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No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Historic Journey Across Antarctica

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This is not a book about two women's extraordinary expedition to Antarctica. This is a book about having a dream and then finding a way of realizing that dream. It is about women who are not supposed to break the rules, yet decide to do it anyhow. The vivid descriptions transport us to unknown and unseen worlds and tell us about the human capacity to overcome obstacles. But first and foremost it is an inspiration for all the adventureres, dreamers, and rebels of this world. Finally, a true and exquisitely well-written story about ordinary women who dare to become extraordinary.

The list of obstacles faced by those who choose to explore Antarctica is familiar enough: blizzards, bone-chilling cold, deadly crevasses, disorientation, faulty planning, and a whole lot more. The co-authors of NO HORIZON IS SO FAR added one more to that list: they are both women.

Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen were both experienced Antarctic hands. Both in fact had been to the South Pole separately before they made the 1,700-mile, 94-day trek in 2000-2001 described in this book. There had never been an attempt by two women to cross the entire Antarctic landmass, using the South Pole simply as a halfway point in a larger, longer, more dangerous expedition.

Bancroft (an American from Minnesota) and Arnesen (a Norwegian) had never met one another until they began planning this expedition. They obviously had a number of qualities in common that made them a viable two-person team. In addition to the obvious physical and technical skills, both were hugely aware of the feminist angle to what they were doing, and both were media-savvy. From the start they wanted to make a kind of worldwide educational event of their trip, involving school kids from all over the globe and actively cultivating coverage from the heavy hitters of the television talk show lineup.

They also had business skills. They assembled a small corporate backup team in Minnesota, hired a PR firm and got down to the business of cajoling financial and physical support from the likes of Apple Computer, Volvo and Motorola. In order to obtain just the right kind of satellite phone, their support staff was able to lure a three-star general off the gold course to pull the right strings. They even got themselves an audience with the Dalai Lama, who gave them a flag he wanted them to unfurl at the South Pole in his name.

The book that chronicles their trip is written alternately in the voices of the two women, with further contributions by writer Cheryl Dahle. This is a bit confusing at first because, while Bancroft's and Arnesen's contributions are labeled, Dahle's usually are not. It may take the reader a chapter or two to figure this out.

There were plenty of problems. Bancroft suffered a crippling shoulder injury that caused her pain for most of the trip. An errant chunk of ice lodged in their transmitter beacon caused a false "Send Rescue" message to be sent that induced momentary panic back in Minneapolis. The complex mechanics of ski sailing caused all sorts of delays and headaches, and the capricious Antarctic winds had a habit of not blowing when they were needed most. The food was monotonous. There were problems with the private company that was to fly them from Cape Town to Antarctica (the company tried to induce them at the last minute to transfer their whole operation from South Africa to Punta Arenas, Chile).

And in fact, the duo did not actually cover the entire distance they had mapped out for themselves. A combination of approaching winter and tough terrain forced them to call for air evacuation from a spot on the Ross Ice Shelf that was tantalizingly close to their predetermined finish line. But since the Ross Ice Shelf is actually a projection beyond the end of the Antarctic continent, they were able to claim that they had indeed traversed the whole land mass. So who would quibble? Not readers of this engaging book, that's for sure.

The personalities of the two adventurers show through nicely in their prose. Each woman acknowledges her own weaknesses and the strengths of her partner. There is however a lot of emphasis on the media-friendly aspect of the trip. Perhaps it would be unfair to claim that this dangerous expedition was conceived as a "media event" --- but that aspect was certainly a major element in its planning and execution. It also lends piquancy to the retelling of the story. For example, an executive of a major credit-card company told their fundraisers that they were not interested in helping because "we don't have any customers in Antarctica."

Bancroft and Arnesen, by contrast, made sure that they had "customers" in classrooms and corporate offices all over the world. They are a couple of brave, gutsy ladies, and they have richly earned their celebrity.

--- Reviewed by Robert Finn

"No Horizon Is So Far" details Arnesen and Bancroft's expedition across the Antarctic continent. The two former school teachers set out to fulfill their lifelong dreams of crossing the Antarctic while inspiring kids to tackle personal obstacles and to pursue their dreams. The expedition team developed a curriculum that allowed students around the world to participate in their adventure while learning valuables lessons in science and perseverance. Told from both voyagers' viewpoint, the book recounts with suspense, humor and clarity the challenges and triumphs of crossing the frozen continent. Information on the business aspects of planning and executing an expedition is also included and provides, for this Project Manager, an example of astute planning by a culturally and professionally diverse team of individuals with an intense dedication to achieving the goals of the expedition.

"No Horizon Is So Far" is successful on many levels. It educates, inspires, and motivates. On the surface - and by the cover - this may appear to be merely an adventure story, but it's much more. The journey of Arnesen and Bancroft not only challenged the physical and emotional strength of the two history making women but it also serves as a metaphor for the challenges we all face in everyday life. The story is well organized and made easily accessible with clear and concise language that sets an inviting tone for the story and is open enough to allow the women's experience to be meaningful to a wide range of people. Kudos to the women for chasing their dreams and congratulations to the expedition team and supporters that helped them catch it.

