Shropshire mechanic Finn completes South Pole road trip

A 25-year-old mechanic has embarked on his own adventure to the frozen planet, completing an epic 700 miles road trip to the South Pole.

Finn Walton, from Pontesbury, has taken part in an international expedition to the South Pole, held to celebrate the centenary of the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's epic expedition to the Pole 100 years ago today.

The mechanic, who served his apprenticeship at the Plough Garage in Pontesbury, has driven the party – which includes the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg – 700 miles to the pole in a specially adapted off-road Ford vehicle, which was featured on Top Gear a few years ago.

He had to dodge deep crevasses and at one stage fix the vehicle with his bare hands in temperatures of -25C after it broke down.

Finn, who has been camped five miles from the Pole with other members of the expedition, will today drive dignitaries from the camp to the Pole for the official celebrations.

The intrepid explorer comes from a family of Antarctic veterans. His father Jonathan Walton worked in the Antarctic as a glaciologist and his late grandfather, Kevin, as an engineer. They have a mountain range and mountain named after them, but Finn is the first family member to reach the South Pole.

His father Jonathan said it was an emotional moment on Saturday when his son called to tell his parents he had made it to the Pole.

Jonathan said: "Exactly 100 years ago on December 14 1911, Roald Amundsen and his colleagues were the first humans to reach the South Geographic Pole. They returned safely and triumphantly – this return was not shared by Captain Scott and his colleagues who arrived a month later to find Amundsen's tent pitched and left standing at the pole.

"There is quite a centenary party happening at the Pole today – the guest of honour being the Prime Minister of Norway."

For details and pictures on Finn's travels, visit finnwalton.blogspot.com.