02 Jul

Posted at 12:00h in Blogs Only
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I'm sitting in Inuvik. It's 12am and I've come across Canada to the staging place of my 2015 Into The Arctic: The Last Chapter expedition. In a couple of days, I will board a twin otter and head further north yet to Banks Island. There, for the first leg of 2 months in the Arctic, I will canoe for 160km and explore, paint and film the remote and wild landscapes of Aulavik National Park. I, along with my brother Carl, friend Anthony, and cameraman Ryan Bray, will be the only official park visitors in the park this year. This will...

26 Jun

Posted at 17:35h in Blogs Only
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This Sunday, I pack up the car with painting, filming and camping gear, and head to Ottawa to catch our June 29th Canadian North flight to Inuvik to begin the first leg of my Into The Arctic: The Last Chapter expedition. In total there will be 7 legs to this journey, overnighting in 9 Arctic communities along the way. I will be transported over 24,000 spectacular kilometres, before I lay my head back to rest on my pillow at home. This expedition would not be possible without the wonderful support of many individuals, companies and organizations. In this post I would...

19 Jun

Posted at 20:05h in Blogs Only
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I've been trying to get in shape for my upcoming Arctic expedition since last November. Will all the effort it takes to put together and execute an Arctic expedition, there is just too much on the line not to ensure that I maintain some level of physical fitness. Something as simple as a muscle pull could really ruin a journey. Not that injuries can't happen, but I like to reduce the odds as much as I can before going out in to the remote wilderness where I need to be self-sufficient for days and even weeks at a time. Besides,...

09 Jun

Posted at 04:42h in Blogs Only
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In preparation for my return to the north I'm reading, and really enjoying, Pierre Berton's 2001 fantastic "The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the North West Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909". This book is bringing to life past the many past explorers who roamed the Arctic, and it's been fascinating to find out the stories behind the names of so many northern places that now bear their names. Check out the reviews on Amazon, or pick up a copy for some great reading this summer: http://tinyurl.com/okuadja. Any Arctic book recommendations to add to my reading list? Love to hear...