Walking on Thin Ice: In Pursuit of the North Pole

Hempleman-Adams's chronicle of his trek to the geographic North Pole--the one conquest standing between him and the Adventurers' Grand Slam--strays little from the nuts and bolts of the genre but is chock full of details crucial to surviving arctic conditions. Once again it is proven that even with meticulous planning and years of experience, anything can happen. Writing with the assistance of journalist Uhlig, Hempleman-Adams (Toughing It Out) recounts in daily diary entries the treacherous 600-mile haul across the polar terrain. Battling frostbite, weather and nearly insurmountable snow rubble during an eight-week journey, Hempleman-Adams and his partner, Rune Gjeldnes, forge a strong bond. The high-strung 41-year-old British explorer is yin to the taciturn, 26-year-old, chainsmoking Norwegian Gjeldnes's yang: plodding leader to optimistic sprite. By reaching his goal, Hempleman-Adams became the first man to climb the highest summit in each continent and attain the North and South magnetic and geographical poles. While not the hair-raising ride that Jon Krakauer treated us to, Hempleman-Adams's memoir of this feat offers a vital moment-by-moment primer on teamwork and the limits of physical endurance. 60 color photos; maps. (Jan.)