Ann Daniels with her partner Tom and children, triplets Lucy, Rachel and Joseph, 10 and Sarah, two

Ann Daniels, 40, from Exeter, has been forced to put the start back after delays in getting flying permission.

She will fly on Friday from Krasnoyarsk in Siberia to the start of the 636-mile trek at Cape Arktichevsky.

Ms Daniels, who is being accompanied to the start by manager Peter Herbert, expects to take about 60 days.

Following delays over paperwork, her departure to the start point on the coast has been further hindered by Red Army celebrations.

"We were due to fly out of Krasnoyarsk by military cargo plane but because of the celebrations we cannot go until Thursday morning," said Ms Daniels, from Whimple, Devon.

"But I will believe it when we are on the plane," she added.

In 2002, Ms Daniels, who has triplets aged 10, and Caroline Hamilton, from London, became the first all-female team to walk to both geographic poles.

She will be pulling a 250lb sledge packed with food for her 5,000 calorie-a-day diet, survival equipment and a .44 Magnum handgun in case she is attacked by polar bears.