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Dubai: Adrian Hayes has endured storms of the kind most of us could not imagine and has been subjected to temperatures of -60C - but still he is determined to reach the North Pole on foot.
The British adventurer, who has told his wife he feels "absolutely miserable", is now slightly more than halfway through his epic 800km walk as part of a three-man team.
The Dubai-based former Airbus executive, who last year climbed Mount Everest, is running about a week behind schedule, having been put slightly off course by three heavy storms in the space of just two weeks.
His wife Dawn said a combination of severe cold and constant damp have demoralised her husband, who set off with his British and Canadian teammates in early March.
"It's been storms galore, it really has knocked them back. If there is a storm it sends them completely off course. They've had the worst temperatures and the worst storms. At the same time last year, it was said to be 25C warmer than it is now. "Adrian had been to -20C or -25C before, which was bad enough, but he just cannot believe the extreme difference between that and -60C.
"Also, he has got very wet because pulling a 100kg sledge for eight to 10 hours a day means he sweats profusely. You end up being absolutely saturated. "The temperatures, and not being able to dry properly, are what have got him down.
"He said he's absolutely miserable," she said.
However, Dawn added that there was no way that father-of-two Adrian would be put off from achieving his goal. "It's what he wants to do. He wants to achieve this now and he thinks the worst is behind them," she added.
Adrian recently reached the 87th degree of latitude, meaning that he has three degrees left until he is at the North Pole itself.
Dawn said the team are expecting to reach their goal in early May, meaning that their walk, which was intended to last 50 days, is likely to stretch to almost two months in length.
To prepare for his gruelling trek, Adrian pulled tyres along Jumeirah beach to mimic the effects of having a sledge behind him.
Hazards
Among the hazards Adrian is braving are gaps in the ice that can swallow people whole and the risk of polar bear attacks.
If he succeeds in reaching the North Pole, Adrian is planning to attempt to undertake a similar mission to the South Pole.
Success there would mean he has conquered all the "poles" - the north, the south and Everest.
He is raising money for the Children's Hope Foundation and a support group for children treated at Dubai Hospital.
To donate, log on to www.adrianhayes.com
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