A SOUTH Lakeland man is to help a South African become the youngest black person to reach the South Pole.

Dave Pritt, director of Adventure Peaks, based in Ambleside, will lead The Unlimited Child South Pole expedition from January 14, and the team hopes to reach the pole within two weeks.

All of his six-man team are from South Africa, including 19-year-old Nzuzo Mnikathi, who is aiming to break the world record.

“My trip to the South Pole is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Nzuzo, who has never seen snow before.

“It took me a while to get my head around it, but I realise it’s about me challenging myself. If it wasn’t really extreme, it wouldn’t be such a huge achievement.”

The aim is to raise money to help the early development of children in the country by providing them with items like toys so they can learn about shapes and colours.

Dave has led expeditions to K2, Broad Peak and has completed five Everest expeditions. He has also completed the seven summits – the highest peak on each of the world’s continents – and in 2007, he guided Ian McKeever to break the world record for the seven summits by finishing them in 156 days.

“It’ll certainly be exciting,” said Dave. “It’ll be a privilege to go because I have never been to any of the poles before. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The team will ski across the pole, and Dave has been bedding in his new skis with trips to France and Italy. He has also been to South Africa to test the equipment with the team.

The expedition flies to Chile on Saturday, where the team will carry out final checks, before a four-hour flight to the Antarctic.

Nzuzo will be trekking in 24-hour daylight and camping in sub-zero temperatures ranging from -30°C to -60°C, depending on the wind chill factor. He will be walking for between seven and ten hours each day and hauling a 40kg sledge.

As well as helping Nzuzo achieve his quest, The Unlimited Child South Pole expedition has another duty to perform.

The timing of the trip coincides with the centenary of Captain Robert Scott’s arrival at the South Pole on January 17, 1912. The expedition has been endorsed by Scott’s grandson, Falcon Scott, who has given the team a Union Jack, which they will hand to scientists at the Amundsen-Scott Research Station at the South Pole in appreciation of the station’s scientific research.

You can follow Nzuzo, Mr Pritt and The Unlimited Child South Pole expedition by visiting www.theunlimit edchild.co.za.