The 1000 Hour Day: Two Adventurers Tackle the World's Harshest Island

An amazing tale of real adventure and genuine exploration in the modern era - unexplored regions, fearless animals, no support crew, disaster, excitement - the lot!' Dick Smith

In 2005, Australians Chris Bray (then 21 years old) and Clark Carter (20) dreamed of embarking on an adventure — one that would be completely different to any polar, mountaineering or river expedition ever before attempted. With virtually no prior experience they turned their attention to one of the largest islands in the world - Victoria Island in the Canadian Arctic - and vowed to cross it on foot. It was to be a world-first, traversing 1000 kilometres of perhaps the most extreme and diverse landscape on the planet - everything from snow and ice to mud, shattered rock, rivers and fields of boulders. Travelling without any support across previously unexplored territory, Chris and Clark hauled everything they needed behind them in homemade wheeled kayaks, each weighing a quarter of a tonne. Hiding from polar bears, being chased by wolves and discovering ancient Inuit relics along the way, the pair faced obstacles that ensured their journey was as much a mental battle as it was physical.

After 58 gruelling days, their first attempt failed. Undeterred, the duo spent the next three years learning new skills, redesigning their equipment and raising money, and in 2008 they went back for another 75 days to finish what they stared.

With humour and honesty, Chris Bray tells their thrilling story - the drama, the dangers and the sheer exhilaration of exploring a terrain filled with magic and wonder.