Antarctic Tears: Determination, Adversity, and the Pursuit of a Dream at the Bottom of the World

Aaron Linsdau had a plan. It was to do something no other American had ever accomplished. During the 2012-13 Antarctic season he wanted to become the first to ski from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back without aid or support. And, he wanted to do this alone.

Here Linsdau covers his training trips to Greenland and Yellowstone, equipment selection, and the daily effort of his 84-day journey to the South Pole, becoming only the 2nd American to ski solo from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole. The journey covers over 1,400 miles through the most forbidding frozen terrain on the planet. The temperature is always below zero and gale force winds routinely roar across the ice. The polar plateau is devoid of life - no plants, animals, insects or anything else. It provides no shelter, no protection, and is unforgiving of the most minor mistakes. Previous expeditions have lost tents, helplessly watching them blow over the horizon. Many explorers have quit or been rescued.

What began as a brave adventure into the unknown turned into a battle for survival. In this compelling narrative, Linsdau brings the reader to Antarctica, sharing the experience of surviving incredible storms, skiing blind through whiteouts, crossing invisible crevasses, and skirting disaster. The air is cold enough to freeze water in seconds and cause frostbite in minutes. Only outer space is less hospitable.

Driven by passion, he sacrifices nearly everything to make his dream come true. This is a story about personal discovery, testing the limits of human endurance, total dedication to achieving a goal, and never giving up even when both body and equipment fail.