Wow! It's hard to believe that the 2013 North Pole season has ended. We had an incredible group of people from nine different countries make up our five North Pole teams. They were an inspiring crew and together we had a lot of fun. We experienced remarkably good weather despite a 24 hour delay for our two last degree teams and Chinese ski team. Despite the short set back everyone made good progress on the ice.
Our dogsled expedition had the most challenging ice conditions with a lot of water in the first few days that hampered progress. They persevered and managed to put in some long days to make up the miles. Only 2 miles from the Pole they encountered a game-stopping lead that would have prevented them going further BUT with the luck of the Arctic on their side the lead closed before their very eyes. That's good ice karma!
All our team members are now homeward bound and eager to share stories with families and friends. Our guides are wrapping up the season's logistics and will be heading home in the next few days.
Our attention will now turn South towards South Georgia Island and Antarctica. We hope you will continue to follow our blog as we explore "the other half" of the world in the months ahead.
We look forward to traveling together again soon, either by ski, dogsled, ship or "armchair".
Take care,
Your friends at PolarExplorers
Polar bear tracks near the pole. The bears once again have the ice all to themselves. Photo by Mr. Li
Our teams awoke around 9 AM to cloudy skies, blustery winds and the possibility that the weather might prevent a return to Longyearbyen. They were told to leave their tents up until they had confirmation that the plane could in fact make a landing. There was nothing left at Barneo. When the plane did land, the reloading was a bit chaotic as everything, including all our kit, our dogs and the remainder of the Barneo Basecamp, was loaded on to the Antanov for the final flight to Longyearbyen.
When the plane touched down in Spitsbergen everyone was transferred to the Radisson for the final night of the expedition. Everyone enjoyed hot showers (ahhhh!!!!) along with clean clothes, access to internet, phones, etc. A celebration dinner offered (no dehydrated food!) and after dinner drinks gave people the first chance to relax and reflect on their experiences. A good time is being had by all.
The expedition officially ends tomorrow morning but not everyone is going home right away. Some people will be staying on to explore Spitsbergen, while others will begin their homeward journeys.
We will have one more blog posting tomorrow, but in case you don't check back we want to thank you for following all our 2013 North Pole teams. It has been our pleasure sharing their adventures with you.
Our next expedition will be the Shackleton Crossing of South Georgia Island in October 2013. This expedition was just named of of Outside Magazine's 50 Trips of a Lifetime, so be sure to follow along.
It was a marathon day for the dogsledders who managed to get to within 2 miles of the North Pole before hitting what could have been a deal-breaker lead. They searched and searched for a way across and finally found one. They reached the North Pole around 5 PM local time (Norwegian time). Congratulations Dever, Anna, Alex, Cheryl, John, Maher, CP and Nancy! They and had a couple hours to celebrate before the helicopters came to pick everyone up and fly them back to the Barneo Basecamp.
The other two ski teams spent the day not far from the North Pole. Rick and Mei skied back to the North Pole to welcome the dogsledders and help them celebrate their accomplishment.
Now everyone is back at Barneo, which is mostly packed up for the end of the season. There is only a runway and pilot tent left.
The teams plan to fly back to Longyearbyen tomorrow for a final celebration dinner, showers and a well-earned night in a warm bed!
Check back again soon for another update from the teams!
We just received these great pictures from the Last Degree Ski Expedition, taken yesterday during their celebration. Included is another wonderful aerial shot from Keith's kite. Enjoy!
A HUGE congratulations to our two ski teams for reaching the North Pole today. It was another sunny day and ice conditions were good. There is much merriment at the North Pole right now, and less than eight miles away another teams prepares to reach the Pole tomorrow. A quick look at yesterday's photos will show a unique one, an aerial view of camp taken from Keith's kite. The team looks quite small compared to the vast Arctic Ocean! We hope to have more pictures to add soon so be sure to check back.
The Last Degree Ski Team called in by accident, apparently pocket dialing my number (not easy to do on a sat phone). For approximately 45 seconds I listened to what was clearly a great party with a lot of laughing and shouting and even Queen playing in the background. The team has two reasons to celebrate. Not only did they reach the North Pole (!!!)but it also happens to be Usukhbayar's birthday! Happy Birthday Usukhbayar! Finally someone noticed I was on the line and after a good laugh they said they were all well and very happy to be at the North Pole after a six mile ski today.
