The North and South Pole hold a special place in the adventure community. To travel overland and unsupported to the very extremities of our planet is a tremendous achievement.

One of my favourite expeditions of all time was Ranulph Fiennes’ Transglobe Expedition, an epic circumnavigation of the world via both poles. I have always considered it to be one of the finest journeys of all time. However, if you don’t have the time, money (or energy) to actually travel from pole to pole, then can I suggest a more achievable local version?

Following on from my triumphant bagging of the Seven Summits of my Neighbourhood, this month I set out to travel from the very north of my local map to the very southern point. It’s an arbitrary journey, but then again planting a flag in the middle of a vast white expanse and declaring ‘job done’ isn’t necessarily the most sensible of pastimes.

The point of this little adventure was to force me out the front door, to do something different in the slender margins of free time that we have available in our busy lives, and as a way to discover new places close to home, even after a whole year exploring my local map.

I began at the North Pole of my map, posing heroically for a selfie…

Ah, woops! That’s not me! (It’s my friend Ben, who has trekked to both Poles). Here’s me, mimicking the classic explorer selfie, albeit with a backdrop typical of my local map featuring barbed wire and Keep Out signs.

I pedalled off enthusiastically, not deterred by the impressively ugly and unwelcoming path.

Nor by the seemingly endless heaps of fly-tipping, plastic, and random rubbish.

My spirits were high for, yet again, I was discovering places that I had never seen – even after a whole year diligently exploring the 20km x 20km span of my map.

Despite the depressing dreariness of the February weather, it was a pleasure to get out into the countryside and ride through fields and woods.

Yes, that is actually a colour photo. The dreary monochrome of this time of year grinds me down. But little cheers me up more than zooming down windy woodland singletrack trails.

At last, a mere mighty 20km since leaving my North Pole, I was approaching the southern depths of my map.

Expeditions with arbitrary goals are strange things. To reach a latitude of 90 degrees South, for example, in a flat, white vastness and deem that to be ‘success’. Or to arrive at a random, forgettable junction in the road and celebrate as that is the most southern reach of your local map…

‘Tis a funny thing, this exploration malarkey. But, as I’ve often thought, it does not really matter where you go. It matters only that you go.

This was a tiny little outing. But I enjoyed spinning the wheels through lands new and familiar. And having even an irrelevantly arbitrary goal to head for added a small extra element of fun. I had reached the South Pole, like those great explorers of old. It was time to pose for the triumphant photograph.

Ah, woops. That’s not me. This is me…

And then homewards! Via the chip shop. Partly because I like chips, it’s true. But mostly – and proudly and unashamedly – it’s so that I can finish this little piece by quoting the Antarctic explorer Captain Scott:

“Great God! This is an awful plaice!” *

😂

If you decide t0 try this little idea, please share your photos online using the hashtag #LocalPoletoPole

* Brilliant improvement by @lucindaharris.x: “Great Cod, this is an awful plaice!”