The last word

Back in London. Not much change around here.

(”Hello. Been away, have you?”)

The blog was managed for me while I was away because I couldn’t access the internet directly – I emailed all the posts and pictures to Theo, who posted them on the site and kept me up to date with some of the responses. But I have only just been able to log on for myself. Thank you all for following us, and for all your comments, emails, enthusiasm and encouragement. It means, and meant, a lot to know that you were there. I’ll respond to everyone individually in due course. And thanks also to Theo, without whom there would not have been a word or a penguin picture to look at.

It was a serious adventure.  My admiration for my polar heroes has increased tenfold, because (admittedly in a cosseted, weatherproofed manner) we followed in their footsteps.  Our trip meant more even than that though, in a way I hadn’t fully expected, because it was so good to be part of this team. While it was happening, the traverse was a great thing to be doing. And as Ian Calder predicted back in the summer, it will no doubt turn out to be an even better thing to have done….

But the best thing of all was to have done it in the company of friends. Here they are:

Skip Novak, owner of Pelagic Australis, and friends

Miles Wise, skipper, just married to Laura

Laura Wise, mate

Stephen Venables, mountain leader

Gavin Brazg

Dick Dickinson

Jonathan Jones

John Wolfe

Christopher Spray

Martin Thomas

Tom Carrell

Janey King aka Rosie Thomas

Thank you, good companions.

‘Bye, everybody. It was the best fun.