10 chances to join Shackleton epic

Ten travellers with a thirst for adventure – and £19,025 to spend -– are being offered the chance to follow in the footsteps of British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton by joining a 56-day Antarctic expedition to mark the centenary of his 1916 polar voyage.

The Shackleton Epic, which will be led by veteran British/Australian explorer Tim Jarvis, aims to be the first expedition to recreate Shackleton's 800-mile nautical voyage across the Southern Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia, and his subsequent crossing of the island's mountains. It will use a replica lifeboat and only the equipment that was available to Shackleton at the time.

Svalbard: dogsledding at Trappers’ Lodge

I am faced by a yard full of excited huskies. In fact, the word ‘excited’ doesn’t really do justice to their state of near-frenzied anticipation.

The venue is Svalbard, Norway’s Arctic archipelago that is around a 600-mile flight north of the city of Tromsø at a line of latitude of 78°North, and I am about to try my hand at dog-sledding through the polar winter.

It is just before 4pm and it is dark. In fact, it has been dark all day. Around midday the sky flirted with a slightly bluer shade of black, but I don’t think I would have even noticed if it hadn’t been pointed out to me.