An Irish banker is about to embark on a 100km-plus ski trek across the frozen wastes of Antarctica to help raise money for an Irish charity working with victims of the Chernobyl disaster.
Niall Carton (44), Newcastle, Co Down, and two Russian friends, Alexey Borichev and Alexander Zozulya, plan to ski some 111km to the South Pole to raise funds for the Greater Chernobyl Cause.
The group plan to fly from Punta Arenas in Chile to the Union Glacier Basecamp in Antarctica, from where they will fly to the start of the Antartic Plateau at 89 degrees south where they will start the ski-trek to the South Pole.
Mr Carton, who has already successfully skied to the North Pole, revealed the group will be facing temperatures of -40 degrees, strong winds and altitudes varying from 2,500m to 3,000m during the trek which they hope to successfully complete on January 14th.
“We are dedicating this adventure to support the work of the Greater Chernobyl Cause and their work at Ivanovskoye Hospice in Kostroma, Russia, the last shelter for the old and infirm in the area.”
Fiona Corcoran, director of The Greater Chernobyl Cause based in Cork, paid tribute to Mr Carton and his Russian friends for their support for the Ivanovskoye Hospice in Kostroma.
For further information on Niall Carton's Antarctic Trek, visit www.greaterchernobylcause.ie
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