January 08/2007 National Geographic Image
Tough Sledding
Day after day after day for two months, Mike, like Børge, dragged a floatable sledge over rugged pack ice. Except for two rest days, the routine never changed: Rising after seven hours of sleep, Mike and Børge wolfed down a breakfast of oatmeal generously fortified with fat and sugar, broke down the tent, and packed equipment—a three-hour process. Then came ten hours or more of skiing with breaks for snacks followed by a freeze-dried meal at night. "For the first four days, you think only about women," says Mike. "The rest of the way you think of nothing but food. For me it was thick steaks and pizza."
