Mission

Bear Grylls is leading a team of four climbers to explore and climb in some of the most remote areas of Antarctica, sponsored by Ethanol Ventures.

The expedition aims to promote alternative energy and bioethanol as a source of power in the future and raise funds for Global Angels, an international children’s charity championing the needs of children around the world.

During this mission the team aim to scale one of the great unclimbed peaks in Antarctica, explore the coast by inflatable boat and jetski, part powered by bioethanol, an almost entirely carbon neutral fuel alternative, and then to travel across some of the vast ice desert by wind-powered kite-ski and electric powered paramotor.

We hope to show through this Antarctic adventure the potential of how bioethanol and alternative energy can sustain our environment and provide a viable power source for the future.

Time Line

• 27th Nov team leave UK for Cape Town. Logistics and transport being provided by White Desert.
• 29th Nov leave for Antarctic continent. Next two weeks all weather dependant on whether we head for the coastal phase or the mountain phase first.
• Planned return Mid Dec.

Coastal phase

Yamaha Superjet jetski – This is one of the lightest most powerful one man stand up jet skis in the world. With Ultra light construction, catapult like acceleration, unmatched carving ability this one-man rocket will be used to explore the coastal ice shelves, weave through icebergs and approach the ice wall that will allow the team to scale the vertical ice shelf that accesses the continent.Yamahas latest development and will form part of the maritime set up for the team’s coastal exploration. The jetski will be part powered by bioethanol fuel, an almost entirely carbon neutral fuel alternative.

Inflatable and outboard  - 3.5m Yamaha inflatable.One of Yamahas smallest, most robust inflatable boats will carry the rest of the team and its equipment. The hypalon tubes are designed to withstand the sub-zero temperatures and are reinforced to survive the sharp ice at the base of the coastal ice-shelf.


The F25 outboard engine - Amongst the icebergs and small ice ‘growlers’, the sheer power, driving force and manoeuvrability, rather than out-and-out speed, of this outboard engine is critical. The F25 is a special version of Yamaha’s latest-technology 4-stroke engines, which set new standards in performance while reducing noise, vibration and fuel consumption to unprecedented levels.

Yamaha’s Dual-Thrust propeller provides full thrust in both forward and reverse, allowing great manoeuvrability with impressive power against the water and ice that the team will encounter. This small outboard will also be part powered by bioethanol fuel, an almost entirely carbon neutral fuel alternative.

Hanging bivouacs - These hanging tents are designed to be suspended off vertical rock or ice faces. The team will use these as part of their ascent up the vertical coastal ice shelves, many of which are over 1000ft high! Black Diamond will supply these hanging bivouacs and the team will rest hundreds of feet above the Antarctic surf, before continuing the climb up and over onto the top of the ice shelf. From here the team will begin the long haul of the jetski and inflatables up out of the sea, up the ice face and over! We believe this will be the first ever time that a team will have used a vertical hanging bivouac on an Antarctic climb! And of course we will be hoping to use bioethanol as our source of fuel to cook on, in our little portable stoves.

Ice Sheet Phase

Kite skis - These are a combination of cross-country skis, coupled to a kiting harness, lines and kite, using the power of the wind to allow us to cover distances across the ice sheets.

Electric powered paragliders -  The first of their kind in the world. Designed and produced by Gilo, these are the holy grail of powered paragliders. Compared to the noisy, fossil fuel two-stroke powered paragliders, the e-pac’s are whisper quiet, re-chargeable, lightweight and eco-friendly. The team will be comparing both of these and flying them across the ice-sheets on still days when the kite’s won’t fly! These electric engines are coupled to the latest technology in paraglider wings made by Paramania technology.

Mountain Phase

Snowholes - In the mountain phase of the expedition the team are aiming to scale one of the great unclimbed peaks near Fenriskjeften Mountain in Queen Maud Land. If successful the team will have earned the right to name the peak!

The team will need to spend time doing probing, recce climbs around the base preparing for the actual first ascent itself. The team will sleep either in team base-camp tents nearby or when on the mountain travelling lightweight for the climb, the team will build and sleep in snowholes each night.

Expedition Base Camp

This camp will be a main stop-off for the team in between each phase of the Expedition. It is powered entirely by wind and solar, and a logistics crew will staff this, keeping track of the four adventurers.

This Camp is being set up ahead of the main team arriving in Antarctica and the last word from the logistic crew was that the temperature is yet to rise above -30o! But this camp will prove a real safe-haven and, in the words of Bear: “This will be one of the most well-kitted out and comfy base-camps we will have ever used, (which will make a pleasant change!) and it will be a great place to return to and recover in between. Thank you to the crew involved with these logistics. I wish all expedition camps could be so nice!”

This Expedition also understands and respects that Antarctica is a highly sensitive wilderness.

As such, the logistics crew operate in strict accordance to the environmental tourism guidelines laid out in the Antarctic Treaty. The Expedition is also operating a zero impact policy.

To achieve this, our temporary base-camp will be fully dismantled, leaving no trace, while all human waste is transported out of Antarctica and disposed of responsibly in South Africa.

The entire camp is powered by renewable energy, using solar panels supplied by Cleversolar and a portable wind turbine, to take advantage of Antarctica’s abundant supply of natural power.

White Desert, who are operating the logistics for us are an accredited CarbonNeutral® company and offsets all emissions from our team’s flights to Antarctica and the associated logistics once there, through a portfolio of Carbon projects. Currently, they are supporting woodland replanting projects in the UK.