PET Student Ian Hughes successful solo South Pole

In November 2025, Ian Hughes skied alone to 492 nautical miles (911 km) from the Filchner Ice Shelf to the Geographic South Pole. Pulling an 80–100 kg sled, he faced temperatures ranging from –10°C to –35°C (without wind chill), high altitude, katabatic winds, sastrugi, soft snow, and hidden crevasses — all without outside support.

The journey took place over several weeks and marked the penultimate stage of Ian’s attempt to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, a feat achieved by fewer than 75 people worldwide.

The expedition raised over £100,000 for veterans’ mental health, supporting organizations such as the Rifleman’s Benevolent Trust and Always a Rifleman.

PET Founder Hannah McKeand was at the South Pole when Ian arrived and was thrilled to see him completing his journey healthy, happy and without dramas.

Congratulation Ian! We are so proud of you!

The Spirit Lives - South Pole

In 2019, we trained an amazing group of ANZACs in preparation for their unguided and unsupported ski trip to the South Pole. The goal of the Spirit Lives team was to honour and demonstrate the enduring ANZAC Spirit. In 2023, their team of serving and former Australian Defence Force personnel executed a splendid 62 day expedition from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole. They raised money to support mental health programs in partnership with their main charity, Beyond Blue.

Well done boys! We are so proud of you!

Polar Preet - Another Amazing PET Lady Soloist!

On Monday 3rd of January 2022, former PET student, Preet Chandi became the first woman of colour to complete a solo South Pole ski. Arriving on the 40th day of her expedition she wrote on her blog

“Hello everyone, checking in from day 40. I made it to the South Pole where it is snowing. Feeling so many emotions right now. I knew nothing about the polar world three years ago and it feels so surreal to finally be here. It was tough getting here and I want to thank everybody for their support.”

Preet completed a two week PET Polar Training Course in 2020, and then went on to build her experience by completing a Greenland crossing with sometimes PET instructor Are Johansen. We are incredibly proud of Preet. What an amazing trip, by an inspiring person.

Another PET Student Triumphant to the South Pole

Today we are celebrating the super smashing Lucy Reynolds who just completed a lovely 53 day expedition from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole as part of a team of 3 guided by PET friend Christian Styve. Lucy undertook a two-week Polar Training Course with PET founder Hannah McKeand back in 2016 and has been working towards achieving this dream trip ever since. Congratulations Lucy! We are all incredibly proud of you.

Three Inspiring PET South Pole Lady Soloists

In the 2019-20 Antarctic season we were beyond proud to have not one, not two, but three of our amazing PET students complete solo expeditions to the South Pole.

Wendy Searle completed a two week Polar Training Course with us in 2018, two years later after gaining more experience with team Greenland and Iceland expeditions, she completed a 43 day, unsupported, solo ski to the South Pole.

Mollie Hughes completed our two week Polar Training Course with us in 2019 and went on to achieve her 58 day solo ski to the South Pole, also bagging a Guinness World Record for becoming the youngest woman to ski solo to the South Pole.

Jenny Davis completed a two week Polar Training Course with PET founder Hannah McKeand in 2017. After an aborted attempt in 2019 due to a medical complication, Jenny rallied again for 2020 and completed her solo ski to the South Pole in 44 days.

We are incredibly proud of these 3 inspiring women what amazing achievements!

PET Students Cross Greenland

PET students Wendy Searle and Pete Masters took on a 27-day crossing of the Greenland ice sheet in May, after completing the Polar Expedition Training course in February 2018. Despite fierce Piteraq storms, poor conditions and soft snow, Wendy and Pete skied 570km across the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica. They said their PET training ensured they finished the crossing in fine health and good spirits!

To add to our PET Pride Fest, Wendy and Pete were guided by Lou Rudd who was the first recipient of our annual Professional Guide Development Placement. Lou trained for two weeks beside PET instructors Hannah McKeand and Denise Martin to hone his polar guiding skills.

This year’s Professional Guide Development Placements are now open for applications. This is an opportunity for professional guides from other genres of adventure travel or experienced private team leaders who are interested in pursuing a career in polar guiding to shadow our instructors and learn from the best.

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PET Student Leandro Martins Solo Cycles Lake Baikal

We are so excited and proud of our 2018 Polar Training Course student Leandro Martins who has just completed a 10 day, 180km solo cycle ride across Lake Baikal. Leandro undertook the ambitious bike ride just weeks after completing our 2-week course and the windy conditions on the lake put all his new skills to the test. However, Leandro stayed cool and kept his nerve and calmly executed the trip in great style. We can't wait to see what he tackles next.

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Students to the South Pole

We were so fantastically proud and excited to see two of Hannah's students from 2017, Ali Negyal and Angelo Felgueiras, undertake and successfully complete an expedition to the South Pole this season. Ali and Angelo skied in to the South Pole in great style. Hannah was waiting for them when they arrived at the South Pole where she works each year as the Camp Manager and she said they looked healthy and happy and she absolutely could not have been prouder of them.

Congratulations Ali and Angelo from all of us here at Polar Expedition Training

Angelo and Hannah at the South Pole

Angelo and Hannah at the South Pole

A New Home For Our Norwegian Polar Trainings

We are excited to announce that starting in 2018, our Norwegian Polar Training Course will be operated out of the remote and historic mountain village of Finse.

The village sits at an elevation of 1,222 metres (4,009 ft) above sea level, making it the highest station on the Norwegian rail system . There is no road access, only a railway stop. Our base Hotel Finse 1222, sits on the shore of the winter frozen lake with spectacular views of three large glaciers coming off the Hardangerjøkulen Icecap opposite.

The village has a long and distinguished polar history having been used for expedition training by Amundsen, Scott, Shackleton and Nansen. To this day it is a popular destination for polar expedition preparation.

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A new beginning...

After several years working with Expeditions 365, devising and running their Polar Training Course, Hannah McKeand is going her own way under the new banner of Polar Expedition Training. 

She will continue to deliver the high quality, intensive training that she is known for both in Norway and the Unites States. She is also offering Expedition Consultancy services.

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