IT may have lasted just 17 hours, but it was an experience that will linger for a lifetime for commanding officer Phillip Titterton, from Saundersfoot, and his crew of submariners from HMS Tireless.
The nuclear-powered boat recently became the first British submarine to visit the North Pole in eight years after surfacing with the American 'nuke' USS Hampton at the Earth's most northerly point.
Once on the surface, crew had to find suitably thick ice to support Tireless' portable brow so they could run ashore, and a sentry was posted to look out for polar bears.
Temperatures hovered around the -23C mark, despite the region being bathed in glorious sunshine for much of the submarine's visit.
"It may have been just ice, water, sun and sky, but the polar environment has a magical quality that will leave an indelible impression on those fortunate to have made it to the top of the world," said Cdr. Titterton, whose parents, Jimmy and Linda, live at 11 Hean Close, Saundersfoot.
The crews of the two submarines even found time for a brief kickabout on the ice - surely one of the most unusual stages in the world for a football match!