Alex Hibbert, 21 is leading the way in polar exploration. He will lead the North08 expedition to the North Pole in Spring 2008 as the youngest person in history.

Alex and his team need £100,000 to ski, unsupported over 480 miles across the Arctic Ocean. On completion they will join an impressive list of British explorers who have charted new territory in polar regions, such as Shackleton, Scott, Herbert and Fiennes They will continue the spirit of classic exploration, in what could well be one of the last great expeditions in this fragile environment. 

By starting from Greenland, the team will break new ground. The North Pole has been reached from North America and Russia but has never previously been attempted from Greenland.  This route poses greater technical challenges, as the polar drift is stronger and more difficult to negotiate.

The four men will be totally unsupported, with no re-supplies en route, no wind-powered kites, no dogs, no skidoos, thereby ensuring the least impact on the environment. Each will drag a sledge weighing more than 220 lbs, in temperatures ranging from minus 50 to minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Two times cancer survivor Richard Smith, 36, will be part of the team, along with Adam Griffiths, 24 who spent 11 months living in the Arctic and Andrew Wilkinson, 31 who summited Everest earlier this year. The team have an impressive pedigree of skills, experience and knowledge between them.

As well as raising funds and awareness for Maggie's Cancer Centres, they will take part in medical research with the Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine, CASE, who will be working with the team to continue their research.  The team will be working with schools before and after the expedition, to raise awareness of the environment, in line with the National Curriculum.

Strategic planning and risk assessment has been thorough and meticulous, to ensure the success and safety of the trip and the expedition has support from fellow explorer, Pen Hadow, as well as Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh and Her Majesty The Queen.

The expedition is offering Business Partners a unique opportunity to be part of this ground-breaking exploration, by investing in a specifically designed media package to promote their Company.   The package includes exposure in an hour-long documentary for terrestrial television and in all mainstream media. The film makers, Eye Film and Television, started filming the team training in Greenland this summer.   A detailed proposal is available on the expedition website, www.north08.com. 

Further details are available from the PR team at 131 Design Ltd on 0780 955 8474, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , from Alex Hibbert, expedition leader, 0775 430 1919, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and at www.case-medicine.co.uk. End of press release

For further details, interviews, images & team profiles please contact:

Gail Baird at 131 Design Ltd or Alex Hibbert, as above.