Eric Philips

Dream big. Live bigger. Begin!

Astronaut

I was Mission Specialist and Medical Officer on board the historic Fram2 polar orbital mission.

Launching on March 31, 2025 from Cape Canaveral, the Fram2 crew spent almost 4 days in space, completing 55 orbits over the North and South Poles. Although we see curated photos of these regions on Google Earth and other platforms, there is something quintessentially human about seeing things with our own eyes and yes, they look different.

On April 4 we completed the first human splashdown off the west coast of the USA.

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Polar Explorer

Since 1992 I've been exploring the Earth's high latitudes.

Exploration has been at the core of my instinct. From my inaugural 1992 expedition to Canada's Ellesmere Island, to pioneering new routes through the Transantarctic Mountains to the South Pole, skiing from Russia to North Pole and North Pole to Canada, to snowkiting solo to the iconic peak of Ulvetanna, I've followed the urge to go where others haven't. To explore the path less travelled.

It's what drives me every day of my life.

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IPGA Polar Expedition Guide

Since 2004 I've been guiding ski expeditions and training in the Arctic, Antarctica and Australia. Any opportunity to introduce people to our wonderful ice environments is a privilege that I will forever appreciate.

In 2011, together with a team of guides spanning 6 nations, I launched the International Polar Guides Association, steering the organisation as President until 2024. Polar guiding is an awesome profession, one that combines my loves of adventure and education.

Contact me if you want to join a trip, need help with your own or are interested in becoming an IPGA guide.

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Polar Equipment Designer

Like many of the polar enthusiasts who use my products, I place absolute trust in the ability of my designs to do what's required of them.

Whether I'm guiding a short trip or on a long demanding expedition, I don't want the anxiety of worrying about gear failure or poor performance so I base my design work on a simple credo: Design and build things to perform dependably in the harshest conditions on the planet.

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Polar Expedition Consultant

In the harsh reality of a polar environment there's often only one chance at success. Don't squander that opportunity with guesswork, assumptions or bad advice.

I offer 4 levels of consultation, giving you the opportunity to balance your growing knowledge with my professional advice to create your optimum polar journey.


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Photographs

Most of the images on my website were taken by professional photographers. Martin Hartley, Petter Nyquist, Christian Åslund and Nick Cobbing are widely known for their work in the fields of polar adventure, conservation and science and I've enjoyed working with them immensely.

They all possess the rare ability to render an ordinary moment as an extraordinary event, an ephemeral blur as static motion, a fleeting nuance as an indelible memory.

My sincere thanks to these superlative artists.

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At Longyearbyen, Eric reviewed my equipment and gave advice and encouragement. He arranged for us to get one of the four window seats in the transport to Borneo.The cold was intense, but with proper preparation, caution and the right equipment, quite manageable. Arriving at the Pole was far more rewarding than I imagined. I was prepared for the ice and the cold and the joy of reaching our destination. I was not prepared for the wonderful people I would meet, and the ways by which making their acquaintance would make the trip even more incredible. I was coincidentally able to meet some wonderful, adventurous people who accepted me as an equal. It was the trip of a lifetime. My wife said that for the first time in my life, I was rendered speechless when I tried to explain the experience.

Richard Laronde. USA (North Pole Odyssey 2006)

Eric and Mardi were exceptional guides on the adventure of a lifetime. I wrote an article about my Icetrek experience: https://www.washingtonpost.com...

Ed Kressie. USA (Svalbard Polar Expedition 2023)

Thank you for such a great trip. You helped make this our reality.

Alexis Browning. USA (North Pole Ceremony 2009)

It was a great trip and well done to you for playing such a vital role in it's success!

Clark Carter. Australia (North Pole to Canada 2011)

Dear Eric, thanks for the adventure of a lifetime. Well organised, brilliantly executed and full of enthusiasm fun and drama. Your experience and competence made the recurrent challenges seem ' a walk in the park". To have a guide with the humour, experience and character displayed by you is rare. Everyone should do this sometime in their life!

Jon McCarthy. Australia (North Pole Odyssey 2010)

Eric and his crew are the epitome of professional. I had a great experience skiing around Svalbard with Icetrek. Will definitely look to do more trips with Eric and Icetrek. Heath did an amazing job leading this trip, learned a ton and am looking forward to more adventures. Thanks again for having me.

Rob Berra. USA (Svalbard Training 2018))
Eric Philips, IPGA Polar Expedition Guide
International Polar Guides Association
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