Bradford explorer Ann Daniels is about to set off on the most important expedition of her life.

The Allerton-born adventurer, who is no stranger to danger and extreme conditions, leaves for a ground-breaking scientific expedition to the Arctic in less than two weeks’ time.

Arctic Canada

The expedition, part of the Catlin Arctic Survey in the Canadian Arctic, is to help scientists find out how fast the ice caps are melting.

Mrs Daniels, who is mum to four children including triplets, will have the task of finding the way along the 1,200km route over three gruelling months.

The 44-year-old, who now lives in Devon, has also had the task of getting the equipment and food ready for the expedition. She abandoned her own solo attempt on the pole to take part in the project which is being led by veteran explorer Pen Hadow. Final preparations have included a lesson for the team in emergency medicine – they used bananas to stitch an open wound.

The adventurers will be carrying an ice-penetrating radar which will take millions of measurements of snow and ice layers which will then be transmitted to scientists by satellite.

Last month the explorers went to Broughton Island in Canada for two weeks of pre-expedition training battling temperatures of -35C and days shrouded with 20 hours of darkness.

Mrs Daniels said: “Living, travelling and camping in the relentless cold can be pure hell.

“I had forgotten just how painful frozen fingers can be and how difficult it is to perform and survive at temperatures below -25C, where even the smallest of tasks take a mammoth amount of effort and concentration.

“We spent only three days in the cold but it was enough to remind us of what lay ahead and how important it is that we are all on top of our game.”

She also said any pain and discomfort on the trip would be “momentary” in the great scheme of things and added: “While I know we will experience a living nightmare, it will be a nightmare full of shared companionship, magical moments and this time with the added benefit of feeling I have made a small difference.

“Being able to help the scientific community to better understand the difficulties our planet is facing will be an achievement that will last a lifetime.”

The data will be analysed at the department of oceanography, in Monterey, California, and the findings will be given to decision makers at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in November.