Thirty-eight-year-old stroke survivor Jonny Huntington has completed the first week of his expedition to become the first disabled person to ski solo to the South Pole.

The former para-skier, who began the 911-kilometre expedition on November 21 from the edge of Antarctica, is aiming to cover the distance in about 40 days, dragging all his supplies in a heavy sledge without support while battling minus 40 degree temperatures - often in 50mph-winds.

He sent his first report after completing the first week on the ice, having covered 120km of his landmark Antarctic expedition.

Surprisingly, he revealed his biggest concern had been the heat rather than the freezing temperatures. “The sun is brutal when it hits you and you must be so careful not to burn at all. It’s a real threat I have to be aware of,” he said.

Having to navigate over ‘sastrugi’, the wind formed ice formations that can grow to the size of cars, has been another challenge.

Progress is also being hampered by the flat light – an optical illusion caused by the ice and snow that can affect depth of vision.

“I had a bit of a rough end to the day on Friday (November 29) as I hit some sastrugi later on which really slowed me down in terms of movement,” added Mr Huntington, who is also having to overcome limited movement down the left side of his body, the result of a stroke he suffered in 2014.

Aware that the journey is a marathon and not a sprint, Mr Huntington is skiing for about eight-and-a-half-hours a day, covering between 18 and 23 km of distance on his way to the pole, which is slightly under his target of 24 km.

Mr Huntington is raising money for four charities, including the Invictus Games Foundation and Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team. To donate, visit https://givestar.io/gs/south-pole-solo-expedition.