'My journey is at an end': Explorer Henry Worsley left poignant final message before his death

Explorer Henry Worsley left a poignant final message before his death saying he had reached the limits of his physical endurance and his personal summit lay "just out of reach".

Worsley died on Sunday after being rescued 30 miles from his goal as he tried to cross Antarctica and complete the unfinished journey of his lifelong hero Sir Ernest Shackleton.

In a message posted to his website on Friday, day 70 of the expedition, the former Army officer said he had lost the ability to "slide one ski in front of the other", and, like Shackleton, he'd "shot his bolt" and reached his "journey's end".

Sounding exhausted, Worsley said: "When my hero Ernest Shackleton stood 97 miles from the South Pole on the morning of January 9 1909 he said he'd shot his bolt.

"Well, today I have to inform you with some sadness that I too have shot my bolt.

"My journey is at an end. I have run out of time, physical endurance and the simple sheer inability to slide one ski in front of the other to travel the distance required to reach my goal.

"Many mountaineers battle away and fail to reach the summit. My summit was just out of reach.

"But I spent 70 days all alone in a place I love, covered 900 statute miles, and just missed the final 1 per cent of the goal I set out on.

"No matter. I'll lick my wounds, they will heal over time and I'll come to terms with the disappointment."

He said his spirits would be lifted by the "support and generosity" he had received in recent months in helping him exceed the £100,000 fundraising target he set for the expedition.

He said: "I cannot thank you all sufficiently to express my thanks, it is incredible and does make me smile.

"What happens now? I am calling for a pick-up and weather depending it should be here with me today. I'll fly about six hours to Union Glacier, the first thing I'll do is have a hot cup of tea and perhaps some cake.

"And over the coming days I'll return to Punta Arenas and I'll keep you updated on progress daily, if you care to tune in, on my movements and I'll gather my thoughts in a final message over the coming days.

"This is Henry Worsley, signing off, journey's end."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.