Every Second Counts: A Tale of Ice, Time and Survival
Eric Larsen has spent his life chasing the cold. After decades of polar expeditions, time has become his greatest tool and his clearest reminder. In Antarctica, guiding two journeys toward the South Pole, every second counted in every sense. This is his story.
“Be careful what you wish for because it might come true.” Eric Larsen says this to himself often.
A Dream Written in Ice
Since his early teens, he dreamt about polar expeditions. Today, after more than 30 years in cold-weather adventure, he has turned that dream into a life. As a polar explorer, expedition guide, photographer and educator, Eric has travelled through some of the most remote places on Earth, from the North and South Poles to the summit of Mount Everest.
This season, he returned to Antarctica as a guide for two Last Degree expeditions to the Geographic South Pole.
Efficiency Becomes Survival
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent on the planet. Even on its calmest days, it is extreme. Skiing to 90° South means crossing nearly 70 miles of wind-sculpted snow, whiteouts, altitude and temperatures that can drop to minus 30 degrees with even colder windchill.
Everything needed to survive is pulled in sleds called pulks. Food, fuel, clothing, tents, sleeping bags and repair kits. Every day, the team sets camp, melts snow, cooks, checks gear, sleeps, wakes up, packs everything again and keeps moving.
In this environment, efficiency is survival.
A few extra minutes packing. A longer break. A slow camp setup. Small losses collect. Minutes become hours. Hours become distance.
Eric calls it death by 1,000 cuts.
That is why every second counts.
The Tool That Keeps the Rhythm
When to wake up. When to move. When to stop. When to eat. When to rest. When to build camp. Every part of the day runs on the clock. A reliable watch becomes part of the expedition system, helping protect rhythm, conserve energy and keep the team moving forward when the ice, weather and fatigue push back.
But every second counts means something deeper, too.
In January 2021, Eric was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer and given only a few years to live. At that moment, the poles, records and expeditions disappeared from view. All he wanted was one more second with his family.
After chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and a long recovery, returning to Antarctica carried a different weight. Skiing to the South Pole again was a physical achievement. More importantly, it was a reminder to use the time he has well.
Eric’s motto is simple: Think Snow. For us, his story carries another line: Every second counts.
