Book info

• Title Facing the Frozen Ocean
• Author Bear Grylls
• Year 2004
• Genre Adventure

It started out as a carefully calculated attempt to complete the first unassisted crossing of the frozen north Atlantic in an open rigid inflatable boat, but it became a terrifying battle against storm-force winds, crashing waves and icebergs as large as cathedrals. Starting from the remote north Canadian coastline, Bear Grylls and his crew crossed the infamous Labrador Sea, pushed on through ice-strewn waters to Greenland and then found themselves isolated in a perfect storm 400 miles from Iceland.

Thoughts

I don’t know that I would have specifically picked this up but I had it as part of a two-in-one collection including the Mount Everest adventure. That one was a good read, but I didn’t get quite so engaged in this one. I don’t know if it’s just the nature of the challenge being undertaken or what but I really rushed through to get to the end. Clearly this was a hard experience and a real endurance exercise but it sort of read quite slow and boring - because ultimately it’s five guys in a boat just clinging on to get to the other side, rather than the slightly more interesting and varied experience of climbing a mountain. But tick, another book finished.

Rating: 3 / 5