We hope you read this message in good health and great form after an experience you will surely take with you for a long time. Overall the expedition was a huge success with many aspects of our intentions going beyond our expectations. These were history, scenery, wildlife, training, learning, filming, hospitality, leadership, team-building, and especially friendship, safety and fun. For us the highlights were meeting new people, going to new places and having a different experience each and every time on these expeditions. I’m sure you would agree that the service and package supplied was top quality and we must share any praise with the many other teams we worked with from Flights – Platinum Travel, Hotels & Transfers – Eurotur, Shipping – Allied Forwarding and Sealand SRL, Tours – Rumbo Sur and Eurotur, Ship Crew & Staff – Antarpply and of course not to mention all of you, our support team. We hope that our traverse team go-on to many new and exciting adventures with the training and experience they gained over 2008 and we are looking forward to them keeping us informed of their exploits in the future. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of ye for making this expedition a great success and would love to hear from ye all again in 2009. We would also like to thank all the family, friends and everyone who followed the progress on our website throughout the voyage.
Happy Christmas from all here and see ye in the New Year.
Pat, Niall, Lorraine and the team.
CONTENTS:
1 Feedback
2 The MV Ushuaia
3 Photo’s
4 The Reunion
Feedback
We have received some warm messages off some of you already since returning home. Thank You! We really appreciate it.
After a long trip like this a lot of exciting idea’s and constructive analysis or even just a moan or two are thought about but rarely acted on. We would love to hear your comments covering the different aspects like: Staff, Admin, Website, Ship, Hotels, Costs, Info provided, and Organisation etc. over the whole expedition dating back to August 2007 up to now. Please send in on a letter by post or by email to info@beyondendurance.ie with subject ‘feedback’.
The M.V. Ushuaia
Most of you probably heard about the unfortunate grounding of our ship ‘Ushuaia’ 6 days after we disembarked her at port on the 28th. We are glad to inform you that it’s now in Punta Arenas in Chile for repair and inspection which should take a week or two. This will allow her and her staff to complete their season somewhat in the Antarctic from January through to March. This is great news as 40-50 staff and crew out of work for 6 months to a year would have been sad after their excellent hospitality and running of the vessel. We wish them luck in the New Year.
Photo’s
As mentioned we will put together a disc of images for everyone to have. Over the Christmas we would like for all of you to send on 10-20 images to our office that you would like included by the 7th January
- Please ensure that they are sent in on a disc (preferred) in original size and jpeg format. If you have more than 20 good ones include on the disc if you like. Send to Mountain Lodge.
* If you are sending by email, please send a maximum of 10 images of less than 1mb each sent in 2 separate emails to info@beyondendurance.ie
* These can be of any nature apart from naked bodies. (fully no, partial ok etc.)
* If you want them to be used solely for the re-union, this image disc for others to use or not in any way by beyond endurance expeditions in the future please just mention it when sending in the images.
We would like a mixture of your favourite’s from scenery, wildlife to humour and serious. This will provide us with some entertainment at the re-union and a chance for those who may not have got good images back to have someone else’s to use. This is up to you if you want to do this or not but I’m sure many of you would really appreciate it while also giving everyone a chance to see many other images they may have not seen before.
The Re-union
In the New Year we would like to arrange a reunion for all to attend if possible. This is a great opportunity to meet again, share stories and have a laugh. Frank Quinn has stood up to the mark (and the Fur seals!) and has suggested we have the re-union in Dublin. On the Friday evening we will have a function room available to us at the venue for a meal if required and some entertainment (not Ned or Donnacha) including a slideshow of the highs and lows of the expedition and also some video. This will be followed by music and craic. On Saturday a walk in Wicklow mountains with ‘Roving Souls’ guide Denis Gill, bus included, has been arranged for those interested, leaving Saturday night open to suggestion for those who would like to make a weekend out it. Partners and guests are also welcome. Payments will not be handled by us. General suggestions welcome.
Location: Lansdowne Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin.
Dates: 23rd & 24th January, 2009
Costs: 65euro Single supp, 89euro Dbl or Twin bed room per night. B&B
So, please confirm to us by January 9th the following details to allow this to be organised smoothly:
1 Length of stay 23rd, 24th or BOTH.
2 Room type: Double Bed, Twin Bed (sharing), or single. Preference for sharing person?
3 Would you like to attend the walk on Saturday morning? and Any suggestions?
