THREE Hereford men from very different walks of life will pool their expertise in the latest attempt to drive the first land-based vehicle from Alaska to Siberia.

Longtown Mountain Rescue's Graham Stratford has enlisted the help of two fellow Herefordians after previous attempts to cross the Bering Strait came to a 'bitter' end.

Full-time fire fighter with Hereford's Bluewatch, Mark Cullum, joined the international expedition three months ago on a part-time advisory basis and will accompany the team when they cross the 56-mile ice sheet.

Harry Rouse, a hire co-ordinator for Herefordshire Council, will draw from his experiences of a hostile terrain as a part-time member of Longtown Mountain Rescue after being invited along as the expedition's base manager.

The two men were selected because of their every day encounters with potentially life-threatening emergency situations and they are all trained medics.

The intrepid trio will now join Steve Brooks and the redesigned Snowbird 6 to cross the treacherous Bering Strait, in temperatures as low as minus 52.

The ice sheet moves continuously, so the team will have to travel some 90 miles to cross to Strait, taking three continuous days assuming that the weather window is favourable.

Essentially, Snowbird 6 has been 'born and bred' in Herefordshire, using skills and materials that have been provided by Hereford-based companies including components made by Barrs Court Engineering, Precision Engineers and Camlock Engineering.

Graham said: "This is the last adventure to be completed. We have been to the largest mountain, the deepest sea and the moon and if you want to drive around the world you have to cross the Bering Strait."

If the expedition is successful, the crew will make it into the record books being the first team ever to cross the Bering Strait.