For the first-known time, someoneSA国际影视传媒檚 kayaked the Northwest Passage.

West Hansen, Jeff Wueste, Mark Agnew and Eileen Visser SA国际影视传媒� aka the Arctic Cowboys SA国际影视传媒� have become the first people in modern history to navigate Northwest Passage in a single summer on human power alone. They achieved the milestone on Oct. 8 at 3:12 p.m.

SA国际影视传媒淢other Nature played a big role in letting us do it,SA国际影视传媒� said Agnew. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not all about determination. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 also about being on time and being very lucky.SA国际影视传媒�

Agnew, who was a late addition to the four-person team, said the 83-day journey was quite the way to learn how to kayak. The 31-year-old had been training with a separate group that was planning to row their way across the Arctic Ocean, but decided that kayaking was more his thing.

After signing up with the cowboys, Agnew realized he needed to get some practice in for long-term kayaking, so he purposefully did back-to-back 28 mile treks to get an idea what he was in for.

He also spent four days with an adventure-kayak instructor, who threw him in the Atlantic Ocean and spent the entire time training him to deal with high waves, which may very well have saved his life.

Regardless, Agnew said he became more aware of just how deep into the fire he had thrown himself as he paddled on.

SA国际影视传媒淭he more experience I gained, the more aware I became of my inexperience,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 think they call that the Dunning-Kruger effect.

SA国际影视传媒淎s we got to the end, I was beginning to think this is insane that I have done this as basically this is a crash course.SA国际影视传媒�

Even when the team finally reached the coast, they were still several hundred kilometres away from Tuktoyaktuk. Expedition lead Hansen said the team only finally was able to return to civilization late Oct. 11 when they were able to coordinate with a bush plane to get flown in.

He said heSA国际影视传媒檚 pretty much spent the rest of time eating.

SA国际影视传媒淏eing the expedition leader, I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 feel like I could relax yet,SA国际影视传媒� said Hansen. SA国际影视传媒淭here were some heavy snowstorms in-between us and Nicolas islands, so it took us a few days to get there and we werenSA国际影视传媒檛 picked up till yesterday, so my celebration is right now SA国际影视传媒� literally.

SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檝e got to earn your salami, cheese, cigar and Jack Daniels.SA国际影视传媒�

Ice, bears and narwhals

Starting July 18, just as winter began to ease away in the far North, the team was witness to the incredible power of nature along the way.

Hansen noted that going westward was part of the overall strategy, since it also meant moving southward. This would give the team more time since winter comes earlier the closer to the pole you are. However, even still the snow began falling long before they were finished their journey.

But even in the relatively warm summer, the hazards of the Arctic ocean were many.

SA国际影视传媒淲e got caught in several dangerous situations with the ice floes,SA国际影视传媒� said Hansen. SA国际影视传媒淪o weSA国际影视传媒檇 have to get up on the ice sheets and wait them out, then pull over and hop from one to the other dragging our boats until we got to open water and then race away.SA国际影视传媒�

Taking advantage of the 24-hour daylight, the crew would kayak for up to 16-hours in a stretch. They needed to, with the aforementioned ice frequently disrupting time on the water.

From day one, the crew was spotting bears SA国际影视传媒� and bears were spotting them. Particularly unnerving for Agnew was the aquatic nature of polar bears. When the team made noise to scare a bear off, it would dive into the water they were kayaking through.

Of course, they had taken precautions, including bear alarms, sprays and firearms for worst-case-scenarios. But even still one night they had a rude awakening after Agnew awoke to a brushing sound on the side of their tent.

SA国际影视传媒漈he others didnSA国际影视传媒檛 believe me,SA国际影视传媒� said Agnew. SA国际影视传媒淚 said SA国际影视传媒業 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 a bearSA国际影视传媒� and then we heard this primal guttural growling and everyone sat up.

SA国际影视传媒淚 sprinted outside the tent to fire the flare gun and it didnSA国际影视传媒檛 move. ISA国际影视传媒檓 just in my pyjamas, barefoot and freezing. It was just standing there looking at us, weSA国际影视传媒檙e making sounds and screaming at it, but it just wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 move. This went on for so long. Eventually we ran out of energy and weSA国际影视传媒檙e just standing staring, staring at each other.SA国际影视传媒�

However, after what felt like hours, the bear wandered off, never to be seen again.

But not before ripping one of HansenSA国际影视传媒檚 shirts apart.

Dangerous ice and waves

Far more of a hazard for the kayakers was the Northwest Passage itself.

You might not know it by watching him travel through some of the most dangerous waterways on the planet, but Hansen says heSA国际影视传媒檚 actually a careful and safety conscious person.

SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檙e out there,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚f you hit the emergency button for the Coast Guard to get you SA国际影视传媒� which we wore constantly SA国际影视传媒� they may not be there today.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou know youSA国际影视传媒檙e on your own.SA国际影视传媒�

For every day the team spent on the water paddling like there was no tomorrow, they probably spent two to three waiting for weather conditions to allow for it.

