The Trail of Tom Crean

Charlie Bird heads south on his greatest adventure yet - to the South Pole on the trail of legendary Kerry explorer Tom Crean.

On the first of two expeditions to the planet's most remote continent, Charlie will travel on a voyage around Antarctica exploring its wonders and visiting historic sites where Crean made his mark. Then Charlie will finally complete on foot what Crean was prevented from accomplishing a century ago - walking the last stage to the South Pole itself. Charlie will try and discover why, on the cusp of success, Robert Scott sent his strongest man home and walked on to death and disaster. It's a mystery that has never been fully explained.

With Tom Crean on the Irish school curriculum and mascot of the Scouts, 2011 the 100th anniversary of Crean's journey with Scott for the South Pole, and Antarctica in the news every day due to climate change, there is no more propitious time to head south into the white continent.