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Matty McNair, the Polar princess
12:11 p.m. EST Nov 5, 2003
A business, husband, two kids, and The Poles - polar guide, Matty McNair does it all. In just a few short weeks, Matty will be heading down to Antarctica to guide another South Pole expedition trip for the family business run by herself and her husband Paul, NorthWinds Polar Expeditions.
In 1997, Matty led the first women's expedition to the Geographic North Pole and wrote a book describing her journey, "On Thin Ice; A Woman's Journey to the North Pole." Then last fall, Matty guided an all-male group to the South Pole. She is the most experienced female Polar guide in the world.
The Polar travel bug is not only in Matty and her husband Paul’s blood, but in their childrens’ as well. Just last spring the family of four made a Greenland crossing with dogs and kites, called the, Kids and Kites on Ice Expedition. Amidst all the preparation for her South Pole expedition, ExplorersWeb snagged some time with Matty.
ExWeb: So Matty, we hear your heading down to the South Pole again – how have you’re your Antarctic trips come about?
Matty: In 1997 I lead an expedition to the North Pole. At the end of that trip, I said, “never again!” Then in October of 2002, Anne Kershaw, from ANI, called to ask if I would lead an expedition to the South Pole. It took me less than 5 seconds to say YES!!! When we reached the South Pole I called Anne to tell her that it was such a fantastic trip that I was ready to do it again!
ExWeb: You previously lived in Colorado and worked with an outdoor education school - how did you transition from that to Arctic/Antarctic?
Matty: There are a number of past work and personal expedition experiences that have given me a base of skills that have been crucial to leading Polar Expeditions. In the 70’s I instructed ski mountaineering in Colorado and I was an active racer on the cross-country ski circuit. Being an efficient skier in any kind of snow or ice conditions is an essential skill for polar travel. I don’t care how big you are, I’m 5’4”, 125 lbs, you need to focus all your energy towards reaching your goal. It is a waste of energy to falling in pressure ridges or to walk when you could glide over the snow. After turning back 97 miles from the South Pole, Ernest Shackleton said, “Had we taken skis on the southern journey and understood how to use them like the Norwegians, we would presumably have reached the Pole.”
In the 80’s I worked for the Canadian Outward Bound Wilderness School where I honed my leadership skills in "risk management," the art of taking participants to the edge but not letting them fall. Risk management involves the balance & blending of technical skills, safety awareness and group dynamics. Countless expeditions have failed due to the break down of the group’s ability to pull together as a team.
In the 90’s my husband, Paul Landry and I, came to the Canadian Arctic to do an expedition around Baffin Island by dog team, a 4,000 kilometer journey, that took four months. It was on this expedition that we learned from the Inuit how to travel in Polar Regions with style. There is no need to travel in pain with frostbitten fingers & toes. This Baffin Expedition really kindled our enthusiasm for more polar travel.
ExWeb: This past year there's been a bit of worrying with ANI, the logistics outfit pulling out. How did this affect you? Are you looking forward to working with a new company and how do you think it is going to be different from in the past?
Matty: I am sad that ANI is not going south this year, I wonder if it is the end of their great legacy. ALE is a new company and it is made up of many past ANI staff, which gives me confidence. The last thing I need is to have a shaky support system to back me up when I am way out there!
ExWeb: In the past you've guided a North Pole trip. In one women’s’ relay expedition you really didn’t the credit that you deserved in the UK media - how do you feel about that?
Matty: It really does not bother me. What is important to me is that I know that I did a good job. I lead 5 relay teams comprised of 4 women per team, many of them completely inexperienced in winter travel. There were no frozen finger or toes, no hypothermia, no medical evacuations. This was the first commercial expedition to go all the way from Ward Hunt Island to the North Pole. To me, it seems unethical to be paid and also expect media fame.
ExWeb: Also, even at the Pole, it seemed that some of the expedition leaders did not give you the credit you deserve - does that bother you still?
Matty: At the time I was hurt that neither Denise Martin, my assistant guide, nor myself were thanked when we arrived at the North Pole. I would have appreciated a sincere thank you from the organizers. But now all those feelings are just water under the ice.
ExWeb: Last spring you and your husband Paul took a little hiatus and went on a Greenland crossing with your family, and wrote daily dairy about it. All of us here at ExWeb loved it, how was it going on a trip like that?
Matty: The crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap with my life partner & husband Paul Landry and our son Eric, age 18 and daughter Sarah, age 16, was ...the icing on the cake. No heavy leadership responsibilities! We had fun sharing the pre-expedition planning; training with kites on the sea ice out our back door, packing food and adding polar modifications to our tents.
The “Kids & Kites on Ice” expedition was a fantastic family vacation; temperatures were mild, -20 C, and the winds exceptional for kiting skiing. We played cards in the tent with mini speakers blasting the Red Hot Chili Peppers & Moby. The endless light & space that we experienced on the Greenland Ice cap is like travel on another planet. I am keen to return. In June of 2004 NorthWinds is offering 2 trips. Paul & Eric will lead a kite ski crossing and I will lead a ski journey supported by dog team with a few kites to play with!
ExWeb: Do you foresee another family adventure to that magnitude in the future?
Matty: YES, we'd love to ski to the South Pole and kite back. The only little problem is finding the $250,000 to fund the expedition.
ExWeb: You're leaving in November, and by now it seems that this would be 'old hat' for you - do you still have any hesitations or worries before an expedition like this. Even though you've done it before, there's still the cold the hardships - do you still get butterflies?
Matty: Yup, I get butterflies. It's a major expedition and 60 days on the polar ice cap is a long, long journey. Anything can happen. I worry that the food, equipment & logistics is right for this group. I have not met any of the participants yet, which means building the team from scratch. When the time comes where I do not get butterflies before a major expedition will be the time to move on.
ExWeb: What will this upcoming expedition be like, how many people, time frame, etc?
Matty: There are 4 on the team: Iain from London, Mike from Ireland, Ray from Hong Kong and his friend Alex, if he gets the funding, also from Hong Kong. We are scheduled to depart Punta Arenas on November 25 and fly to Patriot Hills. We land on a blue ice runway (kept clear of snow by cross winds) close to the ALE base camp. From there we will be shuttled by Twin Otter to Hercules Inlet on the edge of the Antarctic land mass. Then it is 600 nautical miles straight to the South Pole with a stop at the half-way point at Theil's Mountains to pick up a re-supply. If all goes as planned we should reach the South Pole in 60 days. With a strong group last year, and good snow conditions we made the Pole in 53 days.
ExWeb: Do you have anything lined up for the spring and in the future? Paul is going down to South Africa for a trip; do you have any desire to start guiding in a warmer climate?
Matty: When I get back home Paul will be in the middle of our Polar Training programs, which run until mid March. In April I will be working with the BBC on a project call "Serious Arctic" involving a film crew, kids and travel by dog team. Do I have any desire to start guiding in a warmer climate? Warmer is relative, warmer than - 40 C? Yes. I’d love to go back to the Greenland Ice Cap in June. I find the 24 hours of light is spiritually lifting.
ExWeb: Thanks Matty, good luck on your upcoming trip!
Image of Matty and her family courtesy of NorthWinds.
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