Major Accomplishments

2004-05 : The Invesco Perpetual Challenge. An expedition formed by two teams. The two teams start on opposite sides of the Antarctic continent. The ski team beginning its 1,600km journey at the bottom of one of the world's largest glaciers (Axel Heiberg in Trans-Antarctic Mountains) and then, dragging 200lb sledges, pass through the mighty Trans-Antarctic Mountains before reaching the South Pole. The 4x4 team supposed to start from Patriot Hills to reach SP and film the second leg of the ski team SP -> Patriot Hills. But vehicles never made the journey. The skiers team (Patrick Woodhead, Paul Landry, Alastair Vere Nicoll and David de Rothschild) arrived at SP on December 22nd and depart for PH few days later. On Wednesday January 12th, the Invesco Perpetual Challenge team successfully completes a coast to coast traverse of the Antarctic continent via the Axel Heiberg glacier.
The crossing marks the end of a 58 days journey (1 650km traverse of Antarctica) ; the team achieves the first coast to coast manhauling traverse from the Ross Ice shelf - via the Trans-Antarctic Mountains and the South Pole - to the Ronnie ice shelf on Antarctica's western perimeters. Our coverage.

Background

Alastair, aged 30, is currently working part-time at BPP Law School in London as a senior lecturer in business law and debt finance.

For the rest of his time he has been organising this expedition and writing a novel set in Ceaucescu's Romania and London's contemporary art scene. Aside from his novel, he has written a number of poems and short stories and, although no Eminen, Alastair won an open-mike poetry slam in New York's Nuyorican café in 2000.

He was born in South Africa, has travelled extensively throughout Africa, South America and Europe, was educated in Australia and has worked in Spain and the US. He is also a keen horseman, having worked and trained young horses in Australia and the UK. He then went on to study English Language and Literature at Oxford where he was awarded a scholarship and got a double first, before practising law for four years in New York and London with city solicitors Freshfields.

This Invesco Perpetual Challenge is his first major expedition. As part of the training he skied and kited in the Hardangervidda mountains in Norway, where Amundsen and Shackleton both trained. Alastair has also ice-climbed in Scotland and skied since the age of eight. Aside from the mountains, he has also completed numerous off-road triathlons, quadrathlons and the London Marathon.

His wife is expecting their first baby on January 15th, and after taking the decision to continue with the expedition, he now has an added incentive to complete the traverse in record time.