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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Thanks Eric for the amazing adventure, I've enjoyed every single moment of it. You're an inspiring and dedicated professional, always capable of keeping the team together. You made the impossible feel possible and within my reach.

Gianluca Morini. Italy (North Pole 2013)

The Commonwealth Team could not have had a better guide and I think we all reflected along the route how lucky we were and privately happy we had the 'bloke from Hobart'. We all appreciated your guidance and team spirit and certainly I haven't had as much fun with a guide along the route which made it all the more enjoyable, I have fantastic memories which will live for many years to come.

Simon Daglish. WWTW co-founder. UK (South Pole Allied Challenge 2013)

You're a professional, you behaved beautifully, taught me many things and I had fun with you.

Fabio DeMas. Italy (North Pole Odyssey 2012)

I just recently completed the Last Degree walk to the north pole guided by Eric, I had an amazing adventure. Although there were a few delays to start with this was without anything Icetrek could do but with everyone pulling together to sort the issue we were soon heading for the ice.

I would say I am inexperienced with camping , sking and cold weather experience so Eric had his work cut out guiding me. He was patient and very well experienced which in turn made me feel safe and confident on the ice .
I would recommend this experience to anyone and especially recommend Icetrek as your guides/organisers as I felt in good safe hands throughout the trip.
Bobby Arbuckle. Scotland ((North Pole Ski Last Degree 2018)

I just wanted to send you a note to again thank you from the bottom of my heart for our trip together to the North Pole. I simply could not have asked for a companion more experienced and professional who made the impossible possible for me in a totally alien environment, and I also could not have asked to be with anyone who was better company to be with and who could make even the torture and the cold seem enjoyable! I learned a huge amount from you Eric, not just about the technical aspects of trekking and surviving in -40C but also how to conduct oneself as a person. Your modesty about your skills and accomplishments and the way that you encouraged and pushed me beyond where I thought that I could go, but yet always knew when was the right time for me to stop or do something different, were really extraordinary

John Mullen. Australia (North Pole Extreme Ski 2017)

This is just a quick note to say thank you for providing me with one of the most fantastic weeks of my life and a life experience I will cherish for the rest of my days. I always felt comfortable in your care and guidance and felt we were assisted to achieve our goals but always within the boundaries of safety and you put us ahead of your own comforts. Above all, it was a lot of fun.

Don McDonald. Australia (North Pole Odyssey 2010)
Eric Philips, IPGA Polar Expedition Guide
International Polar Guides Association
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