‘Save the Poles’ Expedition

By RYAN DIONNE

Eric Larsen, age 38, sets off next month to take on Mount Everest as well as the North and South Poles to raise awareness about global warming. With the ‘Save the Poles’ Expedition, Larsen plans to tackle all three trips within a year’s time.

“This expedition will tell the story of these remote places so we can better understand how our actions affect the poles and ultimately the planet,” Larsen said in a statement. “We all need to be reminded that we must act now to stop global warming.”

As part of the expedition, Larsen plans to produce a documentary as well as write a book focusing “on the science of climate change, teamwork and the spirit of adventure.”

Besides being a member of The Explorer’s Club, Larsen is an avid adventurer. According to his bio, in 2006, Larsen and fellow Minnesotan Lonnie Dupre completed the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole. During this journey, the duo pulled and paddled specially modified canoes over 600 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean.

Eric’s other expeditions include a 700-mile dog sled journey through northern Ontario, a six week dog sled journey in the barren lands of the Canadian Arctic, several training trips to Hudson Bay and countless dog sled races.

Larsen plans on starting his latest journey on Thursday, Nov. 5, with a flight from Denver to Punta Arenas, Chile. From Chile he’ll head to Antarctica that next week — depending on weather conditions — and then begin the expedition mid-month. About 53 days later he hopes to be at the South Pole via ski.

After the South Pole, Larsen and his two comrades, Bill Hanlon and Dongshen Liu, will start a journey to the North Pole on March 1. Then, in September, 2010, the expedition is off to Mount Everest for an autumn attempt on the peak.

For more info on Larsen’s Save the Poles journey, go to www.savethepoles.com.

—Contributor Ryan Dionne is based in Boulder, Colo. He writes a blog on the outdoors and gear at http://explore-it.blog.com