Minneapolis, Minn. (April 8, 2009) - Forward Expeditions LLC announced today that John Huston and Tyler Fish have reached the midpoint of their historic Victorinox® North Pole '09 Expedition, and have begun an all-out dash to cover the final 208 nautical miles to the North Pole even as the arctic sea ice begins to break up. Huston, from Chicago, Ill. and Fish, from Ely, Minn., began their journey on March 2, aiming to become the first Americans to complete an unsupported ski trek to the North Pole. Traveling by skis and snowshoes, Huston and Fish receive no outside assistance such as airdrops or re-supplies on this Expedition. Instead, they each carry 30-pound packs and pull heavy sleds full of all the gear, food, cooking fuel and navigational equipment they need for the two-month trek. They have undertaken this challenge to raise awareness and funds for CaringBridge®, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that creates supportive online communities for people facing serious medical conditions.

Huston and Fish have overcome incredible physical and mental hardships throughout the first five weeks of the Expedition, having endured many days of -40° to -60° F temperatures as they negotiated their way through vast, jumbled masses of sea ice. Temperatures have moderated recently into the -20° to -30° range as the arctic days have lengthened. The longer periods of daylight have enabled the adventurers to spend more time trekking, and warmer temperatures have reduced the friction on their heavy sleds, making it easier to drag them over ice ridges and drifts. Still, Huston and Fish each require nearly 8,000 calories of food per day to fuel their efforts.

In a satellite call to Expedition headquarters on the evening of April 7, John Huston indicated that he and Tyler Fish are well positioned for the last leg of their journey. "We have reached this milestone in good physical condition, and our equipment is performing flawlessly," said Huston. "Tyler and I firmly believe that we have the stamina necessary to reach the Pole. We have lightened our individual sled loads to approximately 150 lbs as we have consumed food and fuel, and we will soon be putting in 11- to 12-hour skiing days. And our spirits could not be better. Although we are quite alone in this vast space, we really do feel the encouragement of all the people who are following us. We want to let all of the CaringBridge families out there know that you give us the motivation we need to persevere through the many challenges we face each day."

Although the Expedition has recently seen a few open leads of water, the current ice sheet seems stable and quite a bit flatter than that seen on the first month of the trek. When necessary, Huston and Fish will don dry suits and swim across open leads of water that they cannot ski around. Although this is not particularly dangerous, Huston and Fish must watch for polar bears, which often visit such leads to hunt for seals. Upon reaching the Pole in late April, Huston and Fish will call for a Russian flight to take them from the sea ice to Northern Norway.

The Expedition is sponsored by Victorinox Swiss Army, DeLorme GPS and Bergans of Norway performance outdoor apparel. Those interested in following the expedition may visit northpole09.com, or the Victorinox web site: northpole.swissarmy.com. Those interested in supporting CaringBridge through the Victorinox North Pole '09 expedition initiative are encouraged to visit firstgiving.com/northpole09, where they can make a tax-deductible financial donation.

About Forward Expeditions LLC
Forward Expeditions is a values-based company founded by Huston and Fish for the purpose of using ambitious wilderness expeditions to inspire people to embrace challenge with optimism, humility and responsible action. The Victorinox North Pole '09 expedition receives major support from Victorinox/Swiss Army, DeLorme, and Bergans of Norway. For more information visit www.northpole09.com.

About CaringBridge
CaringBridge® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering free personalized Web sites to those wishing to stay in touch with family and friends when facing a serious medical condition, treatment or recovery. For more information visit www.CaringBridge.org.

About Victorinox
Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Victorinox, A.G., is the exclusive United States, Canadian and Caribbean marketer of VICTORINOX multi-tools, forged cutlery, and LED lighting products; VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY timepieces, and R.H. FORSCHNER BY VICTORINOX cutlery. It sells apparel throughout the world under the VICTORINOX trademark and has flagship retail stores in New York and Tokyo.  Under license from Victorinox A.G., the Company sublicenses the VICTORINOX trademark and the famous Victorinox Cross and Shield to selected manufacturers and distributors of fine products including VICTORINOX TRAVEL GEAR. The company Web site is located at www.swissarmy.com. Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc. is based in Monroe, CT. "VICTORINOX," the famous Victorinox Cross and Shield, and "SWISS ARMY" are trademarks owned by Victorinox AG and its affiliates and are registered in many countries.