North Pole 2014: The North Pole Season is Over!

It has been a long, and difficult, season in the Arctic, where numerous teams attempted to reach the North Pole on foot once again this year. Of course, only one of those teams was successful, with Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters becoming the first to complete a full expedition to the top of the world in over four years. But now the season has come to an abrupt end, as the support squad at Kenn Borek Air have shut down operations in the Arctic for another year. This has forced several teams to cancel their expeditions early, sending them home without achieving the objectives they had originally set out for.

We'll start with an update on Eric and Ryan. After spending 53 days skiing to the North Pole, the boys were extracted from the ice about a day and half after their arrival. Poor weather delayed the flight sent to retrieve them, but not for long. It gave the two men a chance to rest in their tent at last, and from the sounds of things, it was a whirlwind couple of days flying back to Cape Discovery, then on to Resolute Bay, where they packed gear, and prepared to go home. That happened yesterday, and from the sounds of things, both men are happy to be back with friends and family, and getting some much deserved rest. For now, they are content. Eric promises a recap of their North Pole expedition soon, which should make for interesting reading.

Elsewhere, the Expedition Hope team, which consists of Arctic explorers Bernice Notenboom, Eric Phillips, and Marten Hartley, are amongst those who have seen their adventures come to an end thanks to Kenn Borek pulling the plug. Yesterday was the last day for flights, and the team wasn't sure they could complete their journey with the amount of fuel and food that they have left. So, with heavy hearts, they were forced to abandon their attempt to ski from the North Pole to Cape Discovery. They were closing in on the 84th latitude when the decision was made.


Norwegian solo-skier Bengt Rotmo was making the same journey, and he will now be picked up once the weather permits as well. His home team tells ExWeb that the decision by Kenn Borek Air was made after they surveyed the ice while picking up Eric and Ryan last week. That survey indicated that  it was becoming increasingly dangerous to attempt to land a plane on the frozen Arctic Ocean, and the company could no longer guarantee the safety of its clients should an emergency rescue need to take place. Yesterday, May 12, was set as the deadline for the final flights to retrieve the remaining explorers, weather permitting. They should all be picked up within a day or two.

Jumping across the Atlantic to Greenland, Dixie Dansercoer and Eric McNair-Landry have finally gotten the good weather they've been hoping for since the start of their expedition. They are attempting to circumnavigate the country by kite-ski, covering 5000 km (3100 miles) in the process. The expedition was expected to take 80 days to complete, but progress was greatly hampered for the first few weeks of the journey due to poor weather. Now, 34 days in, they have started to really pick up steam. Over the past few days, they've been able to over more than 150 km (93.2 miles) per day, which as you can guess, has left them elated. They're finally on the move, and the kites are proving effective. While they are still behind schedule, they are making up ground at the moment. Hopefully that will continue to be case.

I will continue to monitor the progress of the teams in Greenland, but the Arctic season is now over for another year. From the sounds of things, conditions up north are not good, and it'll be interesting to see how many teams can actually complete an expedition to the North Pole in the future. The latest climate reports don't paint a very rosy picture for things to come. Expeditions to our Poles are only going to continue to get more challenging.

North Pole 2014: Americans Hitting Their Stride

Another week has nearly passed in the Arctic, where two lone teams still push towards the elusive North Pole. It is still a long way to go before they reach 90ºN, but at least one of those teams is hitting its stride at last, and as a result, they're also gaining in confidence as well.

Just a few days ago, Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters were facing not only rough ice, but thin ice as well.  When they weren't spending the majority of their time covering the same ground, as they pulled their two heavy sleds, individually, they were worrying about open leads and trying to avoid falling into the frigid Arctic Ocean. Unfortunately, that fate befell Ryan on two separate occasions as he attempted to follow Eric across the fragile ice.

