Chest cold compounds Polar explorer's woes

AS if a sore knee, a snowy headwind and -40ºC weather weren't trouble enough, adventurer Braam Malherbe has a cold.

He also has about 600km left to walk until he reaches the South Pole, pulling a 70kg sled.

Malherbe and teammate Peter van Kets are representing South Africa in one of the most extreme races in the world, a 704km odyssey across Antarctica to mark the centenary of the first-ever trip to the South Pole in 1912. Norway's Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the pole, and Robert Scott of Britain died, with other members of his expedition, during his attempt.

The race began this week and features seven teams. Yesterday the South Africans were in fourth position, moving at about 35km a day.

"Braam is quite sick at the moment, he has a chest infection," said Ann Toerien of Urban Brew, one of the race sponsors. "He is worried about his knee. Obviously the altitude (3100m) is also a problem," she said.

Although unlikely to win the event - the Norwegians are firm favourites - Team South Africa is hoping to use the event to raise awareness about global climate change. Antarctica holds 70% of the world's fresh water supply, frozen in 14.2 million km² of snow and ice.

Speaking this week to radio station Jacaranda 94.2, Malherbe said: "It is absolutely desolate, extremely sterile. There is no life here whatsoever. And you have total sensory deprivation. There is a pale blue sky and then just white, white, white.

"You do this one day at a time."