The Iceman Returns
Thursday, June 14, 7:30 p.m., Max Bell Auditorium, The Banff Centre
Tickets $10, free to Mountain Culture members and Arts Lover Passholders
In advance at the Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 762-6301
or at the door
Presented as part of the 2007 Banff Summer Arts Festival
In January 2004, Jerry Kobalenko, Canada’s premier arctic traveler, returned to Labrador for a second 600-km solo expedition from Churchill Falls to Nain, a trip he had completed 20 years earlier.
Young and inexperienced, in 1984 Kobalenko skied the 600 kilometres in 46 days, pulling his supplies on a pair of sleds. Although this self-propelled wilderness adventure into one of Canada's most isolated regions was the hardest thing he had ever done, he fell in love with the mode of travel, and with Labrador.
That first adventure launched Kobalenko’s career as a writer and photographer, and since then he has logged over 7,000 kilometers on foot in the Arctic through 25 expeditions. His writing and photography have appeared in Outside, National Geographic, and Condé Nast Traveller. His latest book is the critically acclaimed The Horizontal Everest: Extreme Journeys on Ellesmere Island.
In 2004, when Kobalenko attempted to repeat his route, he was reminded of the terrible challenges of the area. In places a virtually featureless landscape, Labrador in winter offers fierce winds, extreme cold, and constantly changing snow and ice conditions. Tested physically and mentally, Kobalenko describes his intense journey as an exercise in patience and acceptance.
Kobalenko will share his Labrador journeys as part of the Mountain Culture Speakers’ Series at The Banff Centre's Max Bell Auditorium on June 14. Arrive early to see the photo exhibition Skiing's Ancient Roots, by Nils Larsen and Dave Waag.
Tickets for all Banff Centre events are available through The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301.
