As the media team’s vacation draws to a close, we’re highlighting our last archive gem — a lively talk on the raw determination of one adventurous young man.

In Ben Saunders’ talk from 2005, he recounts his dangerous journey to become the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole. Of course, Saunders has not since quit his thrill-seeking ways. In 2008, he set out from Ward Hunt Island, just north of Canada, with the goal of skiing to the North Pole in record time, but had a devastating equipment failure and was forced to abandon the trip. Consistently undaunted, he has two more expeditions planned. He will re-attempt the North Pole speed record and in October he plans to embark on an adventure he’s calling SOUTH — the first return trip to the South Pole on foot as well as the longest polar expedition ever to be completed without dogs, vehicles or other support.

Saunders has also devoted some time to the quieter craft of writing. He wrote a chapter for and the introduction to the Lonely Planet Guide to the Middle of Nowhere, and has contributed to Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century. He is set to complete his own book in 2010.

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