Hildegard von bingen and I

Putting a flamboyant, female stamp on the male-dominated world of polar exploration, Bernice Notenboom (1962) is a breath of fresh - or should we say 'frozen'? - air. The first Dutch woman to conquer the South Pole on skies and the second one to climb to the top of the Mount Everest, Bernice's fondness for the cold matches her heartwarming openness. "A male explorer with children is praised for being a fun, adventurous dad, while a female adventurer is a selfish mother."

Marlies: I'm so happy to talk with you, Bernice. I cannot think of a better feminine feminist icon for this issue. Researching the history of polar explorations made me realize how hard it has been for women to break the 'ice ceiling' and make their mark in those regions. It's not exactly a female-friendly environment. Which makes your record-breaking explorations even more impressive.

Bernice: Thank you, Marlies. But nowadays, women are often the ones holding themselves back. For example, I am currently involved in the casting for a survival program, and only 10% of the entrants is female. I think it has to do with a lack of confidence, but also a well-founded fear of the cold.

Marlies: Says the woman who recently braved temperatures of -35° to kite 2000 km along the length of the Greenland Ice sheet... .

Bernice: (laughs) Well, it's actually a scientific fact: women 'feel the cold' more than men. We have less built-up muscle to generate heat, while there is more fat between our skin and muscles, making our skin feel colder because it's slightly further away from the blood vessels. That's why women are always complaining about having cold hands and feet.

Marlies: How do you deal with the cold?

Bernice: I flip a switch; it's a mental thing. As part of the preparations for my first polar expeditions I had to lower myself into ice-cold water, learning to breathe through the initial 'help I'm having a heart attack!' panic. The trick is deep breathing - all the way down to your womb - so you calm down your body and mind enough to accept the cold.

Marlies: As a fan of regular ice baths, I'm thinking about all the health benefits as well. I've seen you on talk shows right after you've returned from expeditions, and you definitely have a glow.

Bernice: Yes, I usually come back pretty lean and mean. Just imagine, you're constantly on the move, in extreme temperatures. You burn around 7000 calories a day, building muscle to boot. To recreate that in your daily life, you would have to work out nine hours a day! I jokingly call it 'the North Pole diet'.

Marlies:Still, they're not exactly spa holidays, are they? I heard you had severe frostbite on your lip once.

Bernice: That happened in 2017, when I skied to the North Pole: -40° temperatures, for weeks on end. When I came back, I needed surgery on my lip. I'm telling you, I'm so lucky to still have all my fingers and toes!

Marlies:Even though I am horrified by some of the hardship you put yourself through, I can very much relate to your all-consuming passion. Especially after reading your latest book, 'Arctica', which is basically a love letter to the North Pole. Can you describe a moment during an expedition that made it all worth it for you?

Bernice: It's impossible to choose just one. But there are moments - particularly around the North Pole - when you feel like you've literally reached the end of the world. During a polar night late in the season, for example, you may see the sun peeking over the horizon, just for a moment before it drops down again. Standing on this endless, glowy expanse, bathing in the magical, pastel light, you just know that it doesn't get any better than this. This is it.

Marlies: Wow. I imagine that being in such an extreme environment like that can also be pretty confrontational. Are you always the one in charge during your expeditions?

Benice: As the expedition leader I come up with the idea, hustle for the funding and deal with the planning and PR. When putting together my team, I look for members who bring added value to the table, a bit like when you start a start-up. Personalities who complement mine, with qualities I don't necessarily have. Men are physically stronger, for example, so that's a big plus. What seems to work is goal-oriented men who aren't too chatty or emotional. So, funnily enough, I often end up with Scandinavians.

Marlies: (laughs) Who doesn't love the strong, silent type? Your CV reads like an old-fashioned adventure novel, except in those novels, the protagonists were usually men. Has it been challenging, being a female adventurer?

Bernice: To be honest, I have actually been able to profit from my exceptional position as a woman explorer. Titles like 'first Dutch woman to reach the South Pole on skis' have given me clout, and the fact that I am a much more engaging speaker than most of the men out there has given me media power. At the same time, I never had children. A conscious decision, because I didn't consider it fair to them to be away so much. And although I rarely regret that sacrifice - I have been living my life to the fullest - it's interesting to see that my male colleagues never had to choose.

Marlies: I hear you, Bernice; some things are the same whether you're on or off the ice. When you turned 60 recently during a grueling expedition, you inspired a lot of women with the message: it's never too late to follow your dreams.

Bernice: It's an interesting phase for me. Regardless of your level of fitness, ageing comes with a growing disparity between what your mind wants and what your body is capable of. After my next expedition, I will have knee surgery - two new knees - and I honestly don't know how fast I will recuperate. I think the trick is to develop different ways to follow your dreams. Be flexible so you can change with change. I thank the ice for that precious lesson.

Marlies: And we thank you for being such a trailblazer! Good luck with whatever is next on the horizon for you.

'Arctica' is available through www.bernicenotenboom.com