Historical Links

Sir Wally Herbert is regarded as the doyen among polar explorers and is one of Pen's personal heroes. Sir Wally led the first crossing of the Arctic ice in 1968. He died earlier this year aged 73.

The Arctic Survey has several significant parallels with Sir Wally's famous "British Trans-Arctic Expedition". It was this pioneering surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in 1968-69, which assured his place in polar history. It is described as "the last of the old-fashioned pioneering journeys on the face of the earth-a journey during which there was no possibility of a rescue, from the first step to the last." Wally and his three companions, Allan Gill, Ken Hedges and Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner, completed their epic 3,720-mile journey from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in northern Greenland in 463 days.

An important objective of Wally's British Trans-Arctic Expedition was to conduct a continuous programme of science. Fritz Koerner was recruited for his glaciology expertise and, throughout the 3,720-mile journey, was carrying out multiple surface-based measurements and readings. At the time, the data that Fritz collected was thought to be less accurate than the readings from satellite and sonar technology. 60 years on The Arctic Survey will not only be re-tracing Sir Wally's route but will also be conducting a surface-based expedition with the primary aim of capturing detailed surface data to aid scientists in predicting when the North Pole ice cap may disappear.

The principal survey vessel (sledge-boat) used for the Arctic Survey will be named after Sir Wally Herbert's widow, Lady Marie Herbert. Lady Herbert herself named the vessel at the official Arctic Survey launch on the 16 October 2007.

Sir Wally Herbert is regarded as the doyen among polar explorers and is one of Pen's personal heroes. Sir Wally led the first crossing of the Arctic ice in 1968. He died earlier this year aged 73.

The Arctic Survey has several significant parallels with Sir Wally's famous "British Trans-Arctic Expedition". It was this pioneering surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in 1968-69, which assured his place in polar history. It is described as "the last of the old-fashioned pioneering journeys on the face of the earth-a journey during which there was no possibility of a rescue, from the first step to the last." Wally and his three companions, Allan Gill, Ken Hedges and Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner, completed their epic 3,720-mile journey from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in northern Greenland in 463 days.

An important objective of Wally's British Trans-Arctic Expedition was to conduct a continuous programme of science. Fritz Koerner was recruited for his glaciology expertise and, throughout the 3,720-mile journey, was carrying out multiple surface-based measurements and readings. At the time, the data that Fritz collected was thought to be less accurate than the readings from satellite and sonar technology. 60 years on The Arctic Survey will not only be re-tracing Sir Wally's route but will also be conducting a surface-based expedition with the primary aim of capturing detailed surface data to aid scientists in predicting when the North Pole ice cap may disappear.

The principal survey vessel (sledge-boat) used for the Arctic Survey will be named after Sir Wally Herbert's widow, Lady Marie Herbert. Lady Herbert herself named the vessel at the official Arctic Survey launch on the 16 October 2007.

Sir Wally Herbert is regarded as the doyen among polar explorers and is one of Pen's personal heroes. Sir Wally led the first crossing of the Arctic ice in 1968. He died earlier this year aged 73.

The Arctic Survey has several significant parallels with Sir Wally's famous "British Trans-Arctic Expedition". It was this pioneering surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in 1968-69, which assured his place in polar history. It is described as "the last of the old-fashioned pioneering journeys on the face of the earth-a journey during which there was no possibility of a rescue, from the first step to the last." Wally and his three companions, Allan Gill, Ken Hedges and Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner, completed their epic 3,720-mile journey from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in northern Greenland in 463 days.

An important objective of Wally's British Trans-Arctic Expedition was to conduct a continuous programme of science. Fritz Koerner was recruited for his glaciology expertise and, throughout the 3,720-mile journey, was carrying out multiple surface-based measurements and readings. At the time, the data that Fritz collected was thought to be less accurate than the readings from satellite and sonar technology. 60 years on The Arctic Survey will not only be re-tracing Sir Wally's route but will also be conducting a surface-based expedition with the primary aim of capturing detailed surface data to aid scientists in predicting when the North Pole ice cap may disappear.

The principal survey vessel (sledge-boat) used for the Arctic Survey will be named after Sir Wally Herbert's widow, Lady Marie Herbert. Lady Herbert herself named the vessel at the official Arctic Survey launch on the 16 October 2007.

