North Pole Ski Expedition
60 day ski expedition
plus 1 week training & preperation
Dates:
Training end of Feb.
Expedition March – April
Cost: 2 Expedition members:
$150,000 per person Canadian
3 Expedition members:
$100,000 per person Canadian
4 Expedition members:
$80,000 per person Canadian
Maximum Group Size: 6 |
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The North Pole is the Everest of the high arctic. Early explorers such as Nansen, Peary and Cook spent the better part
of the their lives striving to reach the North Pole. 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 May. If too early, darkness and extreme 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 training and shake-down trip to test clothing, equipment and tune group
efficiency. We then fly north to Resolute to catch our charter to Ward Hunt Island, a small island just off northern
Ellesmere Island. From Ward Hunt Island to the Geographic North Pole is 416 nautical miles (770 km), all over polar pack ice.
This ice is often shifting; leads crack open and pressure ridges build into massive walls of ice chunks.
To add to the challenge of route finding through this maze is the extremely debilitating cold that can drop to -40 C.
Challenges aside, travel to the top of the world is an amazing experience. It is difficult to describe the beauty
of the soft light, the varieties of snow crystal and the ever-changing colors of the ice.
Prerequisites: Must be in excellent physical condition and in good health. Basic cross country ski skills and winter camping experience is required. We will ask you for a detailed resume of your health, physical fitness, skill level and previous expedition experience before accepting you on the expedition. You will also need evacuation insurance.
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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 travel. You can expect
to be hauling a 65 kg (140 lbs.) pulk over pressure ridges. If you are a person who embraces challenges and has a
sense of humor when the going gets tough, you will truly enjoy the experience of traveling to the North Pole.
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