SOUTH POLE - MONACO'S Prince Albert II has reached the South Pole after a two-day-long cross-country ski trip across Antarctica, fraught by wind and fog.

The prince, whose team included a doctor and his friend, South African adventurer Mike Horn, reached the Pole at 1947 GMT (3.47am Singapore time) on Tuesday. Temperatures during the journey reached minus 40 deg C.

Following a brief ceremony, the prince then visited a US base near the Pole.

The Amundsen-Scott base was one of 26 international bases the prince is expected to visit during his trip to Antarctica.

The prince, 50, has said his trip, which is to wrap up on Jan 22, is aimed at raising awareness about global warming.

The sovereign visited the North Pole in 2006. -- AP