Mike Horn is what some might consider a crazy guy.   He’s spent 18 months circumnavigating the globe around the equator, and two years doing the same around the Arctic circle without use of any motorized transport.   And that’s just in the past decade.   So, really, it should come as no surprise that Horn has decided to spend the next four years trekking over 62,000 miles to raise environmental awareness in young people.   In that time, Horn will hit all the continents, all the oceans, and both the poles.

In this monumental effort, Horn “will walk, kayak, cycle, paraglide, ski and sail across rivers, lakes, mountains, desert, jungle, tundra and ice fields.”  For the sailing bit, Horn’s 115-foot yacht will run on solar energy.   From the AP news story,

The aluminum boat will run on solar energy and is designed to navigate oceans and cope with all conditions from the arctic to the tropics. It will include hydrogen fuel cell technology, solar panels and recyclable materials and be used for research, environmental and educational projects. Solar panels will charge the batteries of the vessel, and because solar energy is difficult to store over a long time, it also has a system comprising an electrolyser, hydrogen storage and a fuel cell.

In planning all this wackiness, Horn is hoping to inspire young people to take another look at the planet around them and realize it’s something worth saving. In conjunction, in some of the areas he visits Horn will help to set up youth and environmental projects.   Oh, and in case you want to follow Horn on tour, here’s the tentative schedule:

The expedition kicks off October 9 from Punta Arenas in Chile. From there, Horn will head to Antarctica, where he will trek to the South Pole. Then his route meanders through New Zealand and China, then through Russia to the North Pole, across Greenland, over to North America and back down through South America to Punta Arenas.

That’s no small voyage.   Personally, I’m pretty winded after walking the half mile to the grocery store.   takepart and visit Mike Horn’s official website to learn more about the man, and the amazing thing he’s trying to accomplish.