Women’s History Month – Ann Bancroft

But what led to these achievements, and what was this experience like?

In an interview with CGTN in 2017, Bancroft explained how, as a child, she dreamt of going to the North and South Pole, and when the opportunity came to go, she jumped at the chance. Speaking of the 52-day, 1000-mile expedition in 1986, Ann stated that the expedition (where temperatures dipped below -56°C) was the ‘hardest work she had ever done in her life’ and that she felt like quitting, but seeing the incredible views is what spurred her to carry on.

Bancroft explained that, working alongside 7 men and 49 male dogs, she felt a huge pressure to do something no woman had done before, and often felt conflict with her male explorers, stating they would often treat her differently than her male colleagues. Throughout this, Ann explained that teamwork, mental strength and a good attitude is just as important as physical strength when it comes to her expeditions.

These qualities are in addition to the conservation of resources. After just a third of the way into the 1986 expedition, the team had used up over half of their resources, resulting in the need to significantly lighten their load, forgoing equipment such as jackets, toothbrushes and sleeping bags (Schurke, 2011). This particular journey ended up being the first trek to reach the North Pole without no re-supplies (Antarctic logistics and expeditions, n.d).