Eric Larsen

Superstar explorers rack up big feats

by admin on November 1, 2010

in Explore, Global Explorers Now

Photo courtesy Eric Larsen

A few weeks ago, we reported that American Eric Larsen was about to make his summit attempt on Mt. Everest, rounding up his bid to reach the North and South poles, plus Everest (which some call the “third pole) in the space of one year. On a crisp October morning, Larsen and his Sherpa guide made it to the top and back with no drama and no mishaps. Mission accomplished! Read more about Larsen here.

Photo courtesy Explorersweb.com

Not to be outdone, Canadian explorer Meagan McGrath is racking up an impressive list of alpine, polar, and desert adventures. She’s busy climbing the Seven Summits (the world’s highest peaks; her moment of glory on Everest came in 2007), striking out alone in the Arctic (she made it to the South Pole this January after surviving a fall into a crevasse). In between, she squeezed in the Marathon des Sables in Africa, a 245.3 km, 7-day run through searing desert heat. And her day job is nothing to sneeze at: McGrath, a major in the Canadian Air Force, works as an aerospace engineer. Read a great explorersweb.com interview with her here.

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Polar explorer attempts Everest summit

by admin on October 14, 2010

in Explore, Global Explorers Now

Photo courtesy Eric Larsen

With so many expeditions going on all over the planet, it’s tough for an explorer to get sponsors and press time. The trick these days is to come up with a really creative idea and link the expedition to a cause to make it stand out in the very crowded adventure world. Eric Larsen’s journey has been more epic than most: in an effort to publicize global warming, he set out in November 2009 on a 365-day trip to the South Pole, North Pole, and Mt. Everest—the world’s “last great frozen places.” First he headed to Antarctica, where he knocked off a 750-mile ski traverse to the South Pole. Two months later, he traveled from Ellesmere Island to the North Pole, reaching it on Earth Day 2010. And now he sits at Camp 4 on Mt. Everest, the very last person to attempt a summit climb on the world’s highest peak this season. Weather conditions are worsening every day, and though Larsen is determined to make his summit attempt tomorrow, Mother Nature will have the last say about that. Read his expedition journal here for daily updates about his adventure.

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