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Last Updated: Tuesday, 28 December, 2004, 11:48 GMT
Pole record couple on return trip
Conrad Dickinson and his wife Hilary
The pair underwent extensive training for the return
A couple who became the first British husband and wife team to trek to the South Pole unsupported say they are making good progress on their return.

Conrad Dickinson, 49, and his wife Hilary, 51, from Hexham, arrived at the pole at 8pm last Thursday.

They spent 53 days skiing the 674 mile-long journey, but hope to make the return trip in only 25 days, using kites to pull them along.

Mr Dickinson said on Tuesday they are expecting to make the deadline.

He said: "It's very wind dependent so we stopped using our watch and our days are ruled by the wind.

"If the wind is there we kite and on our first day which was Christmas Day we were kiting for 14-and-a-half hours and we covered 45 nautical miles."

To prepare for their kite-ski return the team underwent extensive training in the Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island, Greenland and Norway.




BBC NEWS:VIDEO AND AUDIO
Watch footage of the expedition



SEE ALSO:
School polar adventurers due home
20 Dec 04 |  Nottinghamshire
College team reaches South Pole
14 Dec 04 |  Nottinghamshire
Sir Edmund blasts US pole 'road'
28 Nov 04 |  Asia-Pacific
Students head off to South Pole
17 Nov 04 |  Nottinghamshire


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