HAULING a 300lb sledge across a frozen wasteland may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but for Winsford adventurer Mike Doran it will be a dream come true.

In April, 34-year-old Mike will be setting off on his most ambitious journey to date - a 340-mile trek to the magnetic North Pole.

With temperatures expected to plunge to around minus 40 degrees during the attempt, Mike knows that he will be pushed to the limits of his endurance.

But even so, he is keenly looking forward to facing the greatest challenge of his life.

"People ask me why I would want to do something like this," said Mike, who grew up on Winsford's Roehurst estate before moving to Barnton when he got married.

"What attracts me to it is wanting to push myself and see if I can cope with extremes. I need to know if I am mentally and physically capable of handling it."

Mike's journey into the unknown will begin on April 15, when he flies out to Ottowa, Canada.

From there, he will take an internal flight to Baffin Island, where he will meet up with experienced polar explorer Paul Landry, who will be accompanying him on the trek.

Mike will spend a week there, acclimatising and preparing for what lies ahead, and being introduced to the remaining members of the expedition - a team of up to 12 huskies.

The next stage of the incredible journey will be a flight to Resolute Bay in Canada's north-western territory, from where the epic walk will begin.

If all goes well, the hard slog to the magnetic North Pole will take 15 or 16 days, and the intrepid duo would then radio for a ski-plane to fly in and pick them up.

However, Mike admits that the journey is fraught with potential dangers, such as thin ice, frostbite and possible polar bear attacks.

"Polar bears are one of the main dangers, although the dogs should provide excellent protection against them," Mike said.

"I'll be carrying a rifle just in case, but I hope I won't need to use it."

The polar expedition presents a stark contrast to Mike's previous epic journey.

On that occasion, in 1995, he had to endure blazing heat and arid deserts during a 31-day motorcycle trip from Cheshire to Bombay.

"It's certainly a case of going from one extreme to the other," said Mike, whose other adventures have included a John O'Groats to Land's End bicycle trip last year.

"I'm not really nervous about it, just a little apprehensive about how I'll cope with the low temperatures.

"Ideally, I should have gone to somewhere such as Norway to prepare myself, but that wasn't possible because of the cost and time involved.

"I'm already having to take time off work to go on the expedition, and I'd like to thank my bosses at North West Water who have supported me all the way."

Mike's exciting adventures have put him in great demand as both an author and a guest speaker.

He has had articles published in various books and magazines, and he recently gave a talk at the prestigious Independent Travellers' Show in London.

"It's something I really enjoy doing," said Mike, who is a former pupil of Verdin Comprehensive School in Winsford.

"I want to get my name as well-known as possible so that I can try to attract sponsorship for a journey to the South Pole. That's one of my main ambitions now."

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