A fearless Scots explorer, who battled freak waves and fought off a flying fish attack in the Atlantic, is getting ready for his most brutal challenge yet.
Benno Rawlinson, from Abernethy, is part of a small expedition aiming to trek across the frozen planes of the Arctic Circle.
The 28-year-old, along with two fellow explorers Alex Hibbert and Jamie Anderson, hope to become the first to cross the legendary North West Passage under their own steam.
The route was famously attempted by English explorer Sir John Franklin in the 19th century.
Two of his ships set off to chart the unknown stretch of water in 1845, but they became icebound off the northern coast of Canada. The entire expedition, including Franklin and his 128-strong crew, were lost.
Now Benno and his team-mates are planning to complete the 1,800-mile journey by skiing, walking and swimming without any support. They will travel with two dogs who was act as look-outs for polar bears.
Preparing to fly further north! Testing out our cold weather kit #NWP #polar #adventure pic.twitter.com/QcOqSoHQ6t
— Benno Rawlinson (@BennoRawlinson) January 13, 2015
If successful, it will be the longest ever journey undertaken either man-powered or unsupported.
The team have been preparing for the 120-day challenge at a base on Baffin Island.
Benno, who took part in an adventure filled Atlantic crossing in early 2013, said: “We have been putting the physical, mental and preparatory work in for a while and it’s now time to turn our attentions to the doing bit.”
He said: “The preparation, which was a mammoth task, is done. Just to get to the start line has taken the best part of a week with four flights and half a day of driving.”
He added: “I am extremely looking forward to hitting the ice with a mixture of excitement and a healthy dose of nerves.
“We are in a good place, mentally, and the weather is incredibly cold at -25C and dropping to -37C over the weekend.”
Former Strathallan pupil Benno said they will be dragging 250kg sleds from the east side of northern Canada, along the North West Passage, to the western edge.
The team will begin their quest on Sunday and will be blogging and tweeting throughout. You can follow Benno at @BennoRawlinson.
Two years ago, Benno set out across the Atlantic with crewmates aboard the Avalon.
Their goal was to reach Barbados, some 3,000 miles away, in less than 30 days shattering the existing record of 32 days.
But they missed their target by five days after a massive freak wave damaged their vessel.