In January 2008,
Paul Hubner, president of Baffin, had the privilege of trekking from the 89th parallel,
across the Antarctic plateau to the most southern point on earth, the geographic South
Pole. Later that same season he brought his oldest sons Brent and Mark, along with his friend
and renowned polar adventurer Doug Stoup, to the ice flows of the Arctic; trekking the last degree
to the geographic North Pole.
For both adventures Paul is proud to have worn the same pair of Baffin boots. Hauling gear over frozen rubble, fighting shifting ice packs, open water leads, gale force winds and -35 degree temperatures he can honestly say his Baffins never let him down.
south pole 2008
Paul trekked to the
South Pole in January 2008 with a group called
Adventure Network International.
The extremely cold temperatures, the strong winds, the high altitude and the remoteness make this one of
the harshest places on earth. It was the perfect place for testing Baffin boots and figuring out ways
to make the technology perform even better.
The journey began from Punta Arenas near the southern end of Chile. Paul boarded an Illyussian 76 and flew to Patriot Hills, Antarctica, located at approximately 79 degrees south. He then took a ski-equipped flight to 89 degrees. From there he straped his skis onto his Baffin boots and pulled a sled loaded up with 150 lbs of gear including a tent, fuel and food to the geographic South Pole. He traveled in the footsteps of Amundson and Scott.
The group raised money for Northern Youth charities and Polar Bears International.
north pole 2008
As soon as Paul was back
from the South Pole expedition, he continued training for a return assault on the
North Pole. This time he was accompanied by Doug Stoup, polar adventurer, his oldest son
Mark and Brent, who was only 17 years old at the time. It makes him the youngest Canadian to achieve this feat.
One of their goals was to raise awareness of the effects that global warming is having on wildlife and Arctic communities in northern Canada. They also raised funds and continue to do so. Join us and pledge a donation for these charities.
