On a swiftly shirking planet, Eric Larsen has found new ways to both push the boundaries of adventure and call attention to the global crisis of climate change. In 2006, he and Lonnie Dupre made the first summer expedition to the North Pole—traveling over the ice at times and swimming though open patches of Arctic sea at others. The duo hauled modified canoes 550 miles to reach their goal. In 2008, he skied 600 miles to the South Pole. In 2010, he returned to both poles and summited Everest to become the first person to do so in 365 days. This Save The Poles initiative raised awareness of the damage a changing climate is inflicting on even the most remote and inaccessible spots on Earth. “I mean, I think I kind of have an unusual job in the outdoor industry,” he says. “My wheelhouse is long, freezing-cold sufferfests.”

All the while, Larsen has show how a modern-day explorer can speak to environmental concerns and serve as a worthy ambassador for the brands that sponsor him. The native Minnesotan has continued to guide and inspire adventurers of all stripes and lives with his wife and two children in Crested Butte, Colorado. But in 2020, he faced a new grave challenge when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer and given just a few years to live. Larsen does not want to focus on the cancer; he wants to continue advocating for the planet and inclusivity in the outdoors. But he has battled his illness with the same grit and grace he brings to adventure and continues to speak out. “When I was sick and given only a few years to live,” he says, “I didn’t think about the time I stood on top of Mount Everest or the North Pole—I thought about the times that I help people.”

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