On Thin Ice: An Epic Final Quest into the Melting Arctic

by Eric Larsen, Hudson Lindenberger

Overview

In March 2014, Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters set out to traverse nearly 500 miles across the melting Arctic Ocean, unsupported, from Northern Ellesmere Island to the geographic North Pole. Despite being one of the most cold and hostile environments on the planet, the Arctic Ocean has seen a steady and significant reduction of sea ice over the past seven years due to climate change. Because of this, Larsen’s and Waters’ trip—dubbed the “Last North Expedition”—is expected to be the last human-powered trek to the North Pole, ever. Filled with stunning, full-color photos and GPS maps plotting his progress, On Thin Ice is Larsen’s first-person account of this historic two-man expedition. Traveling across the retreating sea ice on skis, snowshoes, and even swimming through semi-frozen arctic slush, Larsen and Waters each pulled over 320 pounds of gear behind them on sleds through temperatures that plummeted to nearly 70 degrees below zero. At times, they covered little over a mile a day. They were stalked by polar bears and ran out of food. It was, in Larsen’s words, “easily one of the most difficult expeditions in the world.” More than just a heart-stopping adventure narrative, however, On Thin Ice offers an intimate and haunting look at the rapidly changing face of the Arctic due to global climate change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493022960
Publisher:	Falcon Guides
Publication date:	10/01/2016
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	699,768
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Eric Larsen has skied to both the geographic North Pole and South Pole, twice. He was also the first person to reach both poles under human power, and the summit of Mount Everest in a single calendar year. He has raced in the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, summited Mount McKinley, and biked across the United States. A filmmaker, Larsen created “Melting: Last Race to the Pole,” a documentary about his “Save the Poles” expedition, which premiered on Animal Planet in December 2015. Larsen gives motivational and educational lectures to schools, universities, non-profits, and corporations around the world. A frequent media commentator, he has been featured in the New York Times, Time magazine, Outside magazine, National Geographic, The Guardian, and Men’s Journal, as well as on CNN, NBC News, CBS News, and BBC News, among other outlets. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. Hudson Lindenberger is a Boulder-based adventure writer. His work has been published in Men’s Journal, Skiing, 5280, Women’s Running, Elevation Outdoors, and Story.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Walking Buffet ix

Chapter 1 Finally 1

Chapter 2 I Must Be Nuts 45

Chapter 3 What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been 93

Chapter 4 Better Than a Stick in the Eye 111

Chapter 5 Walking in Their Footsteps 137

Chapter 6 Stretched Too Thin 163

Chapter 7 Ready, Set, Go 193

Chapter 8 A Sinking Ship 215

Afterword: Looking Forward 257

Notes 262

Editorial Reviews

The hardcover book is beautifully laid out with full colour photographs, and offers a humble insight that will appeal not only to those who love the outdoors or are interested in polar exploration, but also to anybody wanting to learn about the effects that global warming is having on our polar regions.

Trek & Mountain Magazine

Eric Larsen is one of the most influential climate voices in the world today. His Last North Expedition puts an incredibly powerful and urgent face on climate change in a way that’s never been seen before. And as a world-renowned athlete and explorer, Larsen makes this global threat real to us all through his amazing storytelling, impactful images, and effective use of social media.”—Chris Steinkamp, Executive Director, Protect Our Winters “There are explorers and there are those who write about exploration. Eric Larsen is one of the few who do both well. As a polar explorer, Larsen is in a class by himself. But what really sets him apart is his ability to tell stories about his journeys in a way that inspires us to take action; to do something to protect the places he speaks of so eloquently.”—Mark Menlove, Executive Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance

From the Publisher