The Chinese Ski Team also reached the North Pole after traveling approximately three hours. They are very excited to be at 90 degrees and the festivities were in full swing. They spent a while taking pictures then making toasts with PolarExplorer's official cocktail of the North Pole the "Aurora Borealis" (vodka, champagne and snow from precisely 90 degrees North all stirred together). Now they are in tents continuing the celebration. Everyone is happy, healthy and very proud of their accomplishment.
The Last Degree Dogsled Team reported in from N 89.52.6. They were ready to travel a little further but they ran into an east-west lead that they could not find a way around. They expect it to freeze overnight making it possible to reach the pan on the other side. As far as they could see to the north the ice looked good. The team did a great job today logging 9 miles despite several leads. Dever skied most of the day in training for a half Iron Man that she plans to do upon her return. Cheryl and John also put in long hours on the skis. Everyone is doing well and enjoying the Caramella Koala's that Cheryl brought from Australia. They will use all those calories up tomorrow on their final push to the Pole!
The teams continued to make good progress today and both ski teams are within striking distance of the North Pole, despite some close encounters with the Arctic Ocean. They had sunny, clear skies with very light wind.
TheLast Degree Ski Team is at 89.54.203 N, 174.33.100 W. They crossed over the international date line which was exciting. After traveling 3 miles, they encountered a 15 foot lead which they had to ski parallel to for about 2 miles. Sebastian got his feet wet but was quickly able to change into dry socks and spare boot liners (he speaks of his adventure in the audio dispatch below). After that, they had clear sailing for about 5 hours and made camp around 5:00 PM (a relatively early day). They report the wind has shifted to blowing from the north vs. south. Their drift is still northerly and they're hoping it will take a while for this to change with the wind. They do anticipate a cold day tomorrow skiing into the wind but all are very excited by the prospect of reaching the North Pole tomorrow.
Skiing into the sun
Skiing alongside a lead
The Chinese Ski Team called in from 89.57.88 N, 168.19 W.They had a beautiful day with big pans of ice
and a handful of leads, one of which two of the team members fell into though
the excitement was short lived as they quickly changed and got warm
again.They are very excited to reach
the North Pole tomorrow.Everyone is in a
festive mood and they are looking forward to standing at the top of the
world.We expect them to arrive some time
mid-morning.
TheLast Degree
Dogsled Team called in from 89.44.034 N, 176.28.7 W.They reported good travel conditions, mostly
pans of ice. They crossed 5-6 leads that were relatively small.They saw an amazing horseshoe shaped rainbow
pointing upward on top of the sun.We
take that to be a good sign as an upturned horseshoe is good luck.The team members are all in high
spirits.They have a rallying cry of “one
team, one dream” that they use to keep themselves motivated.When they phoned in, they were all gathering
in one tent for some snacks and hot drinks.They enjoyed Mike and Sara’s white chocolate fudge and Stacey’s banana
bread.They send their best wishes to
Sara and Mike and hope she is feeling better.This morning Chris Maher’s cinnamon sugar quesadillas got the team ready
for a day of hard work.They’re hoping
for continued good conditions with the plan to make as many miles tomorrow as
possible.
Check back tomorrow for what we hope will be updates from the North Pole for two of the teams and within shouting distance for the third!
All three teams reported great conditions and weather today, with temperatures around -25 C and a light wind. The ice offered a welcome change for the dogsledders who have been struggling through lots of open water and rubble. After a little research about birds near the North Pole we've determined that the Last Degree Ski Team most likely saw a Ross's Gull, named after the polar explorer James Clarke Ross who discovered the magnetic North Pole in 1831.
The Last Degree Ski Team reported in from N 89.45.742, E 178.36.678. They had a great day skiing 8 miles in approximately hours of travel. Everyone is doing well and having a good time. They are happy to have a supply of Portuguese sardines, compliments of Angelo. Tonight they are enjoying the "finest cut of the tuna". They saw a lot of east-west leads between 1-2 feet wide which are easy to ski over. They also crossed a 1/2 mile stretch of much younger ice, but most of the day was on big pans. They are drifting slowly to the N/ NE. When we spoke they had three flags flying off their kite and Guy and Carl were just making their way over to Angelo and Keith's tent for some after dinner hot drinks and conversation. They sent in a few photos from their day:
Helping one another over a pressure ridge
Angelo with camp in background
The Chinese Ski Team reported in from N 89.51.52, E 179.41. Rick called the day "one of the best days ever" with calm, sunny conditions and 90% travel across big pans of ice. Everyone enjoyed the day and are now enjoying a social hour (or two...) in the tents.
This is what a big pan of ice looks like. Easy skiing and fast travel.
Typical break. Everyone sits on his/her sled with their back to the wind.
