READ ALL ABOUT IT\Aspiring to ends of the Earth.

Frostbite ended Borge Ousland's solo cross-Antarctic trek last weekend, but it did not chill his pride in being the first to reach both the North and South poles alone and unaided.

"I'm not disappointed. I'm a realist. When you set goals that high, you can't be disappointed if you fail," the 33-year-old Norwegian told the Associated Press by telephone from Chile, where he is recovering.

Ousland reached the South Pole on Dec. 21 after skiing alone and without outside help halfway across Antarctica. He did the same last year at the North Pole, making him the first to reach both poles by foot.

But he had to abandon his goal of also becoming the first person to cross the entire Antarctic alone when he developed severe frostbite four days after leaving the South Pole on the second leg of the trip.

"It was no surprise; I got frostbite at the beginning of the trip, but the sores got infected and wouldn't heal," Ousland said.

A doctor at the South Pole advised him not to continue, but Ousland set off anyway, carrying a sail and hoping a tail wind would speed his trip and lighten his work.

The wind never showed up. And the injuries grew worse.

"The important thing for me is to have the courage to make one's dreams come true. It's not only a question of the physical and mental accomplishment of going from A to B, but of daring to live the dream," Ousland said.

Just making the first leg of his trip, to the Scott Amundsen base at the South Pole, was incredible.

Ousland skied 838 miles in 44 days, dragging a huge supply sled over the monotonous landscape for 10 hours each day. At night, he put up a tent in temperatures of 40 below zero and ate meals of dried food.

Early on, he realized his sled was too heavy and dumped 90 pounds of supplies to get its weight down to 300 pounds. That meant giving up his dream of crossing the continent unaided.

The explorer said he finds it hard to compare his record-breaking treks. "They're like two different galaxies. ... The North Pole is more dangerous, while the South Pole is more of a mental challenge, with the endless snowfields," he said.

Going to the North Pole means crossing the rough, ice-covered Arctic Ocean and running the risk of falling into frigid waters through unseen cracks - and meeting up with polar bears.

Crossing the Antarctic means climbing the 9,800-foot South Pole plateau and surviving the harsh wind and cold.

In Chile, Ousland was basking in temperatures 100 degrees higher than in Antarctica and enjoying restaurants after losing 25 pounds in the last two months. "I'm hungry all the time," he said.

This week, Ousland plans to return home to his 7-year-old son. The boy painted his father's skis different colors so Ousland had two points to focus on while crossing a white wilderness.

"There are things in life which are more important than geographical distances," Ousland said.

Now answer the following true and false questions:

1. Borge Ousland is the first person to travel alone to both the North and South Pole.

2. When he journeyed to the South Pole, Ousland was in danger of falling through cracks into frigid waters.

3. The 33-year-old adventurer knew that there was a chance that he might not succeed in crossing the Antarctic.

4. Ousland's son painted his skis bright colors so that they would stand out in the snow-covered wilderness.

5. Each night, the brave traveler would freeze-dry meat.

6. According to the article, it took Ousland 838 days to reach the South Pole.

7. After developing frostbite, an injury caused by very cold temperatures, Ousland decided to travel by sled.

8. A doctor told the Norwegian that a strong wind might help to heal his injuries.

9. The daring skier was not discouraged when he was forced to end his cross-Antarctic trek (journey).

10. When Ousland returned to Chile, he was put on a diet to lose 25 pounds.

Answers:

1) T, 2) F, 3) T, 4) T, 5) F, 6) F, 7) F, 8) F, 9) T, 10) F.