INTREPID explorer and Wales rugby cap Richard Parks has set a new record trekking solo to the South Pole for the second time.

The former Monmouth School for Boys student smashed his own British record for reaching the Anatarctica landmark, and is the first person to do the exhausting 715-mile coast to Pole trek across the frozen landscape unassisted twice.

He battled hunger, blizzards and minus 30C conditions pulling his sled over Christmas and into the new year for 28 days, 21 hours and 59 minutes.

And the tough as nails ex-rugby star admitted to weeping into his Wales flag when he planted it at the South Pole last Wednesday (January 15) having finally finished with just a snack bar left to survive on.

The former Dragons forward took some 21 hours out of his previous British record set in 2014, of 29 days, 19 hours and 24 minutes.

Although he missed out on the world record of 24 days one hour and 13 minutes set by Norwegian Christian Eide, it marked a triumph for Parks, returning to the South Pole just a year after having to halt his last bid to reach the Pole after 300 miles, when doctors warned him on New Year’s Eve he was on the edge “on the edge of a cliff” physically and needed to be airlifted to safety.

On his latest challenge, the 42-year-old skied as much as 19 hours a day, and told the BBC he “gave it my best shot.”

Visibility was sometimes like “the inside of a ping-pong ball”, he said, and owing to missing the world record he had to stretch his rations “to last 28, 29 days”.

“That made life really tough because I wasn’t able to change my skiing strategy,” Mr Parks said.

“I was still skiing 16 to 19 hours a day at threshold, but I was operating on around 2,000 calories a day for the last six days.

“Physically, emotionally and mentally that made life very difficult.

“It came right down to the wire. I arrived at the South Pole with one snack bar left so the margin was tiny,” Mr Parks said.

“I’m pretty beaten up. I’m shattered. It’ll take months to recover but I feel so happy.

“Arriving at the South Pole to break my British record to become the person who has skied the most solo and unsupported miles in Antarctic history is incredible,” he added.

“All the challenges that come with trying to prepare for a project like this, to just touch the geographical South Pole marker I just burst into tears, just burst into tears in my Welsh flag.”

Monmouth School for Boys headmaster Dr Andrew Daniel said: “We were delighted to see Richard demonstrate incredible resilience, bravery and commitment to achieve such a remarkable feat in the bleakest of conditions.

“We always encourage our pupils to take opportunities and to push themselves out of their comfort zones and Richard is a tremendous role model for all our students at Monmouth.”

In 2011, Richard became the first person to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents and stand on the North and South poles in the same calendar year.

Looking back on his time at Monmouth School for Boys, Richard said recently: “When I reflect on my days at Monmouth, I was able to try so many new things and I had so many opportunities.

“Not being afraid to fail and having the courage to attempt new things are values that coming to Monmouth instilled in me. As an adult, I realise that failure is an integral part of our achievements.”