British are first women to walk to both poles

LONDON — Having braved snowstorms and frostbite, two British women who became the first all-female team to walk to both poles celebrated their accomplishment at the North Pole on Saturday by singing "God Save the Queen" in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee.

After completing the 81-day, 700-mile trek from Resolute Bay on Ward Hunt Island in the Canadian Arctic, "the first thing we did is we had a big hug," said Ann Daniels. "Then we planted the Union Jack and the two of us stood there and sang the national anthem very out of tune."

Daniels, 37, and Caroline Hamilton, 35, who reached the South Pole in January 2000, each hauled sleds weighing 250 pounds, roughly twice their body weight.

They were initially accompanied by Pom Oliver, 50, who was airlifted out on day 47 because of badly frostbitten feet.

Daniels said the worst moments came during a storm so furious they were unable to erect their tent. "For three days," she said, we were huddled together under a piece of tent fabric with a flask of water and a few nuts at minus 50 (degrees)."

After heading outside to switch on their emergency beacon, Daniels struggled for two hours to get warm again.

"After two hours," she said, "I moved slightly and I got a smell of my own body — because obviously we didn't smell very nice — and instead of it being horrible it was like nectar. I knew if I had any smell about me there was warmth there and I'd be OK."

Daniels said thoughts of her three children — triplets — spurred her on: "I just thought of the children," she said, "and I thought I'll be fine, because I've got to get home for them. So I never feared for my life."

Asked what she would first do when she returned to civilization, Daniels said: "Have a gin and tonic and lie down in a nice bubble bath."