But since then, things have started to improve for the two polar explorers. Yesterday they report that they covered 7.64 nautical miles (14.1 km), which is their best day yet. That is the kind of distance that they expect to be covering if they actually want to reach the North Pole in a timely fashion. Better yet, it seems that the ice is smoothing out at long last, which means they can pull both sleds at the same time, get into more of a rhythm, and start making serious progress at last.

The question now is, is it too late? They still have 415 miles (667 km) to go to reach 90ºN, and the two men have been out on the ice for 20 days already. When they set out, we knew that they had packed enough food and fuel for 55 total days. That means, over the remaining days, they need to average approximately 11.8 miles (19 km) per day, to reach the Pole before they run out of supplies. Considering the conditions that they'll continue to face, not to mention having to deal with negative drift, that is a tall order. But it isn't impossible. The further north they travel, the easier the conditions will be. Temperatures will continue to drop, and high winds will still be an issue, but the ice beneath them will get more solid and smoother as well. That will make it easier to cover the longer distances they need to reach their goal. We'll just have to see if they still have enough time on the clock to get there.

Elsewhere, ExWeb is reporting that Norwegian polar guide Bengt Rotmo intends to ski in the opposite direction of Eric and Ryan. He'll first guide two separate groups of clients on last degree expeditions to the North Pole, before he will make a solo journey from 90ºN to Canada. Rotmo should have arrived at the Barneo Ice Camp yesterday, and will embark on the first last degree journey in the next day or two. He'll then go back to Barneo for the second group, before setting off on his own expedition.

That's all for now. The Arctic season is far from over, so expect more updates soon.

North Pole 2014: Barneo Ice Camp Set To Open This Week

One of the true sign that the Arctic expedition season is progressing is the opening of the Barneo Ice Camp on the Russian side of the Arctic Ocean. This temporary base is built on an ice flow each year, and serves as a launching pad for those making a "last degree" journey to the North Pole. After locating a suitable spot to build this year's base over the weekend, the Russian crews are now in place, and working to have the camp operational by its scheduled April 2 date. But in order to accomplish that feat, they have to pull of an impressive display of logistics.

This year's Barneo camp will be located at 89º 39'N. Construction first begins by having a team of engineers, parachute out onto the ice from Russian MI-8 helicopters. Once there, they build a temporary landing strip that allows a big Ilyushin aircraft to land, and deliver the supplies they'll need  in order to conduct operations over the next few weeks. That includes 4-season tents, food, fuel, and much more. Soon, a tent city will be built on the ice flow, which will be home to the base's staff and visitors. Many of whom will be research scientists studying the impact of climate change on the polar ice caps. Others will be well heeled adventure travelers heading to the top of the world, with Barneo serving as their gateway to that location.

The Ice Camp serves an important purpose each year, as it is often the exit point for many of the explorers who ski to the North Pole. Since it is the closets settlement to 90ºN, the Russians often fly helicopters to that point to extract the weary travelers. They'll do that agin this year if necessary, although at this point, the teams skiing to the North Pole don't look like they'll arrive while the base is still open. We'll have to see what their plans are as the season progresses.


Speaking of those explorers, Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters continue their slow, but steady progress north. They have started to cover slightly longer distances each day, which is encouraging, although they aren't yet up to the speeds they would like, in no small part because of conditions out on the ice. Not only are they still experiencing rough ice in certain sections, they're also coming across patches of thin ice as well. So much so in fact, that Ryan fell through the ice on two occasions yesterday while trying to cross sections that weren't entirely stable. In addition to being incredibly dangerous, these incidences also slowed them down dramatically. Fortunately, aside from some frozen gear, Ryan came out of the water without any significant harm done. The situation was a scary one however, and they'll have to be more cautious in the days ahead.

