Cheeky Scottish South Pole explorer pledges bottom tattoo for trek

An adventurer bidding to become the youngest woman to ski solo to the South Pole is raising funds for her trip in an unusual way – by pledging to get a tattoo on her bottom in return for a £15,000 donation.

Mollie Hughes, 26, arrives at Edinburgh Airport after becoming the world's youngest woman to climb Mount Everest from both sides.

Edinburgh-based explorer Mollie Hughes is already a record breaker, having become the youngest female to successfully climb both the north and south sides of Everest – the world’s highest mountain – at the age of 26.

Now the 29-year-old is preparing for a solo trek across Antarctica, hauling a 90kg sled on the 702-mile journey to the South Pole in temperatures of around -50C.

She is planning to leave from the Hercules Inlet in Western Antarctica.

Only six women and 17 men have successfully completed the trip she is planning without making any stops to resupply.

Ms Hughes has already raised £60,000 in funding for the challenge but still needs another £15,000 before next month.

To help achieve her fundraising target, Ms Hughes has pledged to get a tattoo on the cheek of her bottom if someone donates that amount.

She already has a tattoo of two kissing chickens on her right bottom cheek after conducting a similar auction to raise funds for an Everest climb.

Devon-born Ms Hughes said: “I auctioned my bum back in 2011 for my Everest expedition and, while my dad wasn’t best pleased, it helped me raise the money I needed.

“I’m now eight years older and eight years wiser, therefore my left bum cheek is going to be auctioned off for no less than £15,000.

“The winning bidder can have any tattoo they want on it, anything at all.

“This is how much I want to go to Antarctica.”

She said she hoped her expedition would “help inspire women of all ages to push their comfort zones and realise what they are capable of”.

Ms Hughes added: “I’m going to try to ski alone and unsupported across 702 miles of the world’s largest desert.

“It’s an immense physical and mental challenge but gaining sponsorship to help fund my expeditions is always the biggest hurdle I face.

“I’ve raised a significant amount already but I still need to raise the final £15,000 before October in order to take on this expedition and attempt to make history.”

The explorer will set off from the UK in mid-November and hopes to return in early January, with plans for a speaking tour about her adventure after that.

Donations can be made at her online crowd funding appeal at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/make-history-with-mollie-hughes-antarctica-2019-1.