ARCTIC – Just one more hour. Another kilometre. Let’s see what’s around the next ridge.
At one time or another, everyone who spends significant time outdoors is guilty of turning a blind eye to inconveniences and better judgment to push forward outside of their physical boundaries.
For author and adventurer Frank Wolf, recognized as one of Canada’s 90 greatest explorers by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, it’s something you manage in the moment, even if it nearly costs a couple of digits in the process.
When out in his element on a canoe being pushed around by a racing river, on the cold side mountain a month-long exploration or back in the daily grind of an office politics work space, Wolf isn’t shy to express himself, especially through a pen.
“A lot of adventure books I’ve read, they’re almost more peripheral nuts and bolts. You’re not really getting inside the head of the person and getting the full scope of what they’re like,” said Wolf. “I like reading books, biographies or whatever of people and kind of really getting into their heads and seeing what makes them tick.”
Such as when he boldly plunges head-first into a colossal adventure, the Canadian writer, photographer and environmentalist has a fearless way of bringing readers along for the ride with him, for better or for worse, like in his new book Two Springs, One Summer: A Year Inside the Life of a Chronic Adventurer.
Wolf’s tale revolves around this big, brave mission off the beaten track in the beautiful, yet cruel and fierce northern wilderness. He goes on a 280 kilometre ski expedition across Baffin Island, a 1,750km canoe trip through the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and then a 550km ski traverse in the bitterly frigid arctic tundra.
For the better part of a year, the writer explores the trek’s ups and downs, relationships out in the middle of nowhere, rare cultures, and all the mental musings that one would think a chronic adventurer might be experiencing along the way. In particular, the intense biting cold of the Arctic.
In a place where brave explorer expeditions of the past have been shipwrecked and suffered terrible fates, Wolf and fellow companions take the challenge head-on, despite the rugged terrain. Those are often the best times for Wolf to write.
“Doing this kind of long distance, out there, self-propelled journey, that’s when I found out I was most creative. My mind was kind of free to wander,” he said. “I had the most interesting things to write about because it’s taking you out of your day-to-day experience and putting you into a completely new experience, and it’s going through an area you’ve never been before, which really kind of opens up all the fences.”
Back in the day when Wolf was in university in the United States on a track scholarship, he religiously wrote about his daily experiences in sport, diving into personal thoughts and regiments.
From an athletic perspective, middle or long distance running is one of the toughest sports out there, involving punishing oneself and pushing forward even when exhaustion starts kicking you in the lungs.
Perhaps that mindset is what kept him going, even when Wolf became a liability to the others in the expedition party.
“We’re kind of working together towards a common goal,” said the wild wanderer. “I think I always want to give it my absolute best shot ... so once they’re out there, you deal with what you have and I just tried to make the best of it.”
Wolf’s trips are usually funded by a mix of sponsors, part-time work, and writing gigs about his first-hand experiences.
Through the years, it’s never been about money. Many people often live vicariously through the great stories and heart-pounding adventures of others.
Wolf said through his books and articles, he wants to offer back something unique to the reader.
He also has advice for any would-be travellers putting off that big trip.
“If you’re really passionate about something, there’s no reason to wait for the adventure,” he said. “It’s almost like just taking that first step, making it a priority. I’ve never ever regretted doing one of these … so hopefully they’ll take some inspiration from what I do, or else I just be entertained or aghast at my lifestyle. Whatever.”
Wolf’s Two Springs, One Summer: A Year Inside the Life of a Chronic Adventurer is available at rmbooks.com.