TWO of the fittest men in the country came together to compare notes on their incredible adventures.

Poole ironman Bernie Shrosbree welcomed pal James Cracknell to Sandbanks’ Haven Hotel to help him launch his new performance centre.

Bernie, 51, has just returned from leading a 1,000km charity expedition of serving and ex-Marines in frozen Norway.

James, meanwhile, battled the upper end of the temperature scale in completing the Marathon Des Sables, a six-day foot race through the Sahara.

The double Olympic gold medallist finished twelfth in the event, the best performance by a Brit for a generation.

Bernie, a former SBS commando, said: “I got to know James when I was an elite performance coach for the Olympic rowers. I then helped him out with his conditioning for his TV endurance challenges, such as On Thin Ice.”

On their Norwegian mission, Bernie and his 15-strong team endured blizzard conditions as they trekked 1,000km on cross-country skis.

The challenge, raising money for the Royal Marines Benevolent Fund and cancer charities, retraced the route taken by Norwegian commandos on a Second World War sabotage mission.

Bernie said: “Our faces were sandblasted by shards of ice as sharp as glass.

“In that environment it was very mentally demanding.”

Despite the white-out conditions, the determination of the team meant the expedition was completed inside the 20-day target.

Around £15,000 has already been raised through the mission, but it is hoped this will double now the Marines have returned.

Bernie’s performance centre – with its motto Take the Indoors Out – aims to make the most of Dorset’s natural environment.

The fitness trainer is expecting visits from top-class athletes, including Formula One driver Mark Webber and Olympic mountain biker Ollie Beckinsale.

To donate to the charity mission, visit tusentakk.co.uk or for more information go to bernieshrosbree.com.