Viking Magazine - May 2010 - 46

Q&A
THRILL SEEKER
Cecilie Skog's passion for the outdoors takes her all over the world.
BY KRISTINA ANDERSON
C
ecilie Skog has seen some
of the most beautiful-and
treacherous-places in the
world. Despite personal tragedy, she
became the first person-along with
her skiing partner Ryan Waters-to
cross Antarctica unassisted. Previous
explorers used wind sails to propel
them across the continent, or they
received supplies along the way. But
Skog, 35, and Waters, 36, skied without
sails and dragged their supplies
on a sled for 1,100 miles. Viking spoke
with Skog about her thrill-seeking
lifestyle and what she's up to next.
Q: You were the first woman to reach
the Seven Summits-the highest peaks
on each of the seven continents-and
both Poles. How did that feel?
A: The North Pole was the last destination
of those trips, and it felt really
nice to reach it-not because I was the
first, but because we had a good trip
and it's great to accomplish something
so physically challenging. The most
amazing part of the North Pole is the
light. The sunsets and sunrises last for
hours each day, making the sky and
the ice pink and blue. It's so beautiful.
Q: How did you prepare for your
trek across Antarctica?
A: I did a Greenland crossing with
several friends, including my skiing
partner, Ryan Waters. I had done this
crossing before, but I needed to see if
I still wanted to do more of these trips
after an accident in 2008 in which my
husband, Rolf Bae, passed away. After
46 V I K I N G M a y 2 010
that Greenland crossing, I found that
I still enjoy long ski trips, so we began
preparing for Antarctica. I trained for
a year pulling tires, skiing with sleds
and doing other physical activity.
Q: What was the most challenging
part of the journey?
A: It's fun going up or down the glacier
in Antarctica, because there are
mountains and things to look at. It's
so beautiful and interesting. But the
most challenging part is at the plateau
where you don't see anything, and
the only activity is inside your head.
There are times when you get tired
of thinking, and you have to motivate
yourself to keep going. But this can
also be a good thing-it really feels
like meditation.
Q: How do you keep yourself
motivated during strenuous parts of
a journey?
A: I have to remind myself how lucky
I am to experience beautiful things
that so many people are not able to. It
also helps when you have good chemistry
with your ski partner. In Antarctica,
Ryan would sometimes come and
give me a hug or a piece of chocolate.
Q: What do you consider your
greatest accomplishment to date?
A: I trained 11 Norwegian women
between the ages of 31 and 61 to ski
across Greenland in April. We trained
together in high altitudes in Norway.
Since the women were from different
parts of Norway, I also had them train
Name: Cecilie Skog
Title: Explorer, Guide and Nurse
Hometown: Ålesund, Norway
Current City: Stavanger, Norway
Accomplishments:
First woman to reach the Seven
Summits and the North and South
Poles. First person to cross
Antarctica unassisted.
individually by pulling tires and skiing
with sleds. I'm proud that I can inspire
women. They see that they can
do these things, too. You don't have to
be six-and-a-half feet tall, strong and
have a beard.
Q: What's next on your to-do list?
A: I really want to go on a road trip
through America. I have the route
planned out already. I'll start in Colorado,
go to Utah and then work my
way down to Mexico. I also would
love to paddle around Jamaica. V
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROALD BERIT / SCANPIX
Viking Magazine - May 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - May 2010
