North Pole

Dog Expedition

Dates: March. 10 - April 28
55 day expedition
Plus 2 week training & preparation

Cost: $350,000 CAD + GST
For 2 team members plus 1 guide with 1 dog team with 8 dogs

Note: Pricing may change depending on air charter costs

The North Pole is the Everest of Polar expeditions. Early explorers such as Nansen, Peary and Cook spent the better part of their lives striving to reach the North Pole using dog teams. Surrounded by sea ice and in total darkness for half the year, the Pole is attainable only during a short ‘window' of time: March to early May. If too early, darkness and extremely cold temperatures prevail. If too late the Arctic Ocean is transformed into a watery enshrouded pack of drifting sea ice. We will travel and live on the polar pack ice, navigate over pressure ridges, search for routes around open leads of water and camp on multi-year pans of ice.

North Pole expeditions start in Iqaluit with a two week training and shake-down trip to acclimatizeto the cold, learn how to drive the dog team, test clothing & equipment and pack out expedition food. From Iqaluit we fly north to Resolute on a scheduled flight and, weather dependent, continue by Twin Otter to Ward Hunt Island, a small island just off northern Ellesmere Island. From Ward Hunt to the Geographic North Pole is 416 nautical miles (770 km) of pack ice. This ice pack moves; leads crack open and pressure ridges build into massive walls of ice rubble. To add to the challenge extreme cold temperatures can drop below -50 C. An expedition to the top of the world with dogs is an amazing experience. It is difficult to describe the beauty of the soft light, the variety of snow crystals and the ever-changing colors of the ice.

Difficulty:

North Pole expeditions are a combination of mental attitude, physical stamina and skills. You must be in top physical condition with a mental determination of steel. Cross-country ski skill is a must for efficient polar travel. You can expect to ski for 6 to 8 hours per day beside the dog sled, shove & push the sled up and over numerous pressure ridges and help care for the dogs at night. If you are a person who embraces challenges and has a sense of humor when the going gets tough, the North Pole expedition will be your “Everest.”