As a reminder of being part of the University of Cumbria community, everyone graduating at Carlisle Cathedral receives a Herdy toy to take on their next big adventure.
Over 1,500 have been given out over the last three days at the summer 2025 graduation ceremonies – and can end up anywhere.
One particular Herdy has travelled over 14,000 miles to the Antarctica for an expedition led by Bin Sun.
Bin Sun graduated in 2024 from the University of Cumbria’s MA outdoor and experiential learning programme, after studying at the Ambleside campus.
Bin, 47, of Beijing, is one of China’s leading explorers and high-altitude mountain guides, with over 27 years of experience of mountaineering. He has led expeditions across the Himalayas, Antarctica, the Arctic, and has summited the highest peaks on all seven continents multiple times.
He was the project manager who organised the torch relay on Mount Everest during the Beijing 2008 Olympics and has featured in several outdoor documentaries, including those aired on China’s national broadcaster. Bin is also currently supported by The North Face.
In December, Bin led a small international team to Antarctica which summited Mount Vinson – the continent’s highest peak – and then skied 114km to the South Pole.
Bin said: “It was a physically demanding and emotionally profound journey through extreme cold, solitude, and breathtaking landscapes.
“Every gramme matters in Antarctica and we had tight limits on weight and what could be taken. With extreme temperatures too, we had to carefully choose what came with us but for me it had to be Little Herdy.
“Little Herdy represents more than a mascot – it symbolised my time at Ambleside, the values of community, curiosity, and connection to nature.
“Taking Herdy with me was my personal way of bringing the University of Cumbria spirit to the ends of the Earth. And what better way to celebrate my graduation than to carry my university to the top of Antarctica and the geographic South Pole?”
