Mother-of-triplets Ann Daniels and film financier Caroline Hamilton finished their long-haul hike on Sunday 0600 BST to become the first women to walk to both Poles.

In January 2000, along with three other women, they walked to the South Pole.

It was excruciating... at times it was really difficult to put one foot in front of the other

Ann Daniels

Ms Hamilton, 35, from Spitalfields, central London, told the BBC that there were times when it was very hard but they never considered giving up.

"There were moments when it was really, really tough and I thought, 'This is ghastly', but I never wanted to give up," she said.

She said what drove them was that they had made it to the South Pole together.

There were three women in the team when it set off but Pom Oliver, 50 - who was a member of the South Pole expedition - was forced to quit on day 47 with frostbitten feet.

Since leaving Ward Hunt island in northern Canada on March 12, Ms Hamilton and Ms Daniels - 37, from Whimple in Devon - have each pulled a 250lb (113kg) sledge of food and equipment.

Reaching the South Pole in January 2000

Ms Daniels said afterwards: "It was excruciating... at times it was really difficult to put one foot in front of the other."

Rapidly warming temperatures and melting ice had made the trip a race against time.

Just two weeks ago fellow British walker, Davie Mill, had to be airlifted off after melting ice stopped him halfway into his 376-mile trip.

Detours around ice holes had already stretched a trip that is 413 miles as the crow flies into 750 miles.