Pinoy sets out on solo expedition to South Pole

MANILA, Philippines - A 59-year-old Filipino adventurer is set to embark on a solo expedition to the South Pole in Antarctica to dramatize his crusade to declare South Pole as the first line of defense against global warming and break the Guinness record of trekking overland on ice without the use of dogs or mechanized vehicles.

“I will attempt to break the world record of 33 days’ journey across the South Pole,” said Bob del Castillo during a broadcasters forum at the Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City.

He said he has been training for the last two years in preparation for the South Pole journey and part of his training was the recent climb of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, 14,000 feet above sea level.

Upon his descent from the mountain, he said the first news that met him was that a big chunk of ice – as big as Jamaica – had drifted away from the North Pole, a sign that global warming is taking its toll.

“I want to send the message to the world that if there is a fight against global warming it must be carried out at the South Pole,” he said.

Del Castillo, who claimed to be an “extreme sports” enthusiast, said he intends to ski across the South Pole in 30 days to break the record of 33 days held by a Canadian adventurer.

He said he would leave for New Zealand in August to train in ice-skiing and other techniques. In the first week of November, he will begin his expedition across Iceland.

“Hopefully I will be back the first week of December,” he said.