Our North Pole Flight expedition reaches the North Pole

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.

Check back tomorrow for another update!