HE’S battled through blizzards and survived month-long freezes.

Next week Craig Mathieson will make the relatively easy journey down the A7 to share his experiences of being a polar explorer.

The Royal Scottish Geographical Society Explorer in Residence, who has reached both poles, will speak as part of the Inspiring People talk series on both his past expeditions and his new project the Polar Academy.

Mathieson truly embodies the title of the RSGS talk series Inspiring People - in 2004 he realised a childhood dream by skiing to the South Pole, whilst this itself is inspirational he then went on to train a 16-year-old schoolboy to join him on an expedition to the North Pole.

Mathieson realised the benefits to self-confidence and growth brought on by polar exploration and wanted to offer the opportunity to a child who would otherwise not have the same opportunities to excel. The success of his first journey to the North Pole with a school pupil encouraged Mathieson to set up the Polar Academy, giving schoolchildren the opportunity to stand out and build self-confidence through new experiences.

Mathieson said: “The Polar Academy training is about the silent kids in the education system, not the kids who excel and not the kids who cause a fuss but the ones that get forgotten in the middle. “The Polar Academy creates role models who can in turn encourage and inspire their peers”.

Mathieson’s past talks, where he covers both his own expeditions and The Polar Academy, have provoked high emotion from audiences who recognise the opportunity for social change that exploration can bring.

Craig Mathieson’s talk, “Some Like It Cold...” will take place at the Borders Campus of Heriot-Watt University on Tuesday, October 28, at 7.30pm.