Time to eat and drink! Photo from Mr. Li
The Last Degree Dogsled Team finally broke away from all the water and found big pans of ice to travel on. This increased their speed significantly and allowed them to make nearly 14 nautical miles. They are now at N 89.33.8, E 176. Unfortunately Sara Schroeder who has spent the last several days fighting a nasty illness left the team with Mike (her father) to recuperate. The pack ice is a miserable place to be sick and we hope she recovers quickly. The good news is that on the way back to the Borneo Basecamp they were able to land at the North Pole and spend some time at 90 degree North. Back at tonight's camp the team is feeling very positive about the change in ice conditions. The mileage they pulled off today was critical to put them in a position to reach the Pole. Spirits are high and they feel rejuvenated and ready for the next challenge.
On big pans of ice the dogs can run without interruption and travel is much more efficient.
It's amazing the difference a few miles can make. Two of our teams reported great conditions with big flat pans of ice, while another team encountered a lot of open water that hindered northward progress. This is common in the pack ice near the North Pole, where one hour you can have wonderful ice and the next be in a maze of pressure ridges and open water leads. It keeps things exciting and no two days, or hours, are ever alike. The weather today was around -20 C with a light wind. The Last Degree Ski Team saw three birds yesterday and they are curious what kind they might be. They appeared to have a wing span of around 2 feet with a white belly and grey and black wings with white tips. They couldn't get a close view because the birds were in the air. If any of you readers know what kind of bird this might be let us know!
The Last Degree Dogsled Team reported in from N89.20.9 after spending much of the day trying to find their way around a 1/4 mile by 2 mile open water lead. They traveled east and then south before arriving in an area where the ice was active with moving rubble and ridges. Then they headed back west and found an area where the lead petered out, much like a river's delta. They got across and traveled a little further before making camp. There was a lot of great team work building ice bridges and doing general construction to get over ridges and across leads. It's hard but satisfying work. They are hoping the large pans of ice the other teams are seeing come their way tomorrow. When they called in they were just getting ready for dinner. They have been happily snacking on Tim Tams, a special chocolate treat from Australia brought by team member Cheryl Bart. Thanks Cheryl!
Lots of open water can make northward progress very difficult
The Chinese Ski Team reported their position as N 89.41.680, W 179.38.785. They had great conditions today and made nearly 8 nautical miles. They saw only a couple of frozen leads and one seal poking its head through an area of open water. They also found polar bear tracks that look to be several days old. They are all doing great and they are enjoying the adventure.
Seal in lead (photo from Mr. Li, 2011 ski team)
The Last Degree Ski Team reported in from N 89. 35. 511, E 176.09. Like the Chinese team they experienced great ice conditions with big pans of ice and few obstacles. They skied for 6 hours and made approximately 9 nautical miles, averaging close to 1.75 nautical miles an hour. Everyone is doing well. For dinner several team members ate chicken quesadillas and everyone loved the special dessert that Sebastian brought from home. They'd like to give a special shout out to his mom for making them!
All teams reported good progress today as their systems become more refined. The learning curve can be steep in terms of camp set-up and breakdown, maximizing travel efficiency, maintaining good body temperature, etc. Typically, each day on the trail gets more efficient.
The Last Degree Ski Team reported in from 89° 23'920 N, 173° 20'938 E. They traveled for about 8 hours and made 10.5 nautical miles. It was fairly windy, 15 knots, and overcast in the morning. But the skies cleared in the afternoon and wind abated to some extent. Overnight they drifted North and the drift is continuing, even drifting 800 meters while they ate dinner! We've had experience where the drift was working against the teams ("nature's treadmill") and it is extremely frustrating. We hope their current luck continues.
The Chinese Ski Team called in from 89° 32'403 N, 177° 10'052 E. They traveled 5.74 nautical miles today. Again, reports of steady winds from the west, leaving everyone's left sides of their bodies quite chilly. The temperature was around -5° C. Their terrain was relatively flat with a few scattered pressure ridges and several leads to cross, presenting a bit of a challenge. Their travel day was longer than yesterday and they had longer stretches between breaks, allowing them to make more progress.
The Last Degree Dogsled/Ski Team reported their position as 89°16 N, 170°8 E. They're feeling very good about their progress especially after the slow going they had yesterday. They made 9 nautical miles and also had some northerly drift overnight. They again experienced a number of leads they had to cross. All are in good spirits.
We've heard from each of the teams today and their dispatches are posted below.
