P O L A R E X P L O R E R First circumnavigation of Greenland by kayak and dog team Explorers Club Fellow / Rolex Laureate

AR C T I C A D V E N T U R E R / M O U N TA I N E E R First All-Female Ascent of Mt. Lucania Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow

In 2002-2003, aboard his polar sailboat Vagabond, Eric completed the first full circumnavigation of the Arctic through the North-East and North-West passages. Eric has been living and working in the polar regions for 30 years. Through summer cruises and a dozen overwinterings close to Inuit communities, collaborating with more than 60 scientific programs, he has remained faithful to his original project: providing a base camp for polar research.

Chris has blended his love for the outdoors with his 35+ year career in the environmental field. Whether mountaineering some of the world’s tallest peaks, trekking long distances, exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, or sailing his 35-foot sailboat throughout the Great Lakes, his deep passion for environmental causes has driven his work. When he’s not on the water, Chris enjoys spending time with his family, especially his granddaughter, Charlotte.

Ashe is a spirited sailor with a deep connection to the ocean and Great Lakes. It's the freedom of the open water and the best midnight stars that keep her hooked. Her sailing journey began with her Grandpa as a young girl, and grew while living aboard a friend's sailboat in Europe. Over the years, she’s gained offshore experience, including a Trans-Atlantic crossing and a Northbound Pacific crossing from New Zealand to Japan. Ashe recently participated in her first international race.

Hyland began sailing in high school in the Duluth racing scene. Since then, he has been striving to build a life filled with adventures—from sea to mountains. As a professional sailor, he has sailed over the world, crossed two oceans, and accumulated thousands of miles in between. He is the owner of the Superior Sail Loft, a sail loft in the Apostle Islands. In the winter, he spends most of his time exploring mountains in Alaska, armed with ice axes and a snowboard.

Born and raised on the shores of Lake Superior, Matt has had a lifetime of living on, sailing, and building boats. He’s also done extensive solo motorcycle adventures in Central America. Matt has been preparing NordHus for over 3yrs with us, his mechanical skills are unsurpassed. He lives by the motto that there’s no such thing as a difficult task, some things just take longer than others….

Ned has led numerous adventures in the mountains, the rivers, the oceans and the Antarctic. He began his career as a climber pursuing peaks and multi-pitch alpine rock climbs in the American West, Alaska, South America, Europe and the Karakoram. He expanded his experiences to sailing trips and worked with the US Antarctic Program guiding scientists to their research sites. For the last decade, he has turned to sailing where he recently captained an 8,000-mile trip from Seattle to Maine.

Mark and Katya, own the sail training company, Amicus Adventure Sailing and the sailing/climate education program, Sea Change Expeditions, integrating wilderness adventure with sustainability. Mark has been a licensed Captain for over 30 years and currently holds a US Coastguard 100 Ton Masters License with an Offshore Sailing Endorsement. He has sailed over 30,000 miles including an Atlantic crossing. Katya is a lifelong sailor and wilderness leader, author, and journalist.

Pat has about 15 years of leisurely sailing experience, the last 3 years in the Lake Ontario area. Pat is currently between boats and is looking forward to being on someone else’s ship. Pat’s most significant contribution to the St Lawrence River section of the trip will be to do the Plank so his long-time friend and crewmate Brian can bench press him a dozen times every morning.

Brian has adventured on motorcycles, bicycles, snowboards, and paddle boards. Never a boat, unless you count a cruise ship. He will rely on being told what to, how to do it, when to do it, and how many times. He assumes the lofty position of cabin boy on this trip.