Shortly after setting off, Hansen noted the team found themselves navigating ice floes when two suddenly began moving together, threatening to crush the small kayak and the team inside it.

SA国际影视传媒滻t was clear when we first headed south to the Somerset Island region,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut once we were there storms from the North blew sea ice from Lancaster Strait down into Prince Region Inlet, from the Resolute area.

SA国际影视传媒淎ll of a sudden this ice-free area now had ice in it and it was moving fast. The ice was going everywhere. That was a really dangerous situation, we had to get to shore where we could sit and wait it out.

SA国际影视传媒淏oth boats almost got crushed at one time. Luckily they got pushed up by two ice sheets coming together and not crushed. That was very hairy situation.SA国际影视传媒�

After catching their breath, the team portaged their kayaks over the ice to safety.

This was still in the summertime. Hansen said the team saw its first snow when they hit Cambridge Bay and it was winter ever since.

Another close shave befell the team shortly before they completed the passage. On their final channel crossing across Franklin Bay, the four were beset by 25-foot high waves SA国际影视传媒� big enough to overturn the tiny kayaks.

It was here when AgnewSA国际影视传媒檚 four days of training in Britain came back to save him.

SA国际影视传媒滻 did a lot of training with this expert expedition guy in the UK,SA国际影视传媒� said Agnew. SA国际影视传媒淗e just put me in breaking waves for four days straight. I thought SA国际影视传媒楾his is irrelevant, but heSA国际影视传媒檚 the guy who knows.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚t wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 relevant at all until the last two minutes, where suddenly weSA国际影视传媒檙e in breaking waves for the first time. If I had not spend those four days with that guy, I definitely would have flipped and possibly died. That was all of my training and it was entirely relevant for keeping me alive but only for 30 seconds.SA国际影视传媒�

Fortunately, they were able to navigate the heavy waves and reach the end of the passage, though even then they still have several hundred kilometres to go before they could consider themselves safe.

But still, once the realization he had actually accomplished the journey hit him, Agnew said he was overwhelmed.

SA国际影视传媒漌e just crossed the line and I just burst into tears and cried and cried and cried and cried,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hat was just a moment where ISA国际影视传媒檓 so proud of myself and so content and so happy to have done it with these people as well.SA国际影视传媒�

Moments of pure magic

For all the near-death experiences and hair raising adventures, being alone in CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 most remote waterways provided opportunities for truly unique experiences.

Hansen recalled witnessing both the full moon and sun across one another early in his journey. A personal highlight for Hansen was reaching Fort Ross, an abandoned HudsonSA国际影视传媒檚 Bay Company trading post used by Henry Larsen in his 1942 traversal of the passage from East to West by way of ship.

SA国际影视传媒滻tSA国际影视传媒檚 such a historic place, but also there was a gas stove there and some food and notes from other travellers,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e got to sleep in these beds and cook and so that was a nice break. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 where we saw our first cruise ship and we talked to them on the VHF radio SA国际影视传媒� that was a blast.SA国际影视传媒�

While navigating the ice floes and channels, the team found themselves visited by muskox, right whales and even paddled among narwhals.

Another pleasant surprise for the team was the volume of driftwood in the passage. Hansen said that in spite of no trees in any direction, the team was able to have frequent campfires to warm up from natureSA国际影视传媒檚 bounty.

Both Hansen and Agnew encouraged anyone crazy enough to take on an adventure like this to do so, but Hansen noted he did a lot of homework before even getting started.

Even with reading every piece of literature on the passage he could find and phoning down experts in every field, Hansen pointed out the team had to abandon their attempt last summer.

SA国际影视传媒淪o the advice I would give is look at what others have done and look at what we have done to be successful,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

He added good credit is also important SA国际影视传媒� while a lot of adventurers come from high income backgrounds, Hansen is a social worker and carpenter. Although they were able to raise $10,000 through crowdsourcing, each member paid for most of their own expenses. Hansen noted his next SA国际影视传媒渁dventureSA国际影视传媒� will be paying down the credit card debt he accumulated financing the journey.

Agnew noted that even if the team had needed to stop because of safety reasons, the journey itself was the reward.

SA国际影视传媒滿y advice to anybody taking any adventure is the outcome is only part of it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he outcome is binary. You either do what you do or you donSA国际影视传媒檛. What if we finished 100 miles short SA国际影视传媒� is that a failure? What youSA国际影视传媒檙e accomplishing isnSA国际影视传媒檛 solely that line in the map.

SA国际影视传媒淚 had narwhals right next to me. I saw bears before sunset, I saw sunrises, I pushed myself. I made best friends.

SA国际影视传媒淲hoSA国际影视传媒檚 to tell me thatSA国际影视传媒檚 failure?SA国际影视传媒