The other Arctic explorer who continues to press ahead is Japanese solo-skier Yasu Ogita. His home team tells ExWeb that he is on schedule, having crossed the 84th degree last week, 20 days into the expedition. He is reportedly in good physical condition, feeling fit and strong, but has been having some challenges to mental state of health. 20 days out on the ice in these difficult conditions can be brutal on the psyche, and facing the daily grind of an Arctic expedition alone will take its toll on anyone. Hopefully he can remain focused and stay strong in the days ahead. There is still an awful long way to go before he is done.

Things didn't improve much over the weekend for Yasu though. A blizzard blew into his location and he was estimating that it might keep him tent-bound for two days. Those are two precious days to give up when he's already on a tight schedule. Whether or not he'll be able to make up the time remains to be seen.

That's all of the news from the Arctic as we start a new week. I'll post more as things continue to progress.

North Pole 2014: Driving In The Arctic

It has been another long, and sometimes frustrating, week for the skiers who are  North Pole-bound this season. The frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean remains very rough, which slows the pace to a crawl at times. They are doing their best to locate routes through to the smoother ice that is promised on the other side, but it has made for slow going in the early stages of their expedition.

But one team is making better progress, mainly because they aren't skiing, but are driving instead. According to ExWeb, a group of explorers, who drove specially designed vehicles from Russia to Ward Hunt Island, via the North Pole, last year, have returned to the ice to drive those same vehicles home this year. The 2013 expedition lasted for 61 days and covered more than 2000 km (1242 miles), before the Russians parked their vehicles in Resolute Bay. Now, they've set off into the arctic once again, as they attempt to drive back home to Russia via the frozen Bering Strait.

Just like their counterparts who are headed to the North Pole on foot, the Russian team has also experienced plenty of rough ice at the start of their journey. That has kept them at a more measured pace as they search for ways through, or around, these difficult sections. Progress is so slow, that the drivers rarely have to take their vehicles out of second gear, although they are covering 50+ km (31 miles) on a daily basis. While the skiers envy those distances, that is extremely slow for the Russians.


At this rate, it'll take them weeks to reach Russian territory, and they'll still face a long crossing through Sibera, which won't be easy this time of year either. To help them get there, the specially designed arctic trucks are pulling trailers filled with gear and supplies, including 1000 liters (265 gallons) of fuel, and plenty of spare parts to make repairs.

Meanwhile, Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters continue to make slow, steady progress north. They have been covering their best distances yet this week, as they have reached 3+ nautical miles (5.5 km) on more than one occasion. That may not seem like much, but considering the conditions they boys have faced early on, and the slow pace they were forced to endure during their first days on the ice, it is a small triumph for them to say the least. The further north they get, the better the ice conditions should be, so they are hoping to pick up the pace in the days ahead. For now, it is sometimes an exercise in frustration as they battle the rough ice, inhospitable weather, and their own nagging doubts.

That's all from up north today. Hopefully next week we'll have more news and better progress reports all around.

French Team Pulls Plug On North Pole Sailing Expedition

A few weeks back I posted the story of two French sailors – Sébastien Roubinet and Vincent Berthet – who were attempting to sail from Barrow, Alaska to Spitsbergen, Svalbard via the North Pole aboard a specially designed catamaran that was built to cross both water and ice. At the time, the two men were still making their way north and were facing considerable challenges in the from of inclement weather and waterways that were more choked with ice than they had anticipated. On Saturday, the team elected to abandon their quest due to conditions that were deteriorating much more quickly than they had expected.

According to this story at ExWeb the team ran into problems after they crossed 82ºN. From there they started to see increased ice build up on the surface of the Arctic Ocean which was making it increasingly more difficult to make any kind of progress. On Saturday, August 31 they had only managed to cross .8 miles (1.3 km) by noon. Temperatures had fallen rapidly and the conditions were right for more ice to build up. Worse yet, the forecast said that those conditions would remain the same for the next eight days, which meant little or no progress in the future. It was than that Sébastien and Vincent made the tough choice to pull the plug on their adventure and head home.

