Dorset adventurer Bear Grylls has encountered mountainous waves and freezing conditions since setting out on his TransAtlantic Challenge.

The 29-year-old and his team of four have been battered by 20ft waves and soaked for hours in icy conditions after leaving Nova Scotia on July 31 in their open-topped rigid inflatable boat.

In addition they have been using far more fuel than they anticipated in their vessel Arnold & Son Explorer

Bear is hoping to skipper the first crossing of the Atlantic via the Arctic Circle, Greenland and Iceland in a boat that has no shelter from the harsh elements.

He hopes to land at John O'Groats by the end of August bagging a new world record into the bargain.

Bear and his team have been sending six hourly reports to his support crews.

On Tuesday he said: "The last 48 hours have been a very humbling and frightening experience.

"We left Labrador in what was supposed to be good weather but within a few miles there was a north westerly chop developing. Within a few hours waves were coming over the boat and everyone was getting wet. After 24 hours we were in mountainous seas, up to 5m high, making slow progress, getting absolutely soaked.

"The water here is icy cold and very early on into this leg we have seen icebergs and growlers much sooner than we expected."

However on Wednesday they reached Nanortalik in Greenland hoping for much needed rest but because of a narrow window in the weather the exhausted team were forced to set off again after just a few hours.

Between Greenland and Iceland the team face the most treacherous stretch of seas yet as made famous in the films Titanic and The Perfect Storm.

They hoped to reach port last night in view of the weather.

In his last update on Thursday Bear said: "Pray for calm seas and for this depression approaching Iceland to stave off."