Norwegian Liv Arneson and American Ann Bancroft had a dream -- a strange dream. Each was called to the frozen continent of Antarctica. Liv (they use their given names throughout the book) had already made her mark as the first woman to ski solo to the South Pole, and Ann had skiied to the South Pole with three other women in a continent-crossing attempt that failed due to lack of funds. These two found each other and began to organize a ski trip from edge to edge, across the ice-covered continent.

Do you wonder why? Liv writes that everyone does, and her answer is that "an expedition is a work of art expressed on a canvas of snow, air, and time." She was inspired by Roald Amundsen's conquest of the South Pole, but both women were fascinated by Shackleton's Endurance expediton and the courage with which he gave up his mission to save his crew. Win or lose, they felt, the joy was in the journey.

Both Liv and Ann were former schoolteachers, and a big part of their dream was enlightening and inspiring school children around the world. Their first challenge was to build a support team and secure the huge corporate sponsorship needed to cover the expenses of their expedition. As they got to know each other and trained for the grueling trip, their company, yourexpedition, went on the sponsorship quest; the first part of the book covers the trials and triumphs of this two-year preparation phase. Major sponsorship was won from Volvo, Pfizer, Motorola, Apple Computers, and Continuum Control. During this phase a curriculum was developed and translated into many languages, and plans were made for communicating with school children during the trip. The logistics and expense of this journey were huge.

Liv and Ann took the ice in the Norwegian territory of Queen Maud Land, flying there from Capetown in November 2000. They had roughly 100 days before the Southern winter would close their "window" of traveling weather. With more than 2,000 miles to cover, their plan was to ski-sail across the continent to the Ross Ice Shelf; they were dependent on the wind, the weather, their equipment, and the state of the ice surface. They used satellite phones to communicate with their team and with some of the three million school children who followed their journey using the "Dare to Dream" curriculum.

No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women And Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica details the hardships that arose during the grueling trip. Injuries and equipment failure inevitably occurred in the intense cold and high altitude, but their greatest hardship was the erratic nature of the wind. Dragging heavy sleds and skiing behind sails in gusty wind is dangerous and difficult, but many days they had no wind and had to pull with crampons on their skis -- always in danger of falling into one of the many crevasses that thread through the ice.

Did Ann and Liv's mission succeed? Did they make it across the frozen beauty of Antarctica before winter closed their bolt-hole? It would be a spoiler to reveal the answer to these questions, but every reader will be touched by the magic generated among the children who shared their journey with them. This is a thoughtful and inspiring story of a mission that most of us would never dream of; but we all want to make a difference in the world and I thoroughly enjoyed Ann and Liv's story of their chosen journey. I've taken one star off because I thought the book might have been organized differently, with the expedition infrastructure spread throughout rather than concentrated in the first section. However the drama of the continent crossing more than made up for that organizational issue. Highly recommended.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This is a great story very well written. A must read for all women who dare to dream or dream about taking a risk. I also think this should be required reading for all upper middle school and/or high school students - it will help them understand that all goals are possible but not always easy to obtain.

"No Horizon Is So Far" is a fantastic read that transcends the non-fiction adventure genre. The struggles these two women explorers endure to accomplish their goal to cross Antarctica on skis is not only captivating, but also encouraging. Their persistence and dedication not only to the trek, but also to each other, their "base team," and a larger community of children around the world who followed their Antacritc expedition, are hope for all of us seeking purpose in our own endeavors. The writing style captures the dynamic, precarious tension between success and failure and also entertains us with tales both personal and humorous. I simply could not put this book down, not matter how heavy my eyelids became.

I agree with other reviewers that this is only an average read. But the story of this Antarctic adventure is still remarkable and anyone interested in women's outdoor adventures will find this book enjoyable.

Now I know what women can do, and it's great. These women seem just like me and yet they did this extraordinary thing. They're probably mad, but good on them.

This book is the most inspirational book that I have read in many years. It is not just the journey - although inspirational in it's own way - it is the effect that Ann & Liv's journey has on people around the world. Especially the children. *Horizons* had me in tears in many places and I can not remember a book effecting me in such a profound way before. It is a must read - whether or not you desire journeying to far off places or just to the neighbourhood park.
We all have dreams, aspirations and hopes for a fullfilling life. This book may help you to develop the fearlessness to follow those dreams.
Thank you so much Ann & Liv!

This book's account of Liv and Ann's long trek across Antarctica is riveting, and it's just incredible how much they suffered and how they managed to continue despite it. It blows my mind that they did this in their mid-forties.

One of the most admirable things about this book is how Liv and Ann come across not as cinematic superheroes but as real people, fuming about the sheer politics of just getting to Antarctica, making mistakes, bickering with each other, but still, in the end, sticking together and succeeding.

Liv's explanation (on page 21) of why she does such things is very illuminating, but you know what? After having finished the book, I still don't understand why people undertake such insanely brutal challenges. I can't imagine why anyone would voluntarily spend three months pulling 250-pound sledges across treacherous terrain in subzero temperatures. But that's why I sit at home reading books, instead of crossing Antarctica.

This book would be great for parents to read to their kids!