Hundreds of miles of ice, -40C temperatures, and the same underwear for days on end.

Some would wonder why Julia Sawyer has signed up for the Ice Warrior project, a record-breaking three-month trip to the North Pole which will involve her tackling cross-country skiing and walking while carrying her body weight in supplies.

But as she prepared to leave for a training expedition ahead of the real adventure next spring, she remained confident it would all be worth the effort.

Julia, of Gordon Close in Buxted, left for Canada today. There, the environmental health officer will learn how to negotiate one of the world's toughest physical climates, picking up crucial navigational skills and medical knowledge.

Julia, 38, said: "I saw the advert for volunteers in a newspaper when I was travelling to work and it sounded a bit different.

"I always like a challenge but physical exertion in the extreme cold without any comforts and in the same underwear for days will be really difficult."

Mrs Sawyer will complete the trek with 16 other volunteers. They will leave Britain next spring before they are separated into groups to travel to three different Arctic destinations.

The first route will go 250 miles across sea ice to the Geomagnetic North Pole, while the second group will travel more than 200 miles north of the Canadian coastline to reach the Magnetic North Pole.

The final group will face the toughest challenge as they try to go beyond the Magnetic North Pole, walking another 448 miles to the Arctic Pole in the centre of the Arctic Ocean.

The Arctic Pole has never been reached before so the trip offers those involved the chance to go down in polar exploration history.

Volunteers taking part in the Ice Warrior project will be raising money for Cancer Research UK, with each person expected to raise a minimum of £10,000.

Having competed in marathons and triathlons, Julia was fit enough to be chosen for the expedition during a series of selection weekends.

She said: "My husband used to be in the Army and has been taking me through my navigation skills.

"But this trek cannot compare to anything else I have done and I think there will be an amazing sense of achievement at the end of it.

"I have had family and friends affected by cancer and this seemed a good way to raise money for charity."

Anyone interested in supporting Julia can email her at julia.sawyer@tesco.net or go to www.ice-warrior.com