Charity | Posted on February 13th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset biker’s epic Antarctic adventure

Endurance cyclist James Benson-King is preparing to ride solo to the South Pole.

A two-month journey across Antarctica with no human contact and temperatures below -40°C will not sound appealing to most people. But for Dorset-based James Benson-King, that’s the plan for his next epic adventure.

“I am honestly incredibly excited about the journey,” he told Dorset View via email.
“I love the challenge and relish the opportunity to push myself. This is the biggest challenge yet, though, and so I am getting ready for it the only way I know: discipline and meticulous preparation.”

The 33-year-old from Corfe Mullen is an endurance cyclist and motivational speaker who holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest climb from Khambhat to Umling La Pass on a bicycle. James completed the 2,100km ascent in India in just over 14 days. He has also cycled the 20,000-mile journey from Alaska to Argentina — a ride that took a year and a half to complete.

James said: “Towards the end of my trip, I started to look ahead and wonder what else I could do. I’d read stories on my trip about an Italian endurance cyclist attempting to cycle across Antarctica.

“When I reached the end of my own journey, I spent the last of my money on a budget trip to go and see it for myself. I immediately fell in love with the continent — huge, silent and powerful. I secretly decided then my next goal was to follow in the footsteps of Omar De Felice and try and cycle across the continent unsupported.”

If successful, James will become the first person to cycle to the South Pole unsupported. This expedition will involve riding for 12 hours a day while pulling a 150kg sled, dealing with freezing temperatures, whiteouts and wind speeds of 200km/h, and navigating across dangerous crevasse fields. How is he preparing for these harsh conditions?

“My weekly training involves multiple early-morning fasted cycle rides, as well as three gym sessions and three longer rides. This is to train my body to use fat for energy and build up my strength on and off the bike,” reveals James, who is currently training in Norway and Sweden.

“In terms of cold-weather skills, that’s where my time in Sweden comes in. I will spend two months at Pole to Pole’s training school in the Arctic. This includes a three-week trial expedition up in the Swedish mountains to test out my gear and myself. With my cold-weather training complete, I will then return in April and focus on my physical training to get into fighting shape for the expedition itself.”

But as well as the physical training, what about the mental aspect of total isolation and zero human contact for two months?

“This is something it’s almost impossible to prepare for, but I know that my mind and body can adapt to whatever is put in front of me.”

And what does his family think of this expedition?

“In terms of my family’s reaction, I think they’re used to my crazy ideas now!”

James will embark on the adventure in November, and you can follow his progress online via his website, jamesbensonking.com, and social media @bikingvikingrides. He will be fundraising for Cardiac Risk in the Young.