Mr Hadow reached his destination on Monday (Polar Travel Company)

It took two months for Mr Hadow to trek the 478 miles solo and unsupported from Canada.

Although conditions are good at the pole, aircraft are unable to take off from Eureka weather station on Ellesmere Island to fetch him because of bad weather.

The explorer, who has had no human contact for the past 66 days, has prepared a landing strip on the ice.

His wife, Mary, who has been tracking his progress from their home near Hexworthy, Dartmoor, said he still hoped to arrive at London Heathrow at 0815 BST on Bank Holiday Monday.

He is looking forward to a reunion with his wife and children, Wilf, four, and one-year-old Freya, both named after explorers.

Mrs Hadow called her husband "invincible" after he hauled a 330lb (148.5 kilogramme) sledge of food and equipment over constantly moving, cracking sea ice.

The overwhelming feeling is of utter relief - but I am exhausted, exhausted Pen Hadow, record breaker

The explorer braved freezing temperatures, swam in the freezing sea and negotiated huge pressure ridges.

As he finished his 477-mile journey, he said: "I've done it.

"The overwhelming feeling is of utter relief. But I am exhausted. Exhausted."

Success meant the completion of unfinished business for Mr Hadow, who runs the Polar Travel Company from his Dartmoor home.

In 1994, he completed three-quarters of the distance before a knee injury forced him to quit.

He even swam in the freezing Arctic Ocean, thanks to a dry suit which enabled him to survive in the water for about an hour.

He made a number of swims, including two "the width of the Thames" through the cracks in the ice, saving hours in detours.

The explorer's expedition has been funded by the Omega Foundation, for which he undertook physiological and psychological research on the ice.

Mr Hadow is a vastly experienced Polar explorer, with over two dozen expeditions to his name.

In 1997, he organised the successful first all women's relay expedition to the North Pole, selecting the final line up after tough training sessions on Dartmoor.