AS the rest of Hampshire prepares for warmer days and friendlier climates, a group of Hampshire cadets will be bracing freezing temperatures, huge glaciers and the threat of attack by polar bears.

A team of 12 cadets from the Southampton University Cadet Corps have today embarked on a 100km Arctic expedition, Arctic Tiger, across the freezing glaciers of Greenland.

Lieutenant Laurence Whittingham, 20, will be in charge of the team of ten men and two girls on the 12-day expedition, set to be one of the most gruelling challenges any of them have ever undertaken.

He said: "We will be experiencing temperatures of between -15F to -30F, and even -40F in extreme circumstances, as well as risking crevices on the glaciers and having to fend off the threat of polar bears.

"We have a significant chance of meeting some polar bears, but we will have three rifles with us as our only means of protection from an attack."

The team left Southamp-ton today for Iceland, where they will charter a flight to Greenland.

On arrival, they will travel a further 70km by skidoo before they can set up base.

They will then ski up to 30km a day up some of the highest peaks in Liverpool Land.

The climax of the trip which will be climbing the highest mountain in the region, which is 1,334 metres.

Fitness

The expedition will be completely unsupported, apart from access to a satellite phone which they will use to contact their Southampton base for less than an hour a day.

Lt Whittingham added: "We have been doing fitness training, mainly on Southampton Common, as well as undertaking a basic ski course in Norway and a winter mountaineering course in Scotland, as most of the cadets have never skied before.

"We have not had any training to deal with a polar bear attack, but we have all had rifle training and our sergeant major, who will be accompanying us, is a firearms expert."