RESOLUTE - She is the Queen's cousin, sponsored by the Prince of Wales and was eight hours short of being the first woman to walk to the South Pole.

Now, Rosie Stancer is attempting to be the first woman to walk and ski solo to the North Pole.

Rosie Stancer was in Resolute last year, to prepare for her solo trek to the North Pole on skis and on foot. She has said that she will be trying to help a community project in Resolute as a part of her expedition. - photo courtesy of Martin Hartley

Adventurers are a dime a dozen in Resolute, but Stancer has reached out to the community where she is basing her expedition. She has said that she wants to "highlight a local community project in the mainly Inuit town of Resolute."

That fact alone may earn her a decent reception.

"She isn't unusual and it isn't unusual, but if they do something for the community, that would count," said Resolute's acting senior administrative officer Ralph Alexander.

Alexander has seen it all with polar adventurers, including the pole itself. In the mid-1980s, there were tourist flights from Resolute to the North Pole.

Alexander took part in one of those, and has seen people try every way imaginable to get to the top of the world.

"I've seen iceboats, walking, dog teams, motorcycles, and three wheelers. The guy in the helicopter, I think he made it," said Alexander. "Some of them are basically nuts. The guy with the three-wheeler, he figured he could average 30 miles an hour for the 600 miles. I think he got stuck right out of town and quit."

Stancer is no amateur, and will most likely not give up just outside of town. In addition to her trek to the South Pole, she has been training with the British military for this mission.

To simulate hauling her sled behind her, she has been hauling a train of tires through the boggy English countryside.

She has also received firearms training, in case wildlife presents an obstacle to her trek. Alexander doesn't think she'll need it.

"When you get that far north, you only need the gun to shoot yourself," said Alexander.

Angela Idlout, Resolute's recreation co-ordinator, has also seen her share of extreme explorers pass through town.

"All my life, there have been people coming here to go to the North Pole," she said.

Idlout knows what community project Stancer should get behind, as recreation facilities are hard to come by in the high Arctic.

"We really need an arena, we've been asking for money for that for years," said Idlout.

Stancer is only 5'4" tall, and Alexander thinks that the diminutive adventurer could help with a feaprojects he has in mind.

"We have been trying to set up an outdoor basketball court, for when we have 24 hours of sunlight. The old rec hall could stand a little renovation, and we have an arena coming up in the next few years, we could use some things for that," said Alexander.

A major chocolate bar company sponsors Stancer. If she brings some of their product to Resolute, she'll get a warm reception from the youth.

"We sells four to six boxes of chocolate bars a week, and the Co-op sells more. That is down over the years, the kids are eating better here," said Alexander.

Stancer leaves for the pole in mid-March, from Ward Hunt Island.