Adventurer of the year on the world record

Johanna Davidsson is the first Swede and the fastest woman in the world to make a return trip to the South Pole alone. No wonder she is the Adventurer of the Year!

On Christmas Eve 2016, a tired Johanna David sson arrived at her final destination at the South Pole after 38 days, 23 hours and 5 minutes on skis. She had finally reached her final destination and became the fastest woman in the world to complete this journey. However, the world record was not on her mind until the very end.

- "In the beginning I had 50 days worth of food and I didn't know how fast it would go, but I noticed that it went faster than I thought it would. When I had 20 miles to go, I realized that I had a chance to take this female record and make it to Christmas Eve. Then I decided to try to do it," says Johanna Davidsson.

But just when she had decided to race towards the world record, it became more difficult. The last stretch was at a higher altitude with thinner and colder air. The snow was like "sandpaper snow" and it was getting heavier and heavier to pull the sled with all the packing.

- Instead of being pleased with myself that everything went so fast and well, it became sluggish. Then I got tired in both my head and body. I had been going for a month without a single day of rest, so there were some heavy days when I thought: "Why am I pushing myself? I should be enjoying this". The last days were the heaviest but I was stubborn, I would make it!

Johanna Davidsson on a training trip over Svalbard. Photo: Ellinor Falkgjerdet

Antarctica is a large glacier that is slightly hilly, but mostly flat. It is quite windy and the sun never sets. There are no living animals; the only thing that meets you is a vast white expanse. For nurse and adventurer Johanna Davidsson, this was her dream.

- "I like snow and winter and Iras to polar regions, both far up and down. Antarctica has attracted me because it is an uncivilized place where not many people have set foot. I've always thought it would be cool to travel there.

Apart from those last few days at the end, she thinks the expedition went better than expected.

- "I had prepared myself that it would be cold, lots of wind and tough and that I would break down. I tried to adjust to it and think that if it's less shitty, it's a bonus.

Johanna Davidsson had many wonderful moments during the journey back and forth to the South Pole, and she particularly remembers the times when it struck her that she had actually managed to make her dream come true.

- "When it was easy and I listened to music and felt that I didn't want to be anywhere else, I felt such happiness. It was so worth it," she says.

You were recently named Adventurer of the Year, why do you think you won?

- If you look at history, not many Swedes have made their own expeditions to Antarctica. It is a rather unusual trip to make and I think that plays a role. And I hope it's clear that the biggest driving force for me is that I like being out on a trip and experiencing Antarctica. I hope that I inspire others to go on their dream trips!

She skied from Hercules Inlet on the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole, the southernmost point of the world.

Johanna Davidsson is no novice when it comes to polar expeditions or solo trips. She has previously paddled alone along the Swedish and Finnish coasts for three months and in 2014 she went to Greenland with one of her sisters, an experience she remembers fondly.

- "I thought it was great and enjoyed it so much. I felt that I wanted to do something similar again. Antarctica is also a big ice plateau and it was a dream before. Now I felt more ready, had more experience and thought that it's possible if I put my mind to it.

What was the biggest difference between doing an adventure like this with someone versus alone?

- The biggest difference is that I have to rely completely on myself. I had to make all the decisions and be even more careful to not let anything slip. I was careful to eat, think about everything I was doing and keep my spirits up. When there are two of you, you can encourage each other, but I had to make sure I encouraged myself. I tried to keep a good spiral and have a good mindset so that I didn't end up with heavy thoughts.

What did you think about during all this time alone?

- I had time to think about a lot of things; things I've done and things I want to do. If I was tired, it was hard not to think "What time is it now? How many kilometers have I walked? How many I have left?". It was different on different days. But if I was tired of my own thoughts, I would listen to an audio book or music.

Stubbornness and determination were most important in making Johanna Davidsson's polar dream a reality. Photo: Anna Lovehed

Johanna Davidsson is an active person who enjoys climbing, hiking in her home town of Tromsø and skiing. To prepare for the expedition, she continued training as usual, but dragged two or three heavy tires behind her to practice for the sled that carried her 110-kilogram pack.

She was very determined and worked hard on all the preparations for almost a year and a half before the start of the trip, taking out a bank loan and looking for sponsors. But the mental training was, in her opinion, more important than the physical training in order not to lose interest during the expedition.

- "I think all the time and effort you put in is part of wanting to do it. Once I started, I was so grateful to finally start and do my dream and giving up was not on the map.

The plan was to walk for an hour, stop for five minutes. Walk for an hour, stop for five minutes. And so she did for 38 days. She made it back with a kite in 12 days, more than a week faster than she expected.

What was the most important item in your pack?

- I wouldn't have gotten far without my kitchen and fuel to eat. Then the tent is super important, and the down jacket. It's a comfort to be able to crawl into a big warm down jacket, so it was a thing I valued very highly. I accidentally dropped it once and had to turn around and ski back for almost an hour before I saw it.

Johanna Davidsson lives in Tromsø, Norway, where she often goes hiking, here she is practicing before the polar expedition. Photo: Anna Lovehed

How cold was it?

- Minus 25-30 at the coldest and sometimes there was wind too. The frost effect makes it colder than that, so you had to be quick if you had to stop to go to the toilet or take off your gloves.

How does hygiene work on a trip like this?

- There is no shower, you have to wait! I had wet wipes with me and was able to heat water to wash my hands and face, but otherwise you're not very fresh. It is perhaps not the most fun thing about being out on tour, you just have to take it and you often manage more than you think, she says and continues:

- Then you have to be careful if you get wounds or the like. Since you are so far away from everything, you have to take care of yourself. I actually take more care of myself on tour than at home because it's so important to stay healthy.

Okay, what's the most important thing to do this kind of thing?

- To be a bit stubborn. There is a lot of work beforehand, so you have to be determined. The most important thing is really that you want to do it, partly to keep your motivation up but also to get going. Then trying to have a positive attitude to deal with problems if something doesn't go your way.

A selfie from Antarctica! If you want to read more about Johanna Davidsson's adventures, you can find her website and blog here. You can also follow her on Instagram @solosister2016.

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