tall bear ‘stalking’ another group ahead.

The retired computer engineer said his first thought was to reach for his camera.

“I wasn’t too afraid – the bear was following a group in the distance and we had seen it before it got too close.

“It was only 15 feet away from our skiddoos but two of us approached it from the left and sent it off into the snow.

“It was massive but we came across another polar bear further away that was almost twice the size – some groups had to fire into the air to frighten it off.”

John was on an expedition as part of the Extreme World Races Polar Challenge, which lasted for six weeks and involved a hike across Resolute Bay and beyond to the magnetic North Pole. Teams had to walk across ice for six days without stocking up on supplies.

Mr Bamber was in a team of three which followed trekkers across the ice to treat frostbite, hypothermia and check the walkers did not go off course.

Challengers also came across lemmings in temperatures of less than -25 degrees.

“Nothing at the North Pole seems to be afraid of people – a lemming visited our tent one morning and sat right next to my boot,” he said “All the animals, including the polar bears, are curious about humans but the problem is that sometimes the bears are also hungry as well – and they’re not bothered about putting a person on the menu, so you have to keep your wits about you.”