Of course, even that won't exactly be easy to do. They are fairly far north and the bad weather conditions continue to hamper them. They also happen to be a long way from land. In fact, as of Saturday, they were just 100 miles from the Pole of Inaccessibility, which is the furthest point from land anywhere in the Arctic Ocean. That means they still have quite a journey ahead even if they aren't going to be able to complete their intended adventure.

I'm a bit sad to see these expedition come to an end. I was hoping to follow them all the way to Svalbard as I really liked the concept of their travels. It's too bad that they won't be able to continue, but it sounds like the conditions in the Arctic have been especially difficult this season, not just for this team but others who have been in the Northwest Passage. Lets hope these two men make back to land safely.

Two Teams Still Navigating The Northwest Passage

Yesterday I posted an update on the Last First expedition in which it was revealed that the team was pulling the plug on their attempt to row the Northwest Passage this summer. The four-man crew is en route to Cambridge Bay, which is a long way from their intended stopping point at Pond Inlet. Poor weather and an inefficient boat design resulted in slower than expected progress conspired against them to keep them from reaching their goal and within a few days, they should be off the water altogether. But it turns out that the Last First team isn't the only one paddling through the Passage this summer and while their journey may be coming to an end, there are two other teams who are pressing forward with their adventures even as the summer starts to wane.

First up, we have the team of Cam Webb and Matt McFadyen who have dubbed their journey the Beyond The Circle expedition. The two men set out in July from Inuvik in a small 17.5-foot (5.3 meter) rowboat that also happens to be equipped with a sail. This gives them the ability to harness the power of the wind when the can, allowing them to make better time in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. It hasn't exactly been a pleasure cruise for Cam and Matt so far but they seem to be enjoying their time out on the water and are making solid distances most days. They still have about half of their 2000-mile (3218 km) voyage to go, but they seem determined to see it through to the end. Watch for regular updates to their blog with more news and information on their progress.

The other Northwest Passage crossing attempt is by the Reve de Glace ("Ice Dreams") team, who are attempting to navigate the entire journey in a tandem sea kayak. If successful, they'll be the first to accomplish that feat in a single season. They set off from the village of Tuktoyaktuk in northern Canada and are paddling some 3500 km (2175 miles) to reach the tiny hamlet of Igloolik, which falls on one of the many waterways which gives entry into the Passage itself. The two men on this NW Passage attempt include Sébastien Lapierre and Olivier Giasson who hope to complete their journey in just 80 days. Find out more on their website, which is French but can be easily translated to get updates.

What is interesting is that all three of the teams, Last First, Beyond The Circle and Reve de Glace, are all roughly within the same area at the moment. The difference is that the Last First team is ready to go home, while the others will continue ahead. Hopefully the two teams that will continue on will stay safe and reach their destination as intended.

Many thanks to reader Steve Price for sharing these expeditions with me.

Rowing The Northewest Passage: The Last First Expedition Nears End

One of the adventures that we've been following this summer has been the Last First expedition, which is the attempt by four men to row the Northwest Passage from Inuvik to Pond Inlet. The team got underway back in July and had hoped to cover some 3000 km (1865 miles) along their route. Now, 70 days into the journey they're just hoping to hold on and make their way to an abbreviated finish line in Cambridge Bay. That end is in sight, but like all things have been with this expedition, the final few days won't be easy.

The team is made up of experienced adventurers who all have previous experience on difficult expeditions. The crew consists of Kevin Vallely, Paul Gleeson, Frank Wolf and Denis Barnett. They've been rowing a specially built 25-foot rowboat through the Arctic with the hope of reaching Pond Inlet for days, but they simply haven't been able to travel as fast and often as they would like. This summer has seen more ice in the Passage than was previously anticipated and frequent storms have often hindered their progress as well. As a result, there is no possible way for them to reach their intended destination before the season comes to an end.

