THE clocks go back this Sunday, heralding the rapid approach of winter.

And the colder the mornings, the more difficult it is to drag yourself out of bed.

But try to imagine how much worse it will be for Scottish explorer Charlie Paton and his colleagues on a 2,200 mile Antarctic trek, where the temperatures will be a bit nippier.

They are embarking on an epic 100th anniversary quest to complete Sir Ernest Shackleton’s failed Imperial TransAntarctic Endurance mission, where the team members included legendary Portonian carpenter Henry ‘Chippy’ McNish.

Shackleton’s daring bid to cross the Antarctic on foot foundered when his ship, Endurance, was crushed by ice and finally sank on 21 November 1915.

Chippy’s skills as a shipwright enabled some of the men, including himself, to make an heroic 800-mile open boat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia, ensuring the eventual safe return of all expedition members.

Shackleton, however, never forgave Chippy for a brief rebellion over pay, and denied him the prestigious Polar Medal.

Chippy’s family, including great-nephew John McNish of Port Glasgow, still hope this wrong will be righted eventually.

They take comfort from other forms of recognition for Chippy, including an island named after him near South Georgia, between the Falklands and Antarctica, and a memorial plaque in Port Glasgow library, across the road from where he was born in Lyons Lane.

I’m sure Chippy would wish former Royal Marine Commando Charlie well on his arduously ambitious Antarctic adventure.