What carries you: 28 days on Ellesmere Island with Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely
In the far reaches of Canada’s high Arctic, silence has weight — and a sense of humour, if you’re paying attention.
For 28 days, Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely hauled sleds across Ellesmere Island — a landscape as wild as it is unforgiving. They crossed nearly 500 kilometres of deep snow, long overland sections, deep valleys and frigid sea ice… Temperatures rarely climbed above –30°C. Elevation gain? Thousands of metres — all while hauling sleds that weighed 75 kg.
“It was probably one of the top three hardest expeditions of the 40+ that I’ve done.” — Ray Zahab
Ray would know. He’s spent over 20 years pushing limits on foot — across the world's largest deserts, always in summer. Across Siberia, a record-breaking unsupported trek to the South Pole, and multiple Arctic expeditions, always in winter!
Kevin has rowed the Northwest Passage, skied across Alaska and completed expeditions all over the world.
Together, they broke the world speed record to the South Pole and crossed Lake Baikal, Siberia in winter, unsupported.
But even with all that behind them, Ellesmere stood apart.
When the margin for error is zero
In an environment that harsh, you get tested — body, mindset, decisions — but also the things you rely on. Especially fuel. Not just for calories, but for consistency, digestion, and comfort. For working when nothing else wants to.
Ray’s approach was calculated and familiar: a pair of protein wafers with breakfast, the
same again for recovery at night. During the day, something new — a next-generation bar he was quietly testing throughout the expedition. He packed 120 of them and let the Arctic do what the lab can’t.
“This was an expedition where everything had to work perfectly. Food, gear, mindset, partnership — all of it.”
By the end, the approach — something new and something familiar — spoke for itself. (And honestly, so did Ray — pretty enthusiastically.)
“They were delicious — honestly, I think they’re the best bars on the planet. Even when I got home, I still wanted to eat more of those bars.”
Ray’s been part of the XACT family for over ten years — not as a name-drop, but as a partner who’s helped shape our products in the field, through the extremes of cold and heat, and under real pressure.
At XACT, product design isn’t theoretical. It’s lived. We create and refine everything with athlete feedback at the core — combining insight from decades of experience with relentless real-world testing. Because for us, it’s not just about helping you reach the finish line — it’s about how strong, capable, and ready you feel when you get there.
A rare encounter
Ellesmere offered more than hardship.
One evening, 30 arctic wolves passed silently through their camp. With only a few
hundred left in the wild on the island, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment — no sound, no threat, just presence.
“It was incredible,” Ray said. “A privilege.”
They also followed polar bear tracks for days. Slept with shotguns beside them, just in case. But the biggest presence on the journey wasn’t fear. It was gratitude — for the land, for the quiet, for the reminder of why they do this.
Beyond the distance
“This expedition was different. It gave me a chance to reflect on the 20 years I’ve been doing this. It reminded me why I started.”
That “why” runs deep for Ray. Through his non-profit, impossible2Possible, he’s brought youth from around the world into the fold — turning remote expeditions into global classrooms. Thousands of students follow in real time. Not as spectators. As learners. As part of the team.
Ray and Kevin don’t chase records. They carry purpose — in every step, every shared decision, every moment of trust between teammates in the middle of nowhere. What they build isn’t just mileage; it’s momentum. Bridges between landscapes, people, and purpose.
And that’s where our brand lives, too. In the space between performance and partnership. XACT products are designed for these moments — where experience meets instinct, and community is forged not just in kilometres, but in collaboration. Because the strongest journeys are rarely solo. They’re shared.
What carries you
Endurance isn’t reserved for the extreme. It’s showing up for your first 5k. Trying again after a tough day. Pushing forward when your legs say no — and something quieter says yes.
In the Arctic, Ray and Kevin carried over 40 years of experience between them. They also carried the kind of fuel that stays with you long after the finish.
Kevin and Ray were a dialed team, every step of the way. This was not a solo effort — it was a partnership built on trust, grit, and the kind of quiet understanding that only comes from shared hardship.
“The bars were amazing and we never got tired of them. Seriously, this is saying something — typically, you can’t stand your food at the end of a journey like this. I’d happily have a bar now. The difference between eating a bar just for calories and a bar for nutrition? Amazing stuff.” — Kevin Vallely
Some fuel gets you through. Some, you miss like a weird inside joke from a great road trip — you don’t forget it, and you wouldn’t change a thing.
Want to try Ray and Kevin’s favourite flavours? Use code ELLESMERE15 to get 15% off Chocolate and Coconut protein bars (valid until April 27, midnight)— the same fuel they trusted on the ice.
Follow more of Ray’s adventures on Instagram: @rayzahab