With that in mind, they've pointed their rowboat towards Cambridge Bay and hope to reach it sometime in the next few days. But before they can row back to land they must first address another problem. The  team's fresh water supply has become contaminated with sea water and they must replenish it with some fresh water first. Today they will stay close to the shoreline while they search for a stream with which they can refill their water tank. If that can be quickly and easily taken care of, they will then proceed towards the end.

Judging from their latest blog entries I'd say the boys are ready to be done with their time in the Northwest Passage, even if it means they won't be completing their original objectives. It has been a difficult and demanding journey that has tested them in ways that they didn't expect. Progress has been painstakingly slow or nonexistent at times, which has been a constant source of frustration. If the weather holds and the seas cooperate, they should reach Cambridge Bay within the next 3-4 days, bringing an end to their row.

French Team Sailing To The North Pole

A pair of French adventurers are attempting to sail from Barrow, Alaska to Spitsbergen, Svalbard in Norway via the North Pole this summer. That's a distance of 3300 km (2050 miles) by way the croew flies. But this route is seldom straight and easy as they pass through the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean and it's massive ice flows.

Sébastien Roubinet and Vincent Berthet set out from point Barrow in early July and have been attempting to make their way to the North Pole ever since. The voyage has not been an easy one however as they have encountered more ice this summer than they had expected. Often times they find themselves sailing south just so they can find an open waterway that will allow them to continue towards the Pole. The weather hasn't been all that cooperative either as they have at alternating times battled high winds that were too dangerous to sail and lacked wind altogether, becoming becalmed while they wait for an opportunity to move ahead.

They are making this unprecedented journey aboard a specially designed catamaran that can capture the wind to help sail both around and over the ice. They've named the boat Babouchka and for the most part it has performed remarkable well in very tough conditions. But travel has been extremely sporadic. Some days they are only able to cover just 3-4 km (2-2.5 miles) while on their best day they managed to cross 194 km (120 miles).

A few days ago Sébastien and Vincent crossed over the 78ºN latitudinal line. That means they still have a long way to go before the reach the North Pole, located at 90ºN. The duo are hoping that surface conditions will be more stable as they head north, possibly allowing them to cover longer distances more easily. Since the Babouchka is capable of traveling over both water and ice, they are looking forward to a time when they aren't necessarily battling both.

You can follow the two men on this epic journey on the expedition's official website. After five weeks out on the Arctic Ocean, their tale is a compelling one to read. But with such a long way to go yet, it will be interesting to see if they can actually complete this expedition at all.

Rowing The Northwest Passage: Last First Team Struggle To Make Progress

It has been a few weeks since we checked in with the Last First crew. You may recall, they're the group of four rowers (Kevin Vallely, Paul Gleeson, Frank Wolf and Denis Barnett) who are attempting to cross through the Northwest Passage this summer. They set out from Inuvik in Canada a few weeks back and are now hoping to row more than 3000 km (1865 miles) through freezing waters choked with ice bergs and other obstacles to reach Pond Inlet. If successful, they'll be the first to row this route in a single season.

So far it has been anything but easy for the crew. Despite the fact that it is summer, the only time of the year that the Northwest Passage is open at all, the weather conditions have been poor with high winds making it difficult to make substantial progress. In fact, some of the days have been so rough that the team has manned the oars for hours just so they don't lose any ground. Throw in the constant threat of icebergs, which could trap their boat or even break its hull, and you begin to understand just how difficult this undertaking has been.

With the wind at their backs, the boys can make excellent time however, as evidenced just a few days ago. While rowing near Franklin Bay they managed to cover 120 km (74.5 miles) in a 24 hour period. That was more than double what they had done on their best day previously. They paid for it yesterday however when headwinds and shifting ice kept them pinned down for most of the day, seeking refuge from the weather as best they could. After scrambling for most of the day just to avoid being dashed against the shoreline, the crew learned that it is best if they wait out the poor weather rather than expending a lot of energy to go nowhere. How well that plan will work remains to be seen as they still have the bulk of their journey ahead of them and the summer is passing quickly.

