The Long Haul

On July 16, 2008, Alex Hibbert and George Bullard reached the Arctic coast of Greenland. Starved and dizzy, they had man-hauled 430lb sledges for eighteen weeks across 1374 miles in unbroken steps, further than any previous unsupported polar expedition in history. This is Alex's story of mental perseverance, physical toil in brutal conditions and teamwork under pressure. The pair were forced to ski in darkness, where temperatures plummeted to minus forty and winds reached gale-force. As an isolated double act, Hibbert and Bullard had to rely on each other for their survival and even their own sanity. The journey required meticulous planning, intense training and no small measure of luck to succeed. Many thought Hibbert's plan impossible. Ever conscious of those pioneers who preceded him, Hibbert explains the expedition's place in polar history and describes the lesser known realities of expedition life. His account is filled with stark recollections of adrenaline and reflection in the face of enormous odds stacked against them.