Michael Mitten reaches the North Pole for cancer charity

Apr 9 2009 by Michael Mitten, The Journal

A SON reached the North Pole after a seven-day trek to raise money for the charity that helped his father.

Michael Mitten’s father Ron died from lung cancer in 2007 and he wanted to do something special for Macmillan Cancer Care.

Instead of a sponsored run or parachute jump Michael, of Heaton, Newcastle, decided to take on a charity trek to the geographic North Pole.

He set off from Longyearbyen, in Norway, on 2 April and reached his goal six days later.

Progress reports were posted using Twitter by his guide, Doug Stoup, and via voice recordings from Michael.

On day one Michael said: “Well today I’ve had probably the strangest day of my life, ever.

“Going from Longyearbyen via a Russian Antanov jet, landing on an ice runway, stepping out into the coldest temperatures I’ve ever experienced at the furthest point north I’ve ever been and in probably the most beautiful and difficult environment I’ve ever been into.”

Click here to view a video of Michael's polar trek

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