In November, Dr. Gareth Andrews and Dr. Richard Stephenson will set out from the coast of Antarctica on a journey that will take them across the entire continent. If successful, they will be the first people to ever ski this 2,023km crossing unassisted.

For over two months, Gareth and Richard will face some of the most extreme conditions on Earth: freezing temperatures, gale-force winds, and unforgiving terrain. They'll be towing 160kg sleds with all of their supplies, including equipment to collect crucial climate data.

Their journey starts on the coast of the Weddell Sea, where they make their way to the South Pole. From the South Pole, Gareth and Andrew will head to the base of the Reedy Glacier on the Ross Ice Shelf.

This project is a true test of human performance in extreme conditions. Gareth and Richard have completed expeditions in Norway, Iceland, and Greenland together. Part of their training in Australia and New Zealand has involved long stretches of running and walking (Oxfam Trailwalker 100k), long hikes with heavy packs, and dragging weights on sleds around local parks.

Every day, Gareth and Richard will be collecting climate data. It's not easy to get such localised data from this part of the world, so their data set will provide climate scientists with useful insights into the planet's current state.

The information they will gather includes:

- Air temperature and barometric pressure

- Cloud characteristics and patterns

- Ice surface properties

- Solar radiation

- Moisture content and wind speeds.

Dr. Richard Stephenson is a Consultant Emergency Physician in Dunedin. Richard grew up in Yorkshire and relocated to New Zealand a decade ago with his wife and children.

Dr. Gareth Andrews is a Consultant Anaesthetist at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. Born in Scotland, Gareth now lives in Australia with his wife, Andrea, and two children.