For most people trekking across treacherous Antarctic terrain for 920 miles and braving temperatures colder then minus 50 would be a one-time-only challenge.

But passionate polar explorer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Worsley MBE is preparing to repeat the feat by once again following in the footsteps of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who raced Norwegian Roald Amundsen to the South Pole in 1911/12.

Lt Col Worsley, who lives with his wife Joanna and two teenage children Max and Alicia in Putney, will recreate the trip taken by Capt Scott along with two other British army officers while another team of three follows the route taken by Amundsen. Each will be completely unsupported like Amundsen and Capt Scott, whose team all died during the return trip home.

Lt Col Worsley said: "I think the most significant thing is actually in the diet - the calories and the food you can take. We will never be hungry whereas they were complaining about being hungry almost from the start.

"They are still jolly long journeys and they don't always succeed. We are only going one way, we are doing the outward journey.

"We are travelling about 900 miles and it will take about 60 days. We are carrying all our food and fuel and everything we need for the journey. The sledges will weigh about 140kg."

The modern-day recreation, which aims to raise £500,000 for The Royal British Legion, is scheduled to begin on November 11, this year.

Both teams have been busy preparing, and earlier this month abseiled down the Lloyds building to train for dealing with deadly crevasses, which they must navigate when crossing the Transatlantic Mountains after the three to four-week trip across the Ross Ice Shelf.

Lt Col Worsley, who is based at an army headquarters in Northwood, completed the same journey in 2007, losing two stone during the gruelling trek.

He said: "The thing you have really got to get your head around is the size of the journey. It's as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

"There's not black art to this, you just slide one ski in front of the other. If you are passionate about something, and I am about this period of polar exploration, you can put aside the physical hardship and get on with it."

Lt Col Worsley, who is based at an army headquarters in Northwood, added: "You could not possibly do this without the support of your family. "You need that support there. You could not be worried half way across that there was trouble back home or be carrying negative vibes."

His two children have recently finished painting messages of support - saying things like "I love you dad" - on his skis.

To donate visit scottamundsenrace.org