A SCOTTISH adventurer has become the first Muslim to ski to the South Pole after completing a gruelling endurance trek across the frozen wastes of Antarctica.

Mostafa Salameh spent 38 days crossing the ice-bound continent with two teammates, pulling up to 90 kilos of supplies behind them on sleds.

He set off in November, but was trapped at the Union Glacier base camp by fierce storms for 13 days before setting off across one of the harshest landscapes on earth.

Along the way he raised huge sums for charity, and carried a Scottish saltire for good luck which he flew over the Pole after finally reaching his goal earlier this month.

He had to cope with minor frostbite to his nose and toes, a swollen wrist caused by the weight of his sled and a sprained ankle on the last four days of the trek.

Mr Salameh, a Scottish-Jordanian Muslim, has previously climbed Everest, reached the peaks of the seven highest mountains on each of the continents, and made it to the North Pole.

Mostafa Salameh

He said that he hoped his exploits would help the world see Islam in a better light and inspire other young Muslims to put their efforts into worthwhile causes.

He said: "It feels really good to have made it. I've done the grand slam of adventures.

"The toughest thing about crossing Antarctica was the cold, which made things very difficult at times. It was harder than I expected and it took a lot of getting used to.

"But every day you get fitter and more used to the sled you're pulling behind you. I wanted to do this to show a good image of Islam and give young people a better message than the one of radicalisation."

The 44-year-old was brought up in a refugee camp before coming to the UK to study at Edinburgh University. He has received a number of awards for his adventures, and was knighted by the King of Jordan for his services to charity.

The South Pole trip is his final challenge, and raised £2 million for Jordan's King Hussein Cancer Centre and $100000 dollars for the United Nations Relief and Works agency to rebuild a school in Gaza.

He described the challenges he has faced as jihad, which can also mean an internal spiritual struggle rather than holy war.

He added: "I did it for Islam and the peaceful massage this beautiful religion came to offer as i become also the first Muslim to do so. I did it for the Palestinian people and hope for peace.

"I did it for the environment and the message my main sponsor wants to spread, did it for Education especially in Gaza, I did it for refugees all over the world and off course to all Jordanians and Arabs, to Scotland and specially Edinburgh where my adopted home is.

"To my mum and dad and to my wife Krissy and best mother to my children , my boys Zaidan, Ayman, Yacob and Sami Everest, my friends and everyone that believed in me.

"Blustered, frostbitten, broken, tired, exhausted but never bowed, I made it."