Hamilton man returns home after ski trips to North and South Poles

The three had just completed an expedition to the North Pole, and had gotten used to fitfully sleeping through 24 hours of light, their heads burrowed deep into sleeping bags that only barely kept out temperatures that often dipped below -30 C.

"It was kind of neat to get back and actually ... be in our own beds and have a good, solid sleep," Hubner said with a laugh Tuesday, after a day spent trying to re-acquaint himself with his company Baffin Inc., which makes extreme cold-weather ski boots.

It was those boots that got Hubner skiing to the ends of the earth in the first place, after a friend said he couldn't truly experience how they perform until he tried them out in the world's most extreme temperatures.

In 2006, he made his first trek to the North Pole, raising over $500,000 for charity in the process.

Hubner also skied to the South Pole earlier this year, making him one of the first Canadians to reach both landmarks in a single season.

Hubner and his sons, 17-year-old Brent and 20-year-old Mark, trained for the trip by skiing along the sand that rings Lake Ontario, dragging pickup truck tires behind them to simulate the sleds on which they carried their tents and provisions.

"Lots of people stopped, and the conversations ran from, 'You're missing your car' to 'your dog ran away, that's an awful big collar,"' he said with a laugh.

Even with the strenuous preparation, the journey wasn't easy.

The skis Hubner, his sons and his close friend, experienced northern skier Doug Stoup, used on the journey aren't like the slim blades traditionally used to ski cross-country.

He said they're thick and broad, capable of supporting the skier's weight across gaps and crevices. They also have a "ski skin" along the bottom, which he describes as a sort of fur that provides grip in one direction and slides smoothly in the other.

"It's a lot tougher than you imagine," he said. "There are times out there when you're so cold, and you're damp, and you've got to set up your tent and you've gotta heat your food - there are definitely times out there when you go, 'why am I doing this?"'

But he said nothing compares to the feeling of reaching the exact pole and realizing every direction you turn you're facing south.

"You are the only human standing right at the top of the world."

This trip raised money for Polar Bears International and northern youth charities. Hubner said donations will continue to be accepted through the summer.