The Last Degree Ski Expedition team is at 89°11.431 N, 165°55.777 E. They traveled 10 miles north today- an excellent start for first tull day of travel. The reported winds around 15 mph and temperature around -30° C.
The Chinese Ski Expedition team is at 89°25.14 N, 167°54.25 E. Winds around 10-15 knots from the south west. Skis were mostly sunny. Chilly with the wind but all fared well. They did a fair amount of training today as the team had not had prior training together. All were in good spirits, enjoying Chinese food for dinner and special Chinese spirits.
The Last Degree Dogsled/Ski Expedition team is at 89°05.3 N, 168°5 E. They had a "huge" first day according to one team member. Very challenging conditions with large pressure ridges, a lot of open leads, many freshy frozen leads. Finding the best route was quite a feat. But all are in good spirits and feeling very positive about their accomplishments.
Sunday, April 14 started off with breakfast and an announced departure time of 8:30 AM. After an unplanned night in Longyearbyen as a result of a weather delay everyone was well rested and eager to get off. After a call from the charter air provider our departure time was moved to 9 AM, then 10 AM then 11 AM, then 12 PM but luckily between 11 & 12 we got the call to go, go, go to the airport, pronto!
Everyone was ready and we made the transfer quickly. There was the anticipated chaos at the airport of unloading 18 eager dogs from the dog trailer and putting them into 9 kennels as well as getting all the people and personal kit onboard, but with everyone's help it went quickly and efficiently.
The flight to Borneo takes approximately 2.5 hours, which means they should have landed around 3:30 PM. We don't yet know if they decided to spend the night in the vicinity of the Barneo basecamp or start skiing/dogsledding straight away. What we DO know is that everyone was excited to begin the adventure and the energy was very high. Now it's time to put that energy towards moving north, staying warm and having a good time.
We will keep you posted with audio dispatches as they become available. Check back soon for another update from the ice.
Today our ski and dogsled expeditions met at 8:30 AM and transferred to the airport only to have the flight called off due to low visibility at Barneo. Our experienced team of expeditions took the delay in stride, knowing that delays are often part of the expedition experience. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing day in Longyearbyen and they await the next chance to fly tomorrow at 10 am. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the weather allows for the flight!
The North Pole Flight team members also spent the day in town. Several of them went on a dogsled outing while others checked out the town and did some shopping. Most of them will be starting their journeys home tomorrow.
The weather in Longyearbyen has been spectacular. Tonight the mist on the Advent Fjord was beautiful with colors of the sunset dancing off the mountain tops and lighting up the valleys.
It was a busy day in Longyearbyen with our two ski teams and one dogsled team doing final preparations for their expeditions. They finalized their kits, organized their meals, packed the pulks and dogsleds and sent everything off to the airport for pre-loading of the plane.
The day was jam packed with activity until the early evening. Some team members opted to have a wine tasting in the world's northern most wine cellar which is surprisingly extensive. Everyone enjoyed a nice dinner and all are now relaxing in their beds. They won't sleep in a bed again until April 22!
Late in the day our North Pole Flight team returned from Borneo. They reported that the -17 C of Longyearbyen felt noticeably warmer than the North Pole or Barneo. Everyone had a great time and we look forward to hearing more of their stories in the coming days.
Our ski and dogsled expeditions are heading to the airport at 9 AM for a tentative 10 AM departure tomorrow morning. Everyone is excited and ready to go. Check back again soon for another update!
Today was a wonderful day all around. We have a team sleeping at the North Pole after skiing a short distance (special congratulations to 5 year old Gwendal Hauser for skiing almost 3 kilometers!). They report beautiful weather with sunny skies, -25 C temperatures and no wind. When they called in they were just wrapping up a fondue dinner with both cheese and chocolate fondue.
At the Barneo Basecamp our team was busy exploring the vicinity of Barneo as well as hanging out in the mess tent talking with other expeditioners. Among the people at Barneo are scientists from the University of Washington and a group of Taiwanese who performed a special Buddhist ceremony at the camp. Our team will be returning to Longyearbyen tomorrow and we look forward to having them back on terra firma.
Meanwhile, in Longyearbyen, our Chinese last degree ski expedition team arrived and had a wonderful first night. Our dogsled and last degree ski expedition team members also had their official start of the expedition. Tomorrow will be a busy day of preparing for their expeditions including packing all gear, weighing the kit and delivering it to the airport for loading. Enjoy the photos of our teams as well as the audio dispatches. Check back again tomorrow for another update. <
Helicopter transport between Barneo Basecamp and the North Pole
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Dogsled and ski expedition team members welcome reception and dinner
Chinese last degree ski expedition team members welcome reception and dinner
Our first team, the North Pole Flight Expedition has reached the North Pole and they report it was a beautiful day. After departing Longyearbyen this morning on board a charter flight they reached the Barneo Basecamp, a temporary camp with runway located approximately 70 kilometers from the North Pole. From there they took advantage of the good weather and flew a helicopter the remaining distance to the North Pole.
