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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I think Eric was born to do this and did a tremendous job in balancing the need to maintain safety, push us to achieve our goal and have a good time. I gained valuable experience and a greater clarity in the direction of my life, good friends, an experience to tell my grandchildren about in 60 years and buns of steel.

Rob Knight. Australia (North Pole Extreme 2007)

When I think about North Pole, the 2 things that spontaneously flash in my mind are the spectacular beauty that my eyes and heart had the privilege to see/cherish/experience for 10 days and the friendly team that was always volunteering to help with a persistent smile stuck on their faces. I wish I could describe how much these great memories would mean. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience.

Sara Kameswaran. India (North Pole Extreme 2007)

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

Alexis Browning. USA (North Pole Ceremony 2009)

I’d like to thank Icetrek and in particular, Eric Philips, for helping me extreme ski to the North Pole and realise a life long goal. Discovering the unknown & experiencing one of the last true frontiers on earth is really a dream come true for me. The mind blowing icescape that is the North Pole is a visual memory that will stay with me forever. After nine days of navigating huge amounts of open water (leads), ice rubble & experiencing gale force winds and - 30 degree temperatures, Eric got us there not only safely & soundly, but one day ahead of schedule. Never did I feel fearful, even tho pushing myself to the limits. The experience was not only TOTALLY exhilarating, but extremely achievable. As a consequence, I have returned home a stronger person (not only physically), but mentally, knowing now that I am capable of achieving anything I truly put my mind to. Eric, I just want to say thank you for that.

Louise Allard. Australia (North Pole Extreme 2006)

I took a trip with Eric in the Australian Alps and had a fabulous time. Eric is one of the best, if not the best, Polar guides around. Eric has the perfect nature for guiding and is supportive, accessible and fun to be with and learn from. You won't be disappointed doing a trip with Icetrek!

Sacha Loutkovsky. Australia (Australian Alps Winter Novice 2019)

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)
Eric Philips, IPGA Polar Expedition Guide
International Polar Guides Association
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