A trainee stunt man is leaving his Kenley home to motorbike across Siberian wastelands in a pioneering challenge.

Olly Rowland, 23, will depart next month on the Pioneers Ice Run, a 16,000km bike trip along a frozen river through Siberia into the Arctic Circle.

Along with fellow adventurer Rob Mills, Team Numb Nuts as they have dubbed themselves will spend two weeks braving -40 degrees temperatures on an old Russian Ural motorcycle.

Mr Rowland said the idea came from when he completed the Mongol Rally in 2009.

He said: “I was chatting to the event organiser in a bar and said you should do something with motorbikes.

“Two years later I get an email saying they are trying this challenge and would I like to give it a go.”

The Ice Run is a new event and so the two boys are being thrown in at the deep end.

Mr Rowland said: “We are very much guinea pigs – that’s why it is called the pioneers run.

“I’m quite laid back about it all but there are a few nightmare scenarios such as breaking through the ice and losing the motorbike or a polar bear outside my tent.”

The pair will have no support team and with a smattering of Russian at their disposal at best will be hoping for an event-free adventure.

Olly is also a type 1 diabetic and will need to inject himself with insulin several times a day while completing the trip, which starts on February 13.

He is raising money for Diabetes UK, as well as Cancer Research UK and more details on how to sponsor him, as well as the trip, can be found at teamnumbnuts.co.uk