From the helicopter window they were able to see the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean stretch as far as the eye can see, with intermittent open water leads and pressure ridges separating and joining the pans of ice.
At the North Pole the temperature was -20 F with no wind. The sun was shining and it was picture perfect. Many photos were taken and toasts were made to celebrate arriving at the top of the world. To hear more about their experience listen to their audio dispatches below:
Meanwhile back in Longyearbyen our two ski expeditions and dogsled expedition are getting ready for their official start tomorrow evening. Several team members went on snow mobile trips to explore Spitsbergen's wild and remote coasts where polar bear have a higher population than humans. Our last degree ski team made a home cooked meal together (thanks to Guy for his culinary skills and Angelo for his olive oil from Portugal).
We will post more from the Barneo Camp, including an update on our team that will ski a short distance to the Pole tomorrow.
Today we welcome back our Polar Shakedown team who spent the last three days "on the land" preparing for their expedition. They had a great time practicing their daily routines and getting ready for their departure on April 11. They had temperatures ranging from -15 C to -20 C and enough wind to make them appreciate their face masks. Everyone did a great job. Right now we are all enjoying a hearty well-deserved meal. The favorite dish is the reindeer burger. They will sleep well tonight!
Our North Pole Flight team kicked off their expedition with a welcome reception and a pre-flight briefing to prepare for their departure tomorrow. We have a wonderful team and there is much interest in Arctic history and Arctic travel. Tavares and Chris are on a special mission to collect some ice from the North Pole for an art festival in Venice. The project will in part celebrate the accomplishment of Polar explorer Matthew Henson.
Tomorrow our North Pole Flight team will head to the Barneo basecamp and on to the North Pole either tomorrow or the following day. The Barneo basecamp is currently near 89.30 degrees north.
We will keep you posted with the goings on of the team. Check back soon!
The shakedown team at dinner
We have an audio update that came in and we're hoping to post it soon.
It's been a sunny day in Spitsbergen and we are enjoying the beauty of this incredible island. The last couple of days have been busy with the arrivals of our team members including all of our last degree skiers who are currently on their Polar Shakedown Training. They have great weather with temperatures around minus 14 C and light wind. It will be colder at the North Pole but this will ease them into their camp routines and sled hauling. As I write this they are likely finishing their dinner of dehydrated food (actually quite good!) and getting ready for a cozy night in the tents. Tomorrow they will ski back to Longyearbyen and enjoy a comfortable bed and showers for a few nights before they depart again for the North Pole.
Several of our other team members have arrived as well. Six of them are spending tonight on a sailing schooner that is frozen in a beautiful fjord far from the hustle and bustle of Longyearbyen. The ship is called the Noorderlicht and it is a delight to visit. There's a good chance of seeing wildlife including reindeer, seals, and possibly polar bear. As I write this they are likely finishing a delicious home cooked meal before retiring either to the ship's library for a night cap or the cozy berths. Or they may opt to take a quick walk on deck to look for polar bear and seals. The sun will set but it will not dip far below the horizon, thus it is unlikely they will see the aurora borealis even though they may be occurring. Rather if they look out their cabin porthole during the middle of the night it will look like dusk.
Tomorrow will be another busy day and we look forward to keeping you posted with our adventures. Thanks for following the blog and check back in tomorrow for another update. The audio dispatches from the teams will start on April 9, tomorrow!
Welcome to PolarExplorer's 2013 North Pole blog. We are delighted to have you following the adventures of our four North Pole expeditions. We have been hard at work planning, packing and finalizing all logistics for what should be an incredible season.
We will officially kick off this expedition blog on April 6 when our North Pole Last Degree ski team will start 5 days of pre-expedition training in Longyearbyen, Norway. Our North Pole Flight will kick off on April 9 and both of our last degree ski expeditions and our last degree dogsled expedition will jump in with daily dispatches on April 11.
Our teams are eager to share their experiences and answer questions that you have about their expedition. You can send the team a question using the link on your right. You can also receive automatic email notification of posts by using the "Follow by email" feature on your right.
Once again, we look forward to having you along on this armchair adventure.
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