Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
had no control over this leg, and I've found it difficult to deal with. I am
being prickly at times and in the main not concealing my frustrations
from the others: I am past pretending. Still, as Eric has rightly said, we
are four alpha males, and not everyone can lead. On the ice, he is the
boss.
We should complete the North Pole run in two days' time. Today,
Eric arranged with the airline to pick us up off the ice and fly us to
Ward Hunt Island.
may 14
Our focus has shifted to our departure from the ice. The others are
starting to plan what they will do next. Today, I took a special paper-
clip from my pack. On the plane to the pole, just beside the altimeter,
was a Russian paperclip that was bigger and more robust than normal
ones. I used it to scratch the word 'If'—the title of the Rudyard Kipling
poem—on the back of my landing badge, which we were given instead
of a boarding pass. I gave the landing badge to another expedition-
ist on the flight who was later going to climb Mount Everest with his
father, and I told him to present it to his dad. The thought of them
together on an adventure touched me and reminded me of the rela-
tionship I had with my own father and that I have now with my son.
The expeditionist had told me that his father had encouraged him to
read 'If', just as I have encouraged Dillon and Brooke to read it and
live by its message. I kept the paperclip and will carry it with me every
step of the way, to bring me luck. When I'm finished, I'll give it to my
children.
We picked up the pace and found ourselves in huge fields of clear
ice; there was some ice rubble but nothing we couldn't negotiate. We
were all excited at the prospect of getting off the ice. It seemed the
fates were smiling on us.
Then came a huge downer. Despite Eric having been continually
assured by the airline that they would be picking us up tomorrow, they
broke the news that because tomorrow is a Sunday the pilot and co-
pilot will be having a day of rest and not flying. Eric's jaw dropped when
he heard this. He reminded them that the flight had been booked for
days, but they refused to budge.
Eric accepted the news easily, and told us there was nothing he
