Solo to the North Pole: Pen Hadow
In 2003, Pen Hadow became the first person to trek solo and without resupply from Canada to the North Geographic Pole - 770 kilometres across shifting sea ice, open water, and temperatures of minus 40. It is a feat that has never been repeated, and almost certainly never will be.
You can watch this episode on Youtube
But this is not the story of a single expedition. It is the story of a promise made to a dying father and fifteen years of refusing to give up.
Pen joins Hugh to tell the full story: from a childhood toughened by the nanny who once looked after Captain Scott's son, to the moment he fell through the ice without his immersion suit just days from the Pole. He describes the paralysing effect of cold on decision-making, the protocols for surviving a polar bear encounter while swimming between ice floes, and why the hardest challenge of all was not physical - but managing the wild swings of emotion that come with being completely alone.
He also explains what his years on the Arctic ice revealed about the disappearing sea ice, a discovery that has defined the second half of his life, and one he now shares with audiences around the world.
Pen Hadow's book Solo is out now.
Pen Hadow appears by arrangement with DBA Speakers www.dbaspeakers.com
The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, explorers and vagabonds for over 500 years.
About The Art of Adventure Podcast from Arthur Beale
Adventure is often reduced to a highlight reel: the summit photo, the landfall, the triumphant return. But the truth is far richer—and far more human. The Art of Adventure, the new podcast from Arthur Beale, sets out to explore what really lies behind extraordinary journeys: the uncertainty, the preparation, and the moments of quiet decision that shape everything that follows.
Hosted by Hugh Taylor, the podcast brings listeners into the worlds of explorers, sailors, pioneers, and trailblazers from across history and the present day. Rather than simply retelling familiar tales, each episode examines what these journeys reveal about the deeper craft of adventure itself. What does it take to commit to the unknown? How do people navigate doubt, risk, and responsibility? And what separates success from failure when the stakes are at their highest?
New episodes every Wednesday.
Listen on our website or subscribe on your favourite podcast platform
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