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The Trekkers

Jon and Eric during a blizzard.

Australians Jon Muir and Eric Philips share few superficial similarities. Jon is a long-haired, solidly built, country living bloke, married with chooks and a dog called Mirabel. Eric is a short-haired, wiry, city-based guy, married with one daughter and a yet-to-be-born second child.

Despite the chalk-and-cheese comparisons, they share a commonality that goes beneath the skin and scalp. They are both impassioned by remote and natural wildernesses and driven by the challenge of discovering their very cores. Often this means travelling for months on end with only a limited supply of resources and their learned and inherent wit.

Between them they have, amongst other adventures, climbed Everest, skied to the South Pole, walked solo across Australia, traversed Greenland, completed new routes on Shivling and Changabang, crossed the South Patagonian Icecap, kayaked remote coastlines and cycled the length of numerous countries. Though they may look like chalk-and-cheese, their blend of adventurous spirit, balanced temperament, innovative approach, strength of body and mind and ability not to take themselves too seriously is the perfect recipe for this journey.

Eric Philips

Fur from naturally-expired animals is commonly used on the rim of the hood. Here it creates a micro-climate which keeps Eric's head and face warm. Eric has been smitten by the polar regions since he was a child and has been exploring them for the last ten years. He is the only person to have skied the world's four largest icecaps - Antarctica to the South Pole in '98-99; Greenland '95; the South Patagonian Icecap in 2000; and the northern icecap of Canada's Ellesmere Island in '92. His expedition to the South Pole pioneered a new route through the Transantarctic Mountains via the untrodden Shackleton Glacier. Eric's expeditions have resulted in three documentary films, including the Emmy-award winning Greenland film, Chasing the Midnight Sun, and has written a book - ICETREK.

Eric has also cycle-toured extensively with trips through New Zealand, Europe, Egypt, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. In 1996-97 he worked as a Field Training Officer for the Australian Antarctic Division at Mawson Station and was Director of Outdoor Education at Geelong Grammar School's Timbertop campus from 1988-1992. He has also worked as a guitarist/singer/songwriter for 15 years. Eric is the director of Icetrek Expeditions and lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife Susy, daughter Mardi and baby son Kip.

Jon Muir

Jon Muir - polar traveller, desert trekker, mountaineer, ocean-kayaker. Jon's adventure interests range from mountaineering to sea kayaking to desert travel. He completed a climb of Mt Everest in 1988, reaching the summit alone, and remains as one of only a handful of people to have climbed the mountain entirely without sherpa assistance. He has also pioneered difficult new routes on Shivling and Changabang and climbed extensively on many north faces in the French and Swiss Alps. Jon skied with Eric to the South Pole in 1998/99.

In recent years he has undertaken many solo and self-supported sea kayak journeys and walks across the Australian deserts, learning the art of bush survival. In 2001 he completed the first-ever solo and unassisted walk across Australia via its interior. Foraging and hunting for naturally-existing food and water on the entire journey, Jon covered the 2300km walk in just under 5 months. This walk has been hailed as "one of the most extraordinary adventures of our time".

In 1992, with his wife Brigitte, who has also climbed Everest, Jon established an adventure company - Adventure Plus - specialising in guided Australian walks, public speaking and documentary film-making. He and Brigitte, and their dog, Mirabel, spend their days in Natimuk, Victoria and their country hideaway, "Hope".