Huge congratulations to Martin and Louis who have successfully made it to the South Pole in the last hour.

The pair have been back on the ice for a week tackling the Last Degree - the 60 nautical miles which mark the last latitude of distance to the South Pole from 89° South - and have timed their arrival at the Pole with the centenary of the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Given the adversity they've had to overcome along the way, it's a truly fitting coincidence.

Having set off from Hercules Inlet with the aim of covering 1,000 kilometres unsupported and unassisted, the pair were forced to diverge from their original plan when Martin suffered a debilitating achilles tendon injury. Despite the short break for medical attention at Union Glacier, Martin and Louis have skied more 650 kilometres in the last 50 days to reach their ultimate destination.

Completion of the Last Degree also means Martin's dream of becoming the first person with a disability to complete the Explorers Grand Slam (known as the Adaptive Grand Slam) remains very much alive. The pair will now rest for a few days before taking on the second part of the Adaptive Antarctica challenge - an ascent of Mount Vinson.

We'll leave the final word to Louis, who paid tribute to Martin on the eve of their achievement.

“What this guy has done has been absolutely outstanding. By the time we get into Pole, he’ll have skied over 400 miles with one arm. I’ll just let that sink in. Over 400 miles in the most inhospitable environment on the planet, across some really challenging terrain, in sub-zero temperatures, with one arm. To have done that, and covered over six degrees, is absolutely outstanding. It’s been a privilege and an honour to do this expedition with him. I certainly couldn’t have asked for a better expedition partner.”

— Louis Rudd