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(CNN) — They have already rowed across the Atlantic, flew paramotors over Australia and traveled to some of the world’s most remote places.
Known as the Blue Pole Project, powered by Quintet Earth, the journey, likely to take about six weeks, will see the pair depart from the UK, via the Canary Islands and the Azores archipelago, to the point in the Atlantic Ocean that furthest from landing in any direction.
The Turner Twins, expected to depart in late June, will travel on a 12-foot yacht equipped with a prototype hydrogen fuel cell in an effort to spotlight hydrogen fuel technology and advocacy for the ocean.
Research expedition
Ross and Hugo Turner (right) set sail for the Atlantic pole of inaccessibility in late June.
Gymnast Twins
They will also rely on hydrogen, which is made using renewable energy rather than fossil fuels, to power all of their equipment.
The couple, who already went to four of the… Poles of inaccessibility collect data for Plymouth University’s International Marine Litter Research Unit, which will be used to help develop a strategy for cleaning up marine plastic pollution
“The core of what we’re trying to do is discover something new,” Ross Turner tells CNN Travel. “Be curious and use new technology and science to make our travels more sustainable.
“And if we can prove that they… [the new technologies] are more sustainable in these extreme environments, then it should set a good example for everyone in the cities and normal life that the new sustainable technologies are very easy to use every day.”
The Turner Twins, who haven’t been on a major expedition since 2019, say they are extremely excited about their upcoming adventure.
Their adventures together started at a young age. The couple say they spent much of their time “lost in their garden” during their early years, before they were old enough to explore Dartmoor National Park, a vast moorland area in Devon, south-west England, close to the house in which they grew up.
However, it was a freak accident that resulted in Hugo Turner breaking his neck and then having a neck reconstruction at the age of 17 that set them on the path to becoming professional adventurers.
“I think for us, life has been put into perspective,” says Ross Turner. “And we just thought, we have to start living while we have our health.
“So we drove across the Atlantic when we were 23. And we’ve just kept going on more expeditions since then.”
Those expeditions included climbing 18,510 feet to the snow peak of Mount Elbrus in Russia and attempting to cross the Greenland Ice Sheet.
While each of these journeys has taught them something, they rate their journey to the South American Pole of Inaccessibility, which they traveled to in 2017, as one of the most challenging.
“What a crazy trip that was,” says Hugo Turner. “They say ignorance is bliss. Going up and down the Andes from the west coast of South America and Arica, the northern tip of Chile, was a very stupid idea.
“We went from sea level to 4,700 meters in about three days, carrying about 50 or 60 kilograms on each bike, through deserts and just straight up.”
Once they complete this final journey, the Turner Twins will be the first people to reach five of the POIs: Australia, North America, South America, Iberia and the Atlantic, although they emphasize that this is not the motivation for them not at all.
Record-breaking trip
The Turner Twins on their expedition to Greenland in 2014.
Gymnast Twins
“It’s never been more important for us to get to these accessibility polls first,” says Hugo Turner, explaining that their central goal is for those following their journey to learn from them.
“Whether that’s environmental sustainability, medical research, geographical — because none of these polls have been documented — that’s really the foundation of these expeditions, to discover something.”
They’ve had to come up with several solutions to ensure their upcoming trip remains completely zero-emissions, but say the process has been “relatively simple” in many ways.
“In terms of propulsion, as long as you have an electric battery, when the battery runs out, we sail and the propeller charges the motor,” says Ross Turner.
“We use the same systems we’ve used on all our other expeditions, with minor tweaks to make it more sustainable or emission-free.
“We’re just applying everything we’ve learned in a slightly different way.”
As they prepare for another important outing together, each of the Turner Twins feels extremely grateful to have a constant companion who shares the same dreams.
“We are incredibly lucky,” says Hugo Turner. “Because we both have exactly the same goals and aspirations, and we are completely aligned with where we want to go. Everything else just follows that.
“There are certainly heated discussions, debates and conversations about how to get to the end point.
Modern adventurers
The Turner Twins will set sail on a 12-meter yacht equipped with a prototype hydrogen fuel cell.
Gymnast Twins
“But you know, that always steers the ship. So that’s what we’re both working on. It’s the backbone of what makes this a successful partnership.”
The build-up to the Blue Pole Project has been particularly “intense” — they’ve been spending about 16 hours a day on the yacht for weeks to get it ready — and both admit they’re eager to get started. .
“I’m looking forward to sailing this boat under the stars,” says Ross Turner. “And I’m sure we’ll have a lot of great moments.”
Once they have completed the expedition to the Atlantic POI, the pair will set off on a tour of the UK, stopping at about 13 port cities.
So what’s next for the Turner Twins? Greenland, Madagascar, Eurasia and Point Nemo – of course the other inaccessibility poles.
According to Ross Turner, an expedition to Madagascar is “on the horizon” next year, and a trip to Greenland the following year.
The Eurasian POI would be next on the list, but a potential visit here is currently in doubt.
“Whether we can get there, I don’t know,” he adds, before explaining that they plan to travel to Point Nemo, the POI of the Pacific Ocean, last.
Sustainability remains paramount as they continue their epic adventures around the world, and the pair hope they can help normalize hydrogen use.
“It will be great to be able to do a fully hydrogen-powered project in the future,” says Hugo Turner. “That would be a really good step in the right direction.”
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