Piero, what an outstanding post this really is. At every step of the journey, you give us the situation, the images, the references and, most importantly, the feeling of what these brave men endured for so long.

It has been a real pleasure for me to work with you, even in a small way, on this post. Sir Ernest Shackleton is my Hero - I was lucky enough to travel to South Georgia during my tour in the Falkland Islands - and I think your post has paid a great deal of respect to a man whose achievements are largely forgotten.

Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, said of Shackleton: "Sir Ernest Shackleton's name will for evermore be engraved with letters of fire in the history of Antarctic exploration." And it is for sure that Shackleton showed him the way to the Pole.

However, the later voyage of the Endurance, told in your post, tells an even greater tale of the courage and spirit of Man in adversity. It is easy to be a winner when everything goes your way; but to be a winner when everything has conspired against you, must surely be an inspiration to all of us.

Thank you, most sincerely.

Frank