Eric Philips, OAM
Adventurer
Eric Philips graduated from university with a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Education. He worked as an outdoor educator for many years, including 5 years as Director of Outdoor Education at Geelong Grammar School's Timbertop campus. His outdoor career spans 25 years during which time he has worked professionally as a polar ski guide, outdoor educator, motivational speaker and musician.
As an adventurer, Eric has visited every continent on earth, often leading lightweight and self-supported expeditions to remote areas. He has skied the world's four largest icecaps and was the first Australian, together with companion Jon Muir, to ski to both the North and South Poles. Eric was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004 for services to Polar Exploration. Eric's experiences include:
- 2009 Polar Guide on Greenpeace's Climate Impacts voyage to Greenland
- 2004-09 North Pole expedition guiding and consultation
- 2008-09 Field Leader of Antarctica's Gamburtsev Province (AGAP) Project
- 2008 Ski expedition across Spitsbergen, Norway
- 2007-08 Guided 925km ski expedition to the South Pole
- 2006-07 Sarsen voyage to Antarctica
- 2004 Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for achievements in polar exploration
- 2002-3 Host and consultant to US television series, Global Extremes:Mt Everest
- 2002 Unsupported expedition to the North Pole from Siberia
- 2000 Unsupported kayak/ski/kite traverse of the South Patagonian Icecap
- 1998/99 New route from Ross Island to the South Pole via Shackleton Glacier
- 1996/97 Field Training Officer at Mawson Station, Antarctica
- 1995 Kayak/ski/kite traverse of Greenland
- 1994 New Zealand mountaineering
- 1993 Bicycle expedition through Patagonia and Tierra de Fuego
- 1992 New Zealand mountaineering.
- 1992 Traverse of Canadian Ellesmere Island's largest icecap
- 1991 New Zealand mountaineering
- 1991 Cycle tour around South Island of NZ
- 1988 to '92 Director of Outdoor Education at Geelong Grammar School's renowned Timbertop
- 1986 - Cycle Journey from Netherlands to Egypt
Through his experiences Eric has developed alternative and highly effective methods of travel in the polar regions and has embraced the use of specialized plastics in the construction of polar-specific equipment. He has been a professionally-sponsored adventurer since 1995, and a Mountain Hardwear-sponsored athlete since 2000.
Eric is the author of Icetrek. The Bitter Journey to the South Pole and his expeditions have produced four internationally-screened documentary films, most notably, the Emmy Award-winning Greenland production, Chasing the Midnight Sun. He has worked as a consultant for numerous adventure film projects and host for a major television series.
Eric lives in Hobart with his wife, Susy, daughter, Mardi and son, Kip. He is the owner of Icetrek Expeditions - www.icetrek.com - specialising in guided ski expeditions to the North and South Poles.
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