Land Rover in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG*) are proud to announce the award of the sixth consecutive bursary to this year’s winner, the ‘Pole of Cold Expedition’. 

The team leader Felicity Aston, who is no stranger to the cold – already having a number of Antarctic Expeditions under her belt – along with Gisli Jonsson, an expert mechanic in sub-zero temperatures, and Manu Palomeque, a filmmaker and photographer, will chase the onset of winter across Europe to Siberia as far as the Pole of Cold, the coldest place in the northern hemisphere. 

The team will track the extreme weather through scientific and creative means documenting the physical, human and cultural geography as they go.

Mark Cameron, Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director said; “Felicity and her experienced team have really captured the essence of the Bursary through the concept of their Expedition.  We are delighted to support their journey to properly understand how different communities across Europe and Siberia deal with the onset of winter.

“With its expert capabilities the Land Rover Defender will not only enable the team to reach the remotest communities, it will also be adapted into a mobile studio enabling the continuous story to be accessed by a worldwide audience”

Paul Rose, the Society’s Vice President of Expeditions & Fieldwork, added “The Land Rover Bursary offers recipients an amazing opportunity to promote a wider understanding and enjoyment of people, places and environments. This team’s journey will help show that exploration is as much about a state of mind as it is a particular place.”

The team will receive funding of up to £30,000 and the loan of a brand new Land Rover Defender which will truly enable them to go above and beyond to achieve this extremely challenging expedition. They will encounter hostile weather conditions and temperatures consistently as low as -20 and at times as low as -50 which will push them and the vehicle beyond the normal limits and boundaries that most of us are used to.

The 12 week journey will begin from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London, England in November with the team working its way across northern Europe through Russia to Siberia then dropping south back through Kazakhstan for the return trip to Europe and ultimately England arriving in February 2014.

If you interested in applying for the 2014 Land Rover Bursary further details are available HERE.