Mike Christie In 2013, I will be joining Karen Darke and Andy Kirkpatrick on the ‘Pole of Possibility’ (POP) expedition to the South Pole. The expedition is unique: Karen is paralysed from the chest down and will ‘ski’ to the Pole using arm-power alone.

Why did I join PoP? I’ve always been fascinated by the polar and mountainous regions of the world and have spent many a happy day climbing and skiing in the Alps, Norway, Rockies, the Caucasus mountains and of course Scotland. So when Karen, a friend from Uni, asked if I would join her on the PoP expedition, I jumped at the chance.
	What I hope to gain from PoP First, and from a totally selfish viewpoint, I relish this opportunity to experience, first hand, the wilderness and beauty of Antarctica. Second, as a lecturer in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, I will use the expedition to highlight the plight of our World’s fragile environments. Polar regions, in particular, are subject to dramatic change due to human-induced global warming. Through the PoP expedition, we will undertake research that will help to raise awareness of the consequence of climate change. Details of the proposed research projects can be found here. Finally, through PoP we hope to fundraise £1m to support the Back-Up Trust, a charity that supports people with disabilities to lead active and fulfilling lives.

Click here for further details of the ‘Pole of Possibility’ expedition

You can also contact me on mec@aber.ac.uk