Need a little travel inspiration?  This explorer, teacher and environmentalist’s example will get you out on your next adventure.

Ann Bancroft became the first woman to arrive at the North Pole on
foot and by sled in a 1986 expedition with Will Steger, six other men and 49 male dogs. After that, she tallied other firsts, including being the first woman to cross both polar ice caps to reach the North and South Poles and was part of the first group of American women to ski across Greenland.

I had the fun of interviewing Bancroft for an article as she was about to set out on a new expedition, a surprising trip for someone who is typically associated with cold and ice.  She and her frequent expedition partner Norway’s Liv Arnesen, are leading an international posse of women who are paddling the length of the Ganges River, from the source of the river in the Himalaya Mountains to the Bay of Bengal. They’re doing it to to call attention to the crisis of fresh water around the world.

Bancroft is an inspiration for anyone who yearns to get outdoors for some adventure travel.  You don’t have to go to the polar regions or the Ganges, but she encourages everyone to push themselves for new adventures and experiences. “We’re all on a journey,” she says.  “What’s your expedition?”

Read more about the Access Water expedition in this article for the Minnesota Women’s Press. And, follow the group online as they paddle the Ganges. www.yourexpedition.com