You can follow their progress on the expedition's official website and Facebook page as it unfolds in the weeks ahead.

Race To The Pole Continues As Gavin Survives Massive Storm

A few weeks back I told you about Gavin Bate and his Race Me To The Pole expedition. Gavin is one of the few people who has ventured into the Arctic this spring although he isn't attempting to go to the Geographic North Pole, located at 90ºN, but is instead heading to the Magnetic North Pole, which is found at 78° 35’N, 104°11’W.

On April 4, Gavin set out from Resolute Bay in Canada for a ski expedition to Magnetic North. He has been traveling solo and unsupported ever since and conditions have been less than ideal for much of the journey. High winds have impeded progress at times and a massive blizzard has kept him tent-bound for the past few days while he has waited for the storm to blow over. He just returned to the trail this morning after more than 60 hours stranded inside his tiny dome-tent out on the ice. The weather reportedly remains a bit dicey but conditions are expected to improve over the next few days.

As of this writing, Gavin is currently located at 76º 10'N, which means he still has a considerable distance to go before he reaches his goal. Hopefully the weather and surface conditions will turn in his favor allowing him to make better time over these last two degrees to the Magnetic North Pole. Under optimal conditions, those two degrees would still take a couple of weeks to complete, but considering how unpredictable the weather can be in the Arctic this time of year, who knows what he'll have to face in the days ahead.

Gavin has undertaken this expedition in an effort to raise funds for his very own Moving Mountains Trust, an organization dedicated to sustainable development in Tanzania, Kenya, Borneo and Nepal. The British adventurer is "racing" us all to the poll by having donations count as a preset distance. In this case, £1 ($1.50) is worth 25 meters and the hope is that our donations will actually cover the 550km (341 miles) faster than Gavin can do it in the real world. At the moment, he is losing the race, which is something I'm sure he is quite happy about.

Follow Gavin's progress at RaceMeToThePole.com.

Ultra-runner's North Pole Ambitions Put On Hold

Remember Tim Williamson? He's the British ultra-runner I told you about a few months back when he ruffled a few feathers by announcing an ambitious (some would say foolhardy) expedition to the North Pole. The plan was for the endurance athlete to make a solo and unsupported round trip journey to the Pole and back, which prompted many to say his plan wasn't possible. Turns out they might be right, as Williamson has pulled the plug on the expedition – at least for now.

According to this story, published yesterday on grough, Tim's adventure was scrubbed due to the record low amount of pack-ice in the Arctic this season. 2012 was the warmest ever recorded in that part of the world and as a result, there simply isn't much ice for those planning on heading to the North Pole this season. Williamson was scheduled to depart from Resolute Bay, Canada last Sunday on what would have been a 3540 km (2200 mile) journey that was expected to take somewhere between 100 and 120 days to complete. Not only is that an extremely early start to an Arctic expedition, it is also a very long time to be out on the ice.

For his part, Tim isn't giving up on his quest to run to the North Pole. While he won't be making the attempt this year, he is headed to Iceland where he'll spend the next four months training in cold conditions to prepare himself for a future attempt. He'll use that time to test gear, get physically acclimated and build important skills that will help him survive in the Arctic.

This report comes on the heels of the story I wrote yesterday about the increasing difficult of a North Pole expeditions. As climate change alters the face of our planet, the Arctic ice is becoming an increasingly rare thing. Unstable conditions there don't make for safe travel and is no stretch to say that it is far more unstable in the Arctic Ocean now than it was just a few years ago.

This year's North Pole season will definitely be another interesting one.

Are North Pole Expeditions Becoming Impossible?

Now that the Antarctic season is starting to wrap up, it is time to start thinking about heading the other direction instead. In a few short weeks, teams of explorers and adventurers will head to Canada to begin a long distance trek to the North Pole instead. That