What Will They Eat? How Will They Stay Warm?

March 31, 2008 — -- During the next two months, explorer Will Steger and six young adventurers are traveling across Ellesmere Island, following in the footsteps of other legendary polar explorers. The team will visit ice shelves that have all but disappeared because of climate change. The group is now training. Members of the group will regularly file reports from their 1,400-mile journey. Four members of the group -- Toby Thorleifsson, Ben Horton, Eric McNair-Landry and Sam Branson -- answered questions before their departure.

ABC News: What about this expedition is so important to take off months from your life to do it?

Thorleifsson: This expedition is important because it highlights and brings attention to the most important issue of our time. In addition we represent the generation that will face the consequences of global warming and be the ultimate leaders in solving this problem. Compared to the magnitude of what we are facing, four months is really not enough -- but it is what I can do.

Horton: It won't be long until expeditions to the Arctic like this won't be possible anymore. To be a part of it is not only important for present generations, but for the generations who follow us that may not get a chance to experience it like we did.

Branson: Not only is it going to be a great experience -- being out on an expedition, exploring a place few people have -- it will help to educate younger generations about the effect global warming is having on the area and what that could mean for them at home.

McNair-Landry: This is my life. I take time off in between expeditions.

ABC News: What are you most nervous about? What are you most excited about?

Thorleifsson: I am actually most nervous about the flight to Resolute. I have never liked flying. The cold is OK -- it is more uncomfortable than something to be nervous about. I am most excited about the nature and wildlife. What I have seen of Arctic nature and wildlife so far in my life has been grand and breathtaking. It is literally like going to a different planet.

Branson: I am most nervous about polar bears. I have heard a few horror stories since I got up here. The area we are traveling in is rife with them. We have bear protection, but it is something to an extent that is out of your control.

The other is getting separated from the group in a whiteout [a blizzard where you don't know which way is up or down]. That helpless feeling would not be nice. I am excited about learning enough so that I am capable in this environment in my own right. I am looking forward to seeing the terrain up there; it is supposed to be beautiful. Also, getting truly into nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

ABC News: How do you ration food for a 1,400-mile trip?

Thorleifsson: It is a long process and slightly chaotic. It is not often you plan up front what you are going to eat the next two months of your life. That is every meal. You just have to do it, calculate it out and get it packed.

Branson: Food rationing has been pretty hectic. We started with boxes of food supplies and weighed it all up. We then organized it into 20 day segments for each sled. Twenty to start and then two resupplies of 20 days. Our lunches consist of snacks. Nuts, cheese, soup, chocolate, etc. All weighed out and designed to have a high-calorie content.

Horton: Very carefully.

ABC News: What are the biggest challenges you'll face on the journey?

Thorleifsson: The cold is going to be an issue. Cold over time can wear you down. The discomfort of the cold combined with fatigue is going to be a mental challenge that I hope I will be able to cope with. I always think that two to three months is not a lot of time in the long run. Handle the cold for this relatively short time period and you will live in comfort for the remainder of the year.

Horton: As far as hazards, polar bears are probably the most romanticized, but the real danger is the climate. It's the Arctic, and predicting what we have to face is haphazard at best.

Branson: I expect to have some low days. Maybe due to exhaustion, the cold, isolation or a number of things. I know they are coming so when they do, I will know to push through and keep my spirits high. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." It could not be more true.

ABC News: What wildlife do you expect to see?

Thorleifsson: I hope to encounter Polar Bear, Muskox, Peary Cariboo and Wolves. Wildlife must be treated with respect and you need to understand that you are a guest in their world and therefore behave accordingly. Of course, seeing a Polar Bear means you need to take caution.

ABC NEWS: How did you decide who would join you on this expedition?

Horton: As I was invited and not a part of the inviting, I don't feel I have much to say about how we chose to invite people, but I can say that every person brings something of value to the expedition, and that the people involved stand to make a difference for the world regardless of their involvement.

McNair-Landry: It's not much of a decision. When you are asked to join an expedition of this magnitude, answering 'no' never comes to mind.

ABC News: What's the most dangerous situation you've been in on past trips?

Horton: I probably won't be able to decide on one situation that I would say is the most dangerous. I've nearly been killed by an ant bite, capsized 30 miles from the coast, and held captive by people, but the most fear-inspiring incidents involve angry animals. Waking up to a grizzly bear sniffing my head in Alaska, stalked by mountain lions in the dark in Colorado, riverbanks collapsing in Costa Rica sending me into the water two feet from a 15-foot crocodile. However, I think the most humbling was being attacked by a humble white tip reef shark while shooting a nighttime feeding frenzy on Cocos Island. If the other 200 sharks would have decided to follow suit I wouldn't have stood a chance, and would have been torn to pieces bite by bite.

ABCNEWS: What are you reading on your trip?

Thorleifsson: I am bringing three books in polar history.

Horton: Although I've read it before, I will probably bring "Soldier of the Great War" by Mark Helprin. It is a great source of inspiration for me because it addresses issues that we all have to face in our lives and helps inspire us to live to the fullest no matter what situation we may be in.

McNair-Landry: "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin will be my main book, probably accompanied by "The Shelfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins. And if I finish both of those I will have "Guns, Germs and Steel" sent in on one of the re-supplies.

Branson: I am bringing my diary along to capture the journey. I may possibly piece together another book. I am bringing a couple or books -- some relevant to our expedition and some very different. I think it's important to have something to imagine in your head.

ABC News: What do you hope to get out of this trip?

Horton: I personally hope to gain self-confidence in the polar environment. I really have to change a lot of who I am as a person to accomplish this expedition. From the example of myself and the other teammates, I hope that the world will see that when we put our minds to a problem we can make changes that we can be proud of. Our small group completing this journey can be a metaphor for our generation and the challenges that we face.

McNair: I hope we encourage other people to get outside and follow their dreams.