Sir Wally Herbert is regarded as the doyen among polar explorers and is one of Pen's personal heroes. Sir Wally led the first crossing of the Arctic ice in 1968. He died earlier this year aged 73.

The Arctic Survey has several significant parallels with Sir Wally's famous "British Trans-Arctic Expedition". It was this pioneering surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in 1968-69, which assured his place in polar history. It is described as "the last of the old-fashioned pioneering journeys on the face of the earth-a journey during which there was no possibility of a rescue, from the first step to the last." Wally and his three companions, Allan Gill, Ken Hedges and Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner, completed their epic 3,720-mile journey from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in northern Greenland in 463 days.

An important objective of Wally's British Trans-Arctic Expedition was to conduct a continuous programme of science. Fritz Koerner was recruited for his glaciology expertise and, throughout the 3,720-mile journey, was carrying out multiple surface-based measurements and readings. At the time, the data that Fritz collected was thought to be less accurate than the readings from satellite and sonar technology. 60 years on The Arctic Survey will not only be re-tracing Sir Wally's route but will also be conducting a surface-based expedition with the primary aim of capturing detailed surface data to aid scientists in predicting when the North Pole ice cap may disappear.

The principal survey vessel (sledge-boat) used for the Arctic Survey will be named after Sir Wally Herbert's widow, Lady Marie Herbert. Lady Herbert herself named the vessel at the official Arctic Survey launch on the 16 October 2007.

Sir Wally Herbert is regarded as the doyen among polar explorers and is one of Pen's personal heroes. Sir Wally led the first crossing of the Arctic ice in 1968. He died earlier this year aged 73.

The Arctic Survey has several significant parallels with Sir Wally's famous "British Trans-Arctic Expedition". It was this pioneering surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in 1968-69, which assured his place in polar history. It is described as "the last of the old-fashioned pioneering journeys on the face of the earth-a journey during which there was no possibility of a rescue, from the first step to the last." Wally and his three companions, Allan Gill, Ken Hedges and Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner, completed their epic 3,720-mile journey from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in northern Greenland in 463 days.

An important objective of Wally's British Trans-Arctic Expedition was to conduct a continuous programme of science. Fritz Koerner was recruited for his glaciology expertise and, throughout the 3,720-mile journey, was carrying out multiple surface-based measurements and readings. At the time, the data that Fritz collected was thought to be less accurate than the readings from satellite and sonar technology. 60 years on The Arctic Survey will not only be re-tracing Sir Wally's route but will also be conducting a surface-based expedition with the primary aim of capturing detailed surface data to aid scientists in predicting when the North Pole ice cap may disappear.

The principal survey vessel (sledge-boat) used for the Arctic Survey will be named after Sir Wally Herbert's widow, Lady Marie Herbert. Lady Herbert herself named the vessel at the official Arctic Survey launch on the 16 October 2007.

Sir Wally Herbert is regarded as the doyen among polar explorers and is one of Pen's personal heroes. Sir Wally led the first crossing of the Arctic ice in 1968. He died earlier this year aged 73.

The Arctic Survey has several significant parallels with Sir Wally's famous "British Trans-Arctic Expedition". It was this pioneering surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in 1968-69, which assured his place in polar history. It is described as "the last of the old-fashioned pioneering journeys on the face of the earth-a journey during which there was no possibility of a rescue, from the first step to the last." Wally and his three companions, Allan Gill, Ken Hedges and Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner, completed their epic 3,720-mile journey from Point Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen in northern Greenland in 463 days.

An important objective of Wally's British Trans-Arctic Expedition was to conduct a continuous programme of science. Fritz Koerner was recruited for his glaciology expertise and, throughout the 3,720-mile journey, was carrying out multiple surface-based measurements and readings. At the time, the data that Fritz collected was thought to be less accurate than the readings from satellite and sonar technology. 60 years on The Arctic Survey will not only be re-tracing Sir Wally's route but will also be conducting a surface-based expedition with the primary aim of capturing detailed surface data to aid scientists in predicting when the North Pole ice cap may disappear.

The principal survey vessel (sledge-boat) used for the Arctic Survey will be named after Sir Wally Herbert's widow, Lady Marie Herbert. Lady Herbert herself named the vessel at the official Arctic Survey launch on the 16 October 2007.