Archive for category: Inspiring Explorers’™ Updates – 2018

After some time for reflection following the completion the mammoth crossing of the Greenland ice cap, we caught up with Bridget Kruger to hear her perspective on the expedition, the biggest challenges she faced, and what she learned about herself through the experience…

Keith Parsons

My most awe-inspiring moment happened in the last 21 hours of the expedition. It was a magical, fantasy-like day. We started to see mountains emerge out of the vast whiteness around us – the first real thing we had seen in 27 days. As the mountains grew into view, we skied closer to the sea and were finally going downhill. It was a lot of fun. We were giggling and having such an amazing time, feeling pumped up on good energy. As the day grew into night, the sun set over four or five hours, blanketing us in this stunning light that sparkled off the snow. The moon was rising, a huge, gorgeous firey orb. The scene looked like we were skiing down on this sea of clouds to meet the moon. It was the most beautiful evening of my life, and the images will be forever imprinted on my memory. There was a moment when we all were trying to make it down a particularly steep part, and everyone had their different methods – walking their sleds like dogs, or riding their sleds. It was pure chaos, like an outdoor circus, one you just couldn’t take your eyes off.

What was the most challenging part?

The most challenging part was the last week leading up to the end, as we were catching up lost time. It was intense for everyone as we were doing long hours and still facing crazy weather and deep snow. I had been quite sick, so my body was already exhausted, and then the long days evoked some old head injury symptoms. I find it hard to balance and to see properly when I am incredibly tired, and my personality completely disappears. I go into in survival mode while my brain just wants to shut my body down and make it sleep to recover. This was a particularly difficult time, because I had to rely so much on the help of others, even when they were tired themselves. I felt like a burden to the team at this point. I am so lucky that they were so supportive during that time, as I wouldn’t have made it through without them.

What went through your mind when you finally completed the expedition?

We had this beautiful moment at the end, where we had arrived at this non-descript point (it had started to fog up again and we could no longer see the mountain in front of us), when Keith let Hollie, Brando and myself know that we were at the end. We didn’t realise we had made it. We had just walked across a country. It was so amazing, there were tears of relief and joy; and we all just hugged each other and congratulated and thanked each other for the journey.

What did you learn or discover about yourself?

I discovered how much the body can endure and just keep going. It is the mind that falters first. What thoughts you feed into your brain completely influence your feelings and energy. Depending on what you were thinking about each hour greatly affected each leg of the day – it almost became an experiment.

In the first few weeks before we started doing huge days, we had so much time to think. It is so interesting where the mind goes, how you fill in that time and what you realise are the most important things to you. It was a gift to have this time and space to reflect on life and work through ideas and process anything that needed it.

What skills did you have that you found most valuable?

I have completed a lot of long-term journey expeditions, I think this really helped with the mindset of being out there for so long and what to expect.

A comment about the team itself?

The team was incredible. I wouldn’t have made it without such strength, support and love from them. The boys helped so much with extra weight when we were sick, and Holly was the most amazing tent mate to share the journey with. She inspired me every day with her empowerment quotes and positivity.

What was something you experienced that was different to your expectations?

The weather was much more intense than I imagined. I had completed a short training trip beforehand, which gave me a good indication of how hard this journey was going to be. I haven’t been just a participant on an expedition in almost a decade, so it was a really amazing opportunity for me to sink into the journey and allow myself to feel some of the struggles, instead of having to constantly look after others. It was a journey that well and truly put me out of my comfort zone, which was a nice thing to reconnect with. Engaging with that process again will benefit my work with others when I facilitate journeys that challenge them.

Reflecting on what you know of Nansen’s crossing – what would you consider some of the similarities and key differences on this trip?

It is unbelievable to me that a 27-year-old man decided to go to a different country and ski across an area with no knowledge of where the crevasses were (we had a GPS marking several of the big ones) and navigate through that minefield. Not only that, thinking of the gear we had to keep us warm and the lightness of the food we carried in comparison to Nansen’s team, it is absolutely mind blowing what they accomplished.

How have you been inspired to go out and share your story?

I am really excited about sharing my story with young people, especially in remote communities. I grew up in a remote area and one day, at my small school, a man came in and showed us pictures and clothing from his journey to Antarctica. It blew my mind that people could explore those places. I want to be able to give that inspiration to others. I especially want to get across the message that anyone from anywhere can go out into the world and create their own magic and explore the depths of their desires, whether it is having a curiosity about far away places or exploring a profession they never thought possible.

What did you miss most when you were away?

