ADVENTURER Leo Houlding has completed the latest stage in his Antarctic expedition, getting ever closer to their goal.

His group. which includes Jean Burgun and Mark Sedon have now reached the Organ Pipe Peaks and are close to their main objective, the Spectre.

The expedition has seen the team travel by boat, and then by kite, to reach the Gothic Mountains in one of the remote places on Earth.

The team has now set up a first camp and is preparing to cache equipment and food for the journey out, before moving up to set up camp close to the base of the mountain. From there, the exploration and climbing of the Spectre will begin.

Leo said: "The Spectre briefly showed us her pretty side, basking in sun, flirting almost - she is a prize beauty so tempting to scale!

"Such an immaculate massif, the rock looks outstanding and there are lines everywhere - as good for rock climbing as any granite spires I have seen anywhere.

"But then the cloud builds, the wind picks up, one remembers where one is and the thought of being up there, even further away than we are here is too much!

"I think we need a day or three to acquaint ourselves with our new surroundings before committing to anything too tall."

All climbs on the Spectre will be done in Alpine style, with no fixing rope, no drills and no bolts.

The team will then kite 100kms down the Scott Glacier to the Ross Ice shelf; the edge of the Antarctic continent.

The return journey will require man-hauling uphill, into wind for 450kms towards the South Pole back to their depot at the original drop off point. Favourable wind patterns can then be harnessed to kite a further 1000kms to Hercules Inlet on the Ronne Ice shelf on the opposite edge of the continent. If conditions allow the team will attempt to go via the South Pole.

A final kite and man-haul journey of 100kms will bring the team back to the Union Glacier Camp returning from Antarctica late January 2018.