John Huston and Tyler Fish in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.

HISTORIC VICTORINOX NORTH POLE ‘09 EXPEDITION BEGINS

Adventurers Aim to Complete the First American Unsupported Trek to the Pole

Minneapolis, Minn. (March 3, 2009) - Forward Expeditions LLC announced today that its historic trek to the North Pole began at 3 p.m. E.S.T. on March 2 when John Huston and Tyler Fish stepped off the north coast of Ellesmere Island onto the Arctic Ocean sea ice. The conditions at the start of the Expedition were nearly ideal, with light winds, clear skies and a temperature of - 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Huston, from Chicago, Ill. and Fish, from Ely, Minn., aim to become the first Americans to complete an unsupported ski trek to the North Pole. Along the way, they will use their Victorinox North Pole '09 Expedition to raise awareness and funds for CaringBridge®, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that offers free, personalized Web sites to people facing serious medical conditions.

In a satellite call to Expedition headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., on the evening of March 2, John Huston indicated that he and Tyler Fish have acclimated well to the polar climate and look forward to the challenges ahead of them. "We have prepared and trained for this Expedition for two years, and we are eager to begin," said Huston. "The last three weeks of training on Baffin and Ellesmere Islands have gone very smoothly, and we are in good shape, both physically and mentally. We are very aware of the obstacles that lie ahead of us, but we believe that by approaching them with humility, optimism and responsible action we will reach our goal. We are grateful to all of our sponsors who have enabled us to take up this challenge and support CaringBridge families worldwide."

For the next 50 to 60 days, the Victorinox North Pole '09 expedition team will trek 475 miles over the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole. They will not receive any outside assistance such as airdrops, re-supplies or sled dogs. Instead, Huston and Fish will each carry 30-pound packs and pull 260-pound sleds full of the gear, food, cooking fuel and navigational equipment they will need for the next two months. Huston and Fish will travel by skiing and snowshoeing, and when necessary by swimming across open leads of water while wearing dry suits. 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. Throughout their Expedition Huston and Fish will use satellite telephones to upload audio trail dispatches, blogs and photographs to the expedition Web site, northpole09.com, and to the Victorinox web site: northpole.swissarmy.com. Through these dispatches CaringBridge families, students, teachers, expedition partners and fundraising donors will be able to follow the progress of the expedition. 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