SALTASH adventurer Clive Woodman has just returned from an expedition to the Antarctic island of South Georgia, where he was a member of the first team to tackle the ascent of Mount Roots.

Clive, who lives near Saltash, was one of the eight man 'Southern Challenge' team who set out to tame the only unclimbed peak on British territory. Mount Roots had resisted many other attempts to climb it, including one by the first Briton to climb Everest without the aid of oxygen - Stephen Venables.

Dubbed 'The Island At The Edge Of The World', South Georgia has no airstrip and is one of the world's most remote and inaccessible destinations. The team had to reach South Georgia by sea. Sailing from the Falkland Islands on the 50 foot yacht, 'Ice Maiden', it took them eight days to make the 900 mile passage to the island. Icebergs were a common hazard and many days were spent negotiating a way around them.

Once on the island, the conditions did not get better. At one point, the team spent five days sheltering in a mountain snow cave after 100 mph winds had destroyed their tents.

Clive serves in the Royal Naval Reserve at HMS Vivid in Plymouth and also works as an IT consultant. Preparation for the trip involved hours of exercise on Clive's part. As part of his training, he spent time on the climbing machine at the China Fleet Club.

Clive qualified as a mountain and ski expedition leader with the services 15 years ago. Since then, he has led expeditions to the Himalayas, Andes, Alaska and to Greenland.

During his stay on the island, Clive also made the first ascent of another unnamed and previously unclimbed 4,600 foot peak in the south of the island.

On his return to Britain, he said, 'It was an amazing experience and great achievement. There are not many places left in the world now where you can make a first ascent of a mountain. This expedition really was the chance of a lifetime.'