Polar explorer Ann Bancroft is planning to head back to the Arctic. Bancroft and her expedition partner were forced to abandon a 1,200-mile hike over the North Pole in 2005, because of a business dispute between supply companies.
ST. PAUL -- Polar explorer Ann Bancroft is planning to head back to the Arctic. Bancroft and her expedition partner were forced to abandon a 1,200-mile hike over the North Pole in 2005, because of a business dispute between supply companies. "Both of us were devastated," Bancroft said.
This time, Bancroft and Norwegian Liv Arnesen plan to take a different route, through Canada. They plan to start March 1, first pulling their sleds about 530 miles from Canada's Ward Hunt Island to the North Pole.
By mid-May, the pair hopes to reach a French ship full of scientists, floating in the Arctic ice pack.
Bancroft, 51, who lives in Scandia, said their new trek has the same mission -- to help teach students worldwide about the effects of global warming. Schoolchildren can follow the trip through the Internet.
Bancroft said that initially she wasn't eager to try for another Arctic trek, and the grueling preparation that goes with it. Her training includes hiking and running while carrying or towing logs. She expects to have to swim between ice sheets.
"I didn't really have the steam to want to go back, and you can't enter into a project like this unless you really have the juice for it. I just lost it temporarily, but Liv proceeded," Bancroft said.
"We kept talking and working together on our educational initiatives, which I still have a lot of juice for. As educators, for Liv and me, this is the ultimate. We have the opportunity, by using these expeditions as sparkplugs to greater things, to stir up knowledge and empower people to action."
While the explorers have frequently used the Web to post photos and bits of audio during their travels, their next trip should be even more impressive. With advancements in GPS, Web viewers will be able to see exactly how far the women have advanced each day.
While Bancroft's place in the history books is assured -- she was the first woman to cross both polar ice caps to reach the poles, and she and Arnesen were the first women to sail and ski across Antarctica's landmass -- she's got no illusions about setting records on the latest trip.
"This trip is going to be so hard, because the ice is so crummy, and it's going to demand everything we've learned our entire lives and push us in new directions," she said. "We've eliminated any illusions that we're trying to do any firsts. We've got enough firsts under our belt to last a lifetime. Now we get to elevate the message. It's the culmination of 20 years of major expeditions."
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On the Net:
Bancroft Arnesen Explore: http://www.bancroftarnesenexplore.com/
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Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press, http://www.twincities.com
Source: Associated Press
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