I spent a lot of time thinking about my loved ones but I often spend time cut off from civilization. It is the small things you miss the most – being able to go to the bathroom without risk of getting more frostbite, having the wind blast at you and snow drip down your back as you go about your business, being able to eat just one piece of fresh fruit, not having to defrost everything that has frozen throughout the day or night, or being able to put your shoes on without 15 minutes of struggle as you force your foot into a solid ice-block, which has frozen at an awkward angle.

What messages will you be giving to audiences about the trip?

I will be talking about the journey within, facing your darker self, the importance of an amazing team, and realising what you are capable of.

Would you recommend others apply for future expeditions and why?

I believe these expeditions are one of the most valuable things anyone could apply for and be part of. Being connected to so many beautiful unique geniuses, who inspire you every day, is such a pleasure. And the challenges you face motivate you to see your full potential. I think it is so incredibly empowering.

After some time for reflection following the completion the mammoth crossing of the Greenland ice cap, we caught up with Keith Parsons to get his perspective on the expedition, the biggest challenges he faced, and what he learned about himself through the experience…

Keith Parsons

Just being in Greenland. It was such a unique, incredible place and I hadn’t had a lot of experience in extreme climates or wilderness locations. The opportunity to see that part of the world and particularly the isolated and wild east coast of Greenland were the best things for me.

What was the most challenging part?

I had the job of taking photos and making a film about the trip, which added some technical, as well as physical and mental challenges to my experience. There was continually something to do, keep batteries warm, set up the solar charger. Although I was able to keep the cameras working in the extreme conditions, such as negative 35 degree temperatures, snow storms, and 135km/hr winds, we were supported by Panasonic with a couple of GH5 cameras for the trip, which performed perfectly in the testing conditions. I also used a drone, which is designed to work in positive temperatures but surprisingly worked well in the polar setting. To complete the expedition and also to operate as a content creator in that scenario was pretty rewarding personally.

What went through your mind when you were finally completed the expedition?

It was a bittersweet moment. On the one hand it was very rewarding and I was proud of what we had achieved as a team and come together to do. Seeing the east coast, mountains and land after four weeks of ice and snow was quite surreal. On the other hand, I really didn’t want it to end and it has been quite strange to adjust back to the real world. To fly back to Iceland, walk down the street and see advertising, endless food choices and people fussing over their appearance, was quite a reverse culture shock after spending four weeks with all of that stripped away from you.

What did you learn or discover about yourself?

I had a lot of doubt before I left and was slightly anxious about going into the unknown, being in a cold climate and working with a bunch of people I didn’t know. But once I got out there I found everything was possible, and I was capable, which was an amazing thing to be able to test out and discover.

What skills did you have that you found most valuable?

My physical skills certainly helped, as I’m kinda fit and have decent endurance. This certainly helped trying to get in front of the group to film or catching up after chasing them with the drone. Beyond that, softer skills, such as being able to get along with others was valuable and we all came out the other side as friends, and we will all cherish those relationships and shared experiences for years to come.

A comment about the team itself?

It was interesting to watch the other team members grow as well. Everyone brought something different to the expedition, whether that was a physical strength or a softer skill or experience. However, without all of us together, the experience wouldn’t have come off with the success that it did. 

What was something you experienced that was different to your expectations?

Just getting there [to Greenland] and finding as a person I could adapt to such a hostile environment, operate successfully, and overcome all the mental things that come with the lack of stimulus and day-to-day grind of it all. That is a success in itself.

Reflecting on what you know of Nansen’s crossing – what would you consider some of the similarities and key differences on this trip?

Following in Nansen’s footsteps was an incredible aspect of the trip, as his legacy had special meaning for me, as my partner is a proud Norwegian. I was already very familiar with his story before the trip and found a lot of similarities between our stories and outlook on the world. The team has even made jokes that I look a bit like Nansen. Equally as impressive as his explorations for me, is his work as a humanitarian, a space in which I also work. It was special for me to have Nansen’s story as the backbone for the trip. The sheer audacity of what he did 130 years ago, to get a bunch of capable people together, put two dots on the map and say ‘we’re going between them’ without proper regard for his or others’ lives, was astonishing. During the expedition I often reflected on what it would have been like for Nansen’s team, which hunted fresh food across the ice cap and slept in reindeer skins. In contrast, we ate our freeze-dried food while wearing the best gear money could buy, charged our gear by fancy solar equipment and will share the story not just on the printed page but across a myriad of platforms. In many ways our trip was a whole new thing in comparison with Nansen.

After the trip I was fortunate to visit Nansen’s estate called Polhøgda (The Polar Heights), on the outskirts of Oslo. It was an incredible experience to stand in his study, which has been preserved basically as it was when he passed away in 1930, adorned with a polar bear rug on the floor, Inuit glasses he’d adapted, first editions of his books, and the rifle he took on the trip, standing in the corner. It was an incredible bookend to the journey. 

