Into the unknown

The Patagonian inland icecap: Borge Ousland and I planned the first-ever crossing in 2003. A thorough reconnaissance trip was a prerequisite, especially since we wanted National Geographic as our sponsor and media partner. In Puerto Natales we chartered an old fishing boat, more of a wreck than a boat. Also on board was a tribal member of the Kawesqar people, one of the four ethnic groups that once settled in western Patagonia. He was the only one familiar with the intricate fjord system along Patagonia's west coast. The fact that our desolate trawler made it back to Puerto Edén was nothing short of a miracle. This reconnaissance trip was an adventure in its own right.