But for 37-year-old City banker, ex-Royal Marine Reservist and Territorial Army medic Craig Colclough, Christmas 2007 will arrive amid pack ice and frozen sea between Resolute Bay in Canada and the Magnetic North Pole.

"Chasing the Aurora" expedition is aiming to raise £50,000 for Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

The expedition is entirely self-funded by Forres-born Craig with all money raised going to the two charities concerned.

In addition to raising funds for good causes, Craig (37), who was born to an RAF family, will also be undertaking medical research. Every six hours he will collect samples of his own blood for later analysis to identify peaks and troughs in hormonal activity. This gruelling 700-mile round trip has never before been undertaken on foot in winter. Temperatures regularly reach as low as minus 40C with minus 68C on record.

Re-supply or rescue from the air is impossible due to the twenty four hour darkness at that time of year. Craig will walk using a head torch and night vision goggles. In addition to total darkness, pack ice, blizzards and traversing glaciers, Craig will be on the lookout for polar bears, the only bears who don't hibernate and hunt over the frozen sea.

Craig, who is a keen outdoors man, is married to Georgina, a doctoral student at Oxford University and former ice core climatologist for British Antarctic Survey. He works as a risk professional for Britannia Capital Investment Group (Platform) based at Canary Wharf, London, and lives in Newham, East London.

He said: "I began planning Chasing the Aurora two years ago and started training in earnest this year. I wanted to do something that had never been tried before and this trip is one of the few left. I am fitter now than I have ever been and at 37 this is perhaps my last chance to do something special while helping two charities I care passionately about. My wife is convinced this is an elaborate way to commit suicide."

On November 29, Craig will fly from London Heathrow to Ottawa then on to Iqaluit in Nunavut, en route to Resolute Bay in the Canadian Arctic. After packing supplies Craig will then set off on his 700-mile round trip to the Magnetic North Pole returning to Resolute some time in early January 2008.

Donations to Chasing the Aurora can be made here www.justgiving.com/chasingtheaurorapartone

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