Arctic Dream
Saint John's Fjord, Svalbard Archipelago, Europe
Athlete: Tom Day
Camera: Nikon D700
What makes it special: As soon as you put yourself on a path to test your limits you realize your limits aren't what you think they are and the more you do the more you realize your boundaries are a lot greater than you imagined. It's entirely dependent on your perspective.
The story: "Less than 500 miles from the North Pole, I feel as if I'm on top of the world. From the sea we explore a barren, mountainous environment in much the same way adventurers have interacted with it for hundreds of years, on a simple boat navigating fjords laced with ice, snow and rock. But it's different; we have modern comforts and all the advantages of leading-edge technology designed to facilitate play.
As one would expect, at the top of the world the rules are different. In a land where the sun never sets, we spend standard daylight hours sleeping. At night we apply suntan lotion, hike from water's edge up dramatic peaks among translucent ice fields and glaciated, windswept crests. Here, the nighttime light is unlike anywhere else.
There's absurdity all around us. For instance, our guide carries an ultralight aluminum alloy ice axe alongside a World War II rifle, reminding us of tales of the land's inhabitants who hunt us, and a spattering of polar bear tracks keeps me vigilant.
From our vantage point, we look across a glorious powder field. We've earned our turns. Below, our floating home waits among ice floes for our return with the promise of another great meal and a path to our next destination. The experience is pure, simple and beautiful. "
