75 year old Barbara Hillary…
Well prepared for her trip to the North Pole
“Welcome to the world of the High Arctic, The North Pole and ‘Adventure by Hollywood.’” That’s the way Barbara Hillary begins the amazing story of her Arctic experience, as she tells it in her own exuberant style.
It’s an amazing story – and it’s all true! Barbara Hillary, a 75-year-old lung cancer survivor, recently completed a successful cross-country skiing adventure to the North Pole. She was so exhilarated when she reached “the top of the world” on April 23, she threw off her gloves, pumped her fists in the air, shouted for sheer joy – and got frost-bitten fingers. In her excitement, she forgot the temperature was between 20 and 40 degrees below zero.
Hillary, who is one of the oldest people ever to make it to the North Pole, and believed to be the first African-American woman to accomplish the feat, actually was well prepared for the challenging journey. NORTHERN OUTFITTERS supplied her with a full range of extreme cold weather clothing, from EXP Arctic boots to Arctic Bibs and Parka, to Severe Weather Hood.
“Who is in charge?” says Barbara. “The weather is, and within that framework you must be prepared to make mental and physical adjustments. You move or you do not move depending on the directions of your guides and/or camp director. These Russian gentlemen are experts on ice conditions and how to live and how to avoid the possibility of dying in this environment.”
“I traveled alone from Newark Airport to Oslo, Longyearbeyn, then to Camp Barneo. The base camp is about 500 miles from the North Pole. Life at the base is living on ice—not one blade of grass, compounded by 24 hours of daylight. The food was fair to poor and I longed for some good home cooking.”
“Hollywood has given a false image concerning the joy of using dogs. Yes, they are wonderful animals but you must know how to handle your team and be prepared to help push a 500-pound-plus sled over pressure ridges or go around. I skied to the Pole with my gear in my backpack. After over a week of perpetual sunlight and ice, I really have no idea of distances. Although I am a street-wise New Yorker, wearing sunglasses at 2:00 a.m. is a mind trip, and then some.”
“My trip would have been impossible without help from my friends and family, my guides and their dogs, and most importantly the support I received from NORTHERN OUTFITTERS and their cold weather clothing. I used their complete Arctic System and I was warm at -40 F from my fingers to my toes. Now I understand why most of the mushers in the Iditerod wear Northern Outfitters clothing. This is no compromise extreme clothing and I certainly wouldn’t recommend being in cold weather without it.”