How have you been inspired to go out and share your story?

I took around 3000 photos and over the next few months will be making a film about the expedition, so I will be sharing my story through the visual medium. I’m excited about sharing what we were able to capture and really hope that it resonates with others, inspiring them to explore, adventure and just get out there.

What did you miss most when you were away?

Not a lot to be honest. I just adapted, embraced the complete simplicity of life on the ice, and loved it. There was nothing to worry about out there and I enjoyed the set routine that involved skiing, eating, filming and taking photographs, and then sleeping before doing it all over again. It couldn’t have been simpler or more enjoyable.

What messages will you be giving to audiences about the trip?

The key message is to show people how possible this was. I hope our experience inspires other people to go exploring in their own way. It doesn’t have to be Greenland. It’s about getting out there and realising there aren’t many barriers once you’re on that start line.

Would you recommend others apply for future expeditions and why?

Absolutely. An opportunity like this only comes along every now and again. Unfortunately there is also a significant cost attached to these sorts of expeditions, and other barriers such as access to guides and specific knowledge, which would be difficult to do without the key support that we were offered by the Trust. I’m so grateful that the Antarctic Heritage Trust selected me for this amazing experience and encourage others to go for it.

They’ve battled hurricane conditions, heavy snowfalls and illness, but the 6-person Antarctic Heritage Trust Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition has reached the finish line of their 560-kilometre crossing of the Greenland ice cap.

They made the journey on skis while pulling 60-kilogram supply sleds behind them.

The New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust selected four young explorers for the expedition from a pool of nearly 200 applicants. Two Kiwis; Brando Yelavich (24) and Hollie Woodhouse (33) and two Australians; Bridget Kruger (30) and Keith Parsons (28). They were joined by AHT Executive Director Nigel Watson and Ousland Polar Exploration master polar guide Bengt Rotmo. 

The team left the west coast of Greenland on May 4 and arrived in the small village of Tasiilaq (on Greendland’s east coast) on Saturday, 2 June. Hollie, Brando and Nigel are now en route to New Zealand.

The crossing is the Trust’s third Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition and proved to be the most challenging one yet. 

Antarctic Heritage Trust

The team upon reaching the east coast

Nigel Watson says the team’s final day saw them ski for 21 hours.

“We set off at 10am. A possible polar bear sighting had us on edge, but it turned out to be an illusion! We continued to ski and eventually saw mountains – there was great excitement after seeing nothing but a flat, white horizon for weeks. We stopped for a hot meal at 1am before reaching the end of our journey at 7am – there were hugs and tears of relief.”

A helicopter then picked up the team and took them to Tasiilaq.

Hollie says arriving into the village was unbelievable.

“The relief in finishing is immense and to finally walk on solid ground after 4 weeks of skiing was a strange feeling. We stayed in a great hotel, dinner was nothing fancy but it was the best. Being warm, showered and seeing each other’s faces properly for the first time in 4 weeks was an odd experience.”

Keith says finishing the journey is bittersweet.

“On the one hand we have accomplished something rather special and momentous, but at the same time it means the end of the experience and everything that went with it: the ice, the struggle and mostly the time together with friends.”

Brando, who completed the first solo circumnavigation of New Zealand’s coastline, says the expedition has been tough.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Into the great white expanse…

“Physically my biggest challenge was my joints and my feet adjusting to the repetition and the pulling of the sled for 29 consecutive days. Mentally I was consumed by the repetition… the walking and the white were mind numbing at times. It was a great mental challenge”. 

Bridget, who has worked for years as an outdoor instructor and adventure therapist all over the world, says this journey was bigger than anything she has done before.

“It was a huge journey that I was really able to delve into because I wasn’t a guide, just a client with the space to really be me and deal with the massive mental and physical challenges we faced. I’ve never done a winter expedition of this length before with this extent of conditions so it was an incredible opportunity to grow through that.”

The Expedition honoured Fridtjof Nansen, the renowned polar explorer and humanitarian, who completed the first crossing of Greenland 130 years ago in 1888.

New Zealand outdoors company Kathmandu are an expedition sponsor, with the team road testing their new XT Series, designed for extreme environments.

Once home, they will begin tailored outreach programmes supported by the Trust, with the aim of sharing their experiences, and encouraging others to get out and explore.

Trust Executive Director Nigel Watson says that will be the most important part of the expedition.

“The whole reason the Trust undertakes these expeditions is to encourage people to get out and explore the amazing world we live in. By sharing their story, the team has the opportunity to inspire someone else to do something they never have before – an experience that could be life changing.”