True Grit Award – First man to solo circumnavigate the world around the Equator.
Gritty Man become the first person to solo circumnavigates the Equator unaided and without motorized help …
In 2001 Mike Horn became the first man to ever complete a solo journey around the equator, unaided and without any motorised transport. It took him 1-year and 6-months to complete the journey.
In 2004 he completed a 2-year, 3-month solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle, and in 2006 along with Norwegian explorer Børge Ousland, became the first men to travel without dog or motorised transport to the North Pole during winter, in permanent darkness.
During an interview with Ozy, Mike said that he learned to challenge himself from a young age, but it was the army that taught him about survival.
“I hate war but I think it prepared me for what I do today,” he said, remembering his days in the military service when he was sent to Angola and first witnessed death.
“I was only an 18-year-old kid when I discovered one will do anything to stay alive”.
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
Mike says he first felt the call of the wild at 24 years old.
He quit his comfortable sports science job, gave everything away and moved to Switzerland.
From there, he embarked on a series of adventures, including descending by delta plane from a 22,000-foot mountain and river boarding the world’s deepest canyon.
Mike has adventure running through his veins and is driven to explore.
Here is list of some of a few of his expeditions Mike has accomplished in his lifetime.
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
Arktos
In 2002–04, Mike went around the world on the Arctic Circle solo in an expedition dubbed “Arktos”.
It was a solitary voyage of two years and three months without motorised transport (boat, kayak, ski kite and on foot) on a 20,000 kilometres (12,000 mi) odyssey.
North Pole
In a world-first, Mike set off on a 60-day voyage on skis without dogs or motorised transportation during the Arctic night with Norwegian explorer Borge Ousland in 2006.
For two months the pair walked in total darkness, and often on paper-thin ice.
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
Pangaea
In 2007, Mike and his team launched the Young Explorers Program.
This program consisted in recruiting and then inviting young adults between the ages of 15 and 20 years old, from all over the world – to explore the Earth’s continents and travel across the planet’s oceans with the PANGAEA expedition sailing vessel.
Pole2Pole
In 2016, Horn set off on his expedition “Pole2Pole”, a two-year circumnavigation of the globe via the South and North Pole.
Mike traveled by land and his sailing vessel, Pangaea, from Africa to Antarctica, Oceania, Asia, the Arctic, and back to Europe.
Horn’s expedition Pole2Pole falls perfectly under three main themes: Adventure, Environment, and Sharing.
Image Courtsey Mike Horn
On February 7 22:50 UT Mike Horn completed the longest ever solo, unsupported north-to-south traverse of Antarctica from the Princess Astrid Coast (lat -70.1015 lon 9.8249) to the Dumont D’urville Station (lat -66.6833 lon 139.9167) via the South Pole.
He arrived at the pole on January 9, 2017.
A total distance of 5100 km was covered utilizing kites and skis in 57 days. To learn more about Mike and what far-away place he’s exploring, check out his site by clicking here.
If you’re wondering what gritty means… just take a look at Mike Horn.
The Gritty Man Club gives a shout out to a man that shows true grit, perseverance, lives a life of adventure and success… the “True Grit Award” is in honor of men who have grit.
