Teenage Yale student attempts record trek to South Pole

Parker Liautaud went south this winter—as far south as you can get.

The 19-year-old Yale University student usually takes things as far as he can. The overachieving geophysics major touched base with "Squawk on the Street" on Thursday from somewhere in Antarctica, where he's trying to ski the remaining 200 miles from the Leverett Glacier to the South Pole.

It's his first time to the South Pole. He's been to the North Pole three times before his current trek, according to the Willis Resilience Expedition. But minus 40 degree temperatures remain something he can't get used to.

"It feels like you just want to move around," Liautaud said. "What it really feels like, it's just raw. It's not something you ever get used to."

(Read more: Federal study warns of sudden climate change woes)

Liautaud and teammate Doug Stoup began the nearly 400-mile journey on Dec. 3 and need to get to the South Pole in 22 days to break the "Coast to Pole" speed record. Liautaud also wants to raise awareness of climate change and conduct research on the way.

Asked whether they could beat the record, Liautaud said: "It's a difficult question. We just passed a really difficult part of the expedition. We can still do it."

—By CNBC's Jeff Morganteen. Follow him on Twitter at @jmorganteen and get the latest stories from "Squawk on the Street."

Disclaimer