Tomorrow I’m going to the Arctic. This is something I’ve wanted to do for most of my life but always thought was way out of my league. Then it dawned on me that there isn’t much point being sensible and frugal all my life if I don’t spend it on my dream now that it’s possible…..

This is nothing like my usual sort of trip – you can’t just get on a ferry and rock up in Franz Josef Land and then decide what you’d like to do. You can only get there in August for a start, otherwise its iced up. And its all pretty tightly controlled, well this is Russia after all! And yes I’ve had to give them my fingerprints again, and bank statements and important information like my son’s NI number and the date my father died – you’d think it would still be in their system from last year.

So, it’s a cruise. Me going on a cruise!!! Ha ha well it’s the only way but don’t worry I haven’t packed my lipstick and stiletto heels for dining at the captain’s table. Well, I haven’t got any to pack.

What fires me up is the thought of seeing where Nansen landed when he came out of his epic Arctic trip in the Fram. If you don’t know about him and what he did, do look him up. His book, Farthest North, is just absolutely brilliant and inspiring and wonderful and interesting – do read it! The amazing Fram was built by an Englishman, Colin Archer.

Walking in the footsteps of my heroes is such a pleasure and a privilege. When I walked up to Everest Basecamp all those years ago and suddenly realised I was doing exactly that – walking where Hunt and Hilary and Tenzin and all the others walked, along a route pioneered by my absolute hero Bill Tilman, that was one of those moments in life – it was half my life ago but I can still shut my eyes and be there, in that moment.