Inspiration
Safely through the ice
ArvedFuchs isoneof themost famousandsuccessful expedition leaders
of recentdecades.
His journeys to theearth’spolar regionsare trulyamazingand fascinating. In this interview
with trends inautomationhe talksaboutwhatmakeshimcontinually leave thesecurityof
middle-class lifebehind,whyhesetsboundaries forhimself,whatmakesasuccessful team
andhowhismotivationandhisexpectationsof himself havechangedover theyears.
Interview
trends inautomation:
Youhavebeenstudyingand travelling
theearth’spolar regions formore than35years.Whatmadeyou
do it,whatwas the trigger?
ArvedFuchs:
I’vealwaysbeen fascinatedbyoutdoor life.
I grewup in the countryside; our familyhomewassurrounded
by forest and lushgreenmeadowsand I spentmost ofmy time
outside.Myparentsalsohad lotsof booksso I readagreat deal
about theworld that existedoutsideofmyownexperience, as
wehadno television. These includedadventurebooksbyKarl
May, “TheLeatherstockingTales”by James FenimoreCooper
andevenexpedition reportsby FridtjofNansen. Itwasall utterly
captivatingand Iwouldoften imaginemyself asanadventurer.
I longed todiscover distant lands, experiencenewsituationsand
testmy limits..
What drivesyouon today?Curiosity?Thedesire toexplore
theunknown?Hasyourmotivation changedover theyears?
Fuchs:
In theearlydays therewasaverystrong competitive
element. In thesameway that amarathon runnerwants to reach
thefinish line in the fastest timepossibleand thereforeunder-
goes rigorous training for a race, Iwanted to takemyexpeditions
toplaces that no-onehadeverbeen tobeforeandwhere I had to
bebothphysicallyandmentallyfit.
Apart from thecompetitiveaspect, Iwasalsodrivenbyasense
of adventureand thedesire to just takeoff and leave thesafety
net of normal lifebehind. Thishas changedover theyears. These
days, recordsarenot important tomeanymore. I’m interested in
other thingsnow compared towhen Iwas25or 35. I no longer
need toprove tomyself and theworld that I cansail or ski. This
serenityhasgivenme the freedom topursueother interestssuch
aspolar history,whichhasalways fascinatedme.
What didyou learn inyour earlyexpeditions?
About theperson
ArvedFuchs
Arved Fuchswasbornon26April 1953 inBadBramstedt,
Germany. After leavingschool, he trainedwith themerchant
navyandstudiedmarineengineering.Hisfirst expeditionwas
toCanada in1977. Since then, hehas returnedmany times to
the coldest cornersof theworld–on foot,withskis, dog
sledsandonhisownpolar sailingboat, theDagmarAaen.
In1989, hewas thefirst person to reachboth theNorthPole
and theSouthPole inoneyear. In the1990s, hisexpeditions
includedSpitsbergen, theSiberianArcticand crossing the
Northwest Passage. Another spectacular achievementwas
the roundingof the legendaryCapeHorn inakayak inwinter.
In2000, hisexpeditions tookhim to theAntarcticOcean, the
Northeast Passageand theAleutian Islands. Inspring2012,
FuchsembarkedonadogsledexpeditionalongGreenland’s
north-west coast to research theeffectsof climate change
around theHumboldtGlacier. In2013, theexpedition team
followed thepathof theLofotenfishermen. Fuchshaswritten
16books.Hisexpeditionshavebeen thesubject of numerous
TVdocumentariesandarticles inmagazinessuchas“National
Geographic”and“GEO”.
Fuchs:
Toquestioneverything.Not to takeanythingat facevalue.
Tomakedecisionsmyself and tofigureouthowbest toprepare
for challengesand to learn from them.
What qualitiesmust anexpedition leader have tomanage
a teamsuccessfully?
1.2014
trends inautomation
Inspiration
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