Campaigner off to swim in geographic north pole

British adventurer Lewis Gordon Pugh began his journey to the Arctic yesterday to raise awareness of the "devastating effects" of climate change by swimming in the coldest waters a human has ever endured.

Pugh travelled from London to Helsinki ahead of his attempt to swim one kilometre to the Geographic North Pole in temperatures of minus 1.8C (28.7F).

If he is successful Pugh will break his own record which he set in 2005 off Antarctica when he swam in temperatures of 0C.

In accordance with Channel Swimming Association rules, he will swim in only Speedo trunks, a cap and a pair of goggles, despite the extreme cold.

From Helsinki he will travel to Murmansk where he will join a Russian icebreaker to take him and his crew to their chilly destination.

Pugh, 37, expects the Investec North Pole Challenge, which will take place on July 15, to take around 21 minutes to complete.

He will be swimming in waters created by melted sea ice, and hopes to draw attention to the damage climate change is doing to the world's most vulnerable ecosystems.

At a press conference ahead of his departure last week he said: "In recent years the Arctic has had the greatest increase in air temperatures in the world and a substantial decrease in sea ice.

"These changes are being driven by global warming gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere.

"Just five or 10 years ago this swim would never have been possible. It's deeply regrettable that it's possible now because of the devastating effects of climate change."

He added: "The Arctic is an area of incredible beauty, but it is also incredibly fragile."

One of Pugh's team, Professor Tim Noakes, claims Pugh has the capacity to raise his body temperature before entering the water, which enables him to withstand extreme cold - a trick that has intrigued sports scientists and earned him the nickname of "The Polar Bear".

Also accompanying Pugh is Jorgen Amundsen - a relative of Roald Amundsen, the first man to walk to the South Pole.

As a WWF ambassador Pugh has previously campaigned against climate change. In 2006, he swam the entire length of the River Thames to highlight the threat of global warming.