Forward, published December 2011
Winner of an IBPA 2012 Benjamin Franklin Award.
Praise
“A straight dose of knife-cold reality from a record-setting polar trip, Forward serves up an epic narrative as well as a tutorial in gear, food, and logistics. Battle scars and egos are exposed in a book that enlightens the reader on the human capacity to suffer and persevere.” – Stephen Regenold, Editor and founder of GearJunkie.com
“Forward is truly a great read. You’ll experience the ins and outs and the ups and downs of this extreme polar expedition. It took meticulous planning and preparation—and then keeping it together as friends and teammates—for John and Tyler to achieve the first American unsupported journey to the North Pole. The stunning photos and descriptive insights add depth to the narrative and allow you to richly experience this amazing adventure, step by arduous step, all the way to the Pole.” – Ed Viesturs, World-renowned high altitude mountaineer and author of No Shortcuts to the Top and The Will to Climb
“Forward is the fascinating inside story of a knock-down-drag-out expedition to the top of the world, a journey that separates the dreamers from the doers. This is a real story of real adventure!”– Will Steger, National Geographic Explorer of the Century, and author of Crossing Antarctica
About The Book
On a perfect day in March, 2009, with the temperature hovering near -40° Fahrenheit, John Huston and Tyler Fish stepped off the North American continent and onto the frozen, jumbled surface of the Arctic Ocean. The two seasoned adventurers had their sights set on one goal: to travel under their own power to the North Pole without resupply. If they succeeded, they’d be the first Americans to do so.
Forward is their story. Over a period of nearly two months, John and Tyler skied more than 500 miles, hauling sleds that contained everything they needed to survive. They maneuvered their 300-pound loads through punishing rubble fields and swam across stretches of open water. To fuel their bodies and fight back the cold, each consumed more than 7,000 calories per day, downing deep-fried bacon, chunks of butter, and fat-laden pemmican stew.
Richly illustrated with photos, maps, and charts, Forward takes readers across the ice and into the lives of both men, revealing how and why they attempted their unsupported trek to the Pole. The authors describe the details of their journey: the preparations, the daily routines, the personal struggles, and more. This fascinating narrative also interweaves the science of polar travel with the rich history of past explorers, men like Amundsen and Shackleton, who inspired John and Tyler to push themselves to the limits of human endurance.
