Trekking across the North Pole under the darkness of Arctic Winter
Børge Ousland |
TEDxPatras
• October 2022
In August 2019 Børge Ousland and expedition partner Mike Horn pushed off from the shore from Nome, Alaska, and sailed into the Polar Ocean, only to continue on skis and with packrafts. National Geographic described this expedition as "the boldest polar expedition of modern times." Their goal was to navigate through ice, snow, and freezing water, the vast expanse of the Arctic, crossing the North Pole in the process. The catch? They would do it under cover of darkness, in the Winter months, when temperatures plummet below minus 40 degrees and light does not reach the Arctic. In mid-September, as the summer light was fading, they reached the ice edge and began skiing into the darkness, towards the top of the world. For nearly three months—with their path illuminated only by headlamps—they fought every type of challenge, from injuries, broken equipment and near-death experiences, to summoning the will to continue. On the 8th of December, after completing their last packed meal, they finally made it to the ship waiting at the ice edge of Norway. The most accomplished polar explorer of our time, Børge Ousland, has also completed solo expeditions to both the South and North Poles, and solo crossings of both the Antarctic and the Arctic from coast to coast. Through his expeditions to the edges of the planet, he seeks to expand what is possible for humankind, one step at a time.