Eric Philips

Who is Eric Philips?

Eric Philips OAM is an Australian polar explorer, adventurer and ski guide.

Philips has completed ski expeditions on the worlds four largest icecaps and was the first Australian, together with companion Jon Muir, to ski to both the North Pole and South Pole. Philips skied to the North Pole from Siberia in 2002, producing a film, Icetrek North Pole, and has since guided numerous commercial North Pole expeditions, including the North Pole to Canada leg of Pat Farmer's Pole to Pole Run in 2011.

In 1998-99, together with Jon Muir and Peter Hillary, Philips skied from McMurdo Station in Antarctica to the South Pole via the Ross Ice Shelf and Shackleton Glacier. This 84-day, 1425 km ski expedition utilised traction kites to harness the wind. A film, Into the Teeth of the Blizzard, was produced about this expedition. Philips also guided a 925 km commercial ski expedition from the Ronne Ice Shelf to the South Pole in 2007-08 and in 2012 guided Pat Farmer on his Arctic leg from Union Glacier camp to the South Pole.

In 2004 Eric was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for achievements in polar exploration and is the co-founder and president of the International Polar Guides Association.