Irishman for Antarctic charity ski

An Irish banker is about to embark on a 100km-plus ski trek across the frozen wastes of Antarctica to help raise money for an Irish charity working with victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

Niall Carton (44), from Newcastle, Co Down and two Russian friends, Alexey Borichev and Alexander Zozulya, plan to ski some 111km to the South Pole to raise funds for The Greater Chernobyl Cause.

The group plan to fly from Punta Arenas in Chile to the Union Glacier base camp in Antarctica, from where they will fly to the start of the Antarctic Plateau at 89 degrees south, where they will start the ski-trek to the South Pole.

Niall, who previously skied to the North Pole, said the group will face temperatures of -40C, strong winds and altitudes varying from 2,500m to 3,000m during the trek, which they hope to complete on January 14th.

"We are dedicating this adventure to support the work of The Greater Chernobyl Cause and their work at Ivanovskoye Hospice in Kostroma, Russia - the last shelter for the old and infirm in the area."

Fiona Corcoran, director of The Greater Chernobyl Cause, based in Cork, paid tribute to Niall and his Russian friends for their support for the Ivanovskoye Hospice, which had been in such a dreadful state in 2010 that the Russian government shut it down.

However, 12 months on, The Greater Chernobyl Cause renovated and reopened the hospice and with funding support coming in for Niall's charity trek, the hope is to fully renovate it to accommodate up to 25 residents, she said.

For further information on Niall Carton's Antarctic trek, visit www,greaterchernobylcause.ie.