Aaron Linsdau


Aaron Linsdau is an American adventurer living in Jackson, Wyoming. He is known for the longest solo expedition from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole, his book Antarctic Tears, his winter trek across the Greenland tundra, and his three ski expeditions across Yellowstone National Park in winter.
He led a two-person east–west ski crossing of the Greenland ice cap, a direction completed far less frequently than the standard west–east route, and handled all expedition logistics and planning.
Linsdau has undertaken more than thirty winter and cold-weather expeditions, including five solo attempts on Denali, a winter trek across the Greenland tundra from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut, and international climbs including Mt. Elbrus and Mt. Kilimanjaro. His expeditions and work have been covered by the KUSI San Diego, KIFI/KIDK Idaho Falls, San Diego Union-Tribune, Jackson Hole News & Guide, San Diego Magazine, and ExplorersWeb.com. He is the author of several books on polar travel, cold-weather survival, and expedition preparation, including Antarctic Tears and Two Friends and a Polar Bear.

Early life and education

Linsdau was born in 1973 in Jackson, Wyoming, and grew up in San Ysidro, San Diego, California.
He is an Eagle Scout.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from San Diego State University, where he specialized in embedded systems. While at SDSU, he was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, and Eta Kappa Nu, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers honor society.
He later completed a Master of Science in Computational Science at San Diego State University, focusing on scientific data visualization.
Linsdau also completed the Feature Writing certificate program through the University of California, San Diego Extension, which included coursework in narrative nonfiction and magazine writing.
He completed coursework in video production at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California.

Career

Before embarking on his polar expeditions, Linsdau worked as a software engineer, a background noted in media coverage of his early expeditions.
In 2013, Linsdau traveled alone to the South Pole on skis. He took along 70 pounds of butter for energy, but it turned rancid from exposure to the sun during the final two weeks. Illness delayed him, and his trip to the pole took 80 days.
His expeditions have been covered by numerous media outlets, including Outside, the Jackson Hole News & Guide, the San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Summit Club, and Inertia.
Linsdau speaks professionally about his experiences, teaching audiences how to build adversity resilience in organizations and prepare for extreme cold-weather conditions.
Linsdau has authored more than forty books on polar travel, outdoor skills, astronomy, and expedition preparation, published through Sastrugi Press. His authorship and eclipse work have been featured in coverage by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Jackson Hole News & Guide, and Local News 8.
Local media have also profiled Linsdau for his work as a Jackson-based outdoor photographer.
He is also listed as an inventor on a U.S. patent related to sports-equipment measurement systems, with corresponding filings in multiple countries.

Documentary work

Linsdau directed and appeared in the feature documentary Antarctic Tears - Determination, Adversity, and the Pursuit of a Dream at the Bottom of the World, distributed through Sastrugi Press.

Books

Linsdau is the author of more than forty books on polar travel, winter camping, outdoor skills, astronomy, and expedition preparation, published through Sastrugi Press.
His early works include Adventure Expedition One, co-authored with Dr. Terry M. Williams, a how-to manual for first-time explorers focusing on expedition planning, risk management, and field preparation.
In Antarctic Tears, Linsdau recounts a solo unsupported journey to and back the South Pole. On November 1, 2012, Aaron Linsdau set out to ski unsupported to the South Pole and back from Hercules Inlet.
In Lost at Windy Corner, Aaron Linsdau attempted a solo climb of Denali in 2016 and 2017. He documented the experience of what climbing one of the seven summits alone was like.
Linsdau has also written a 13-volume set of regional guidebooks for the Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, covering viewing logistics, travel advice, and photography recommendations for locations across the United States, including Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
He later authored a 15-volume series of state and regional guidebooks for the Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, with titles covering the eclipse path from Texas to Maine, as well as Canada and Mexico.
His works additionally include cold-weather manuals such as How to Keep Your Feet Warm in the Cold, and The Motivated Amateur’s Guide to Winter Camping, as well as the instructional Denali Mountaineering Expedition Bundle for aspiring climbers.

Works

Fiction

The Grant Colson Thriller Series (2026-present)

An action-adventure thriller series following international field operative Grant Colson. The books focus on covert missions, hostile environments, and historical mysteries. The series is set in the same fictional universe as the SERA Archives and features the fictional agency known as the Strategic Exploration and Recovery Agency.
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The SERA Archives Thriller Series (2025-present)

A thriller series centered on the Strategic Exploration and Recovery Agency, a fictional organization that conducts high-risk missions involving history, science, and remote environments. The series shares its fictional universe with the Grant Colson novels and follows rotating SERA teams through stand-alone but connected operations.
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Nonfiction

Expedition Narratives

A collection of nonfiction works documenting long-distance expeditions, high-risk travel, and survival experiences in extreme environments. These books recount real-world challenges faced during Antarctic travel, mountaineering risks, and unsupported Arctic crossings.
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Outdoor Skills and How-To Guides

A collection of instructional guides covering wilderness skills, backcountry preparedness, and outdoor travel techniques. These works include resources on winter camping, cold-weather survival, knots and ropework, photography locations, and regional hiking routes.
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2017 Total Eclipse Guides

A series of state-specific guidebooks published for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Each volume provides regional viewing information, safety guidance, travel logistics, and local resources for eclipse observers across the path of totality.
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2024 Total Eclipse Guides

A collection of state- and region-specific guidebooks produced for the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse. These volumes provide viewing information, mapped path-of-totality coverage, photography considerations, and regional travel notes for locations across Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
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Awards