British explorer makes it an Arctic family trip

By Andrew Hough

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - The teenage daughter of a leading arctic explorer on Thursday begins her bid to become the youngest British woman to ski to the North Pole.

Camilla Hempleman-Adams, 15, is accompanying her explorer father David Hempleman-Adams, 51, on the dangerous 80-mile (129km) Arctic trip to raise climate change awareness.

If she makes it, her father, who has successfully traveled to the North Pole nine times, said she would be the youngest British woman ever to reach the Arctic.

They are facing dangers including freezing temperatures -- about minus 40 degrees -- falling ice, hidden crevices, polar beers, losing fingers or toes to frostbite and exhaustion.

Last month the year 10 student went to Buckingham Palace, where during a private meeting, the Duke of Edinburgh wished her good luck on her record-breaking trip.

The pair, from Box, Wiltshire, spoke to Reuters by telephone on the eve of their trip on Thursday.

"I am trying to tell young people about climate change and global warming and show them what is going on in the Arctic," said a nervous Camilla.

Camilla is hoping to produce an educational CD for schools during the journey.