HE has climbed Everest, conquered both the South and North Pole and even trekked 1,500km across the Arabian Desert.

Now Hampshire-born adventurer Adrian Hayes is gearing up for his latest challenge which will see him take care of some “unfinished business” – reaching the top of the world’s most deadly mountain, K2.

If he is successful he will be the first ever Briton and third person ever to have reached the summit of the world’s highest two mountains and reached both the North and the South Poles.

It comes a year after his previous attempt to climb K2, which stands at more than 8,600 metres, came to a tragic end when a deadly avalanche killed two climbers who were ahead of Adrian.

But despite the dangers Adrian, a former Gurkha officer in the British Army, said: “I’d never forgive myself if 2014 saw a successful summit push and I was back at home in the New Forest running through the woods.”

“Last year we never even managed a crack at the summit due to the avalanche that tragically killed Marty and Denali Schmidt at Camp 3, so I guess it’s very much unfinished business.”

Daily Echo: Deadly mountain, K2K2

K2 lies on the border between north Pakistan and China.

It is known as one of the most dangerous peaks in the world and it is prone to extreme cold, avalanches and falling rocks.

Back in 2008 it was the location of one of the worst climbing disasters, when 11 climbers died after an icesheet collapsed.

Adrian’s climb is expected take around 60 days, when he sets off in June, marking the 60-year anniversary of the first ever K2 ascent in 1954.

He added: “It is known as the mountaineer’s mountain, the jewel in the crown, and the ultimate achievement in high altitude mountaineering. It would mean a lot, but it’s not just about the destination, it’s also about the journey.”

Adrian, 54, who was born in Totton and grew up in the New Forest, scaled Mount Everest and walked to both the North and South Poles in the space of just 18 months, a Guinness World Record.

The last of those epic projects – trekking through the frozen wastelands of Antarctica – saw him battle 46 days of blinding white snow and ice in temperatures plummeting to |-35C. He has also set the record for the the longest unsupported snow-kiting journey in the Arctic to date.

His mum Linda and brother Damien live in Winsor.