I've just finished reading The Frozen Coast (2004), a fabulous story from the Kiwi boys of Adventure Philosophy, on their kayak voyage of the length of the Antarctic Peninsula. Graham Charles, Mark Jones and Marcus Waters set out in January 2001 and spent two amazing months on their 850km (528m) journey.Their story is a fine, adventure-inspiring read. The book's photos are worth it alone. A chapter on training for the expedition, as well as trying to finance it and actually get to Antarctica (and back!) is a learning experience in itself, as well as a chapter devoted to their equipment.
"So why do it? For the same reason that adventurers through the ages have stepped beyond the realms of the known. For the reward of being the only humans for hundreds of miles. For the sight of nature at its most wild and spectacular. For the glee that springs from challenging nature and surviving. For the need, in a world overrun and tamed by humankind, to be no more than a speck in the wilderness. For the belief that the world is a better place because of those that confront the improbable and defy the odds."
As an aside, these were the boys that were the first to paddle around South Georgia Island in 2005, and this month are setting off on their Ice & Ocean Greenland 07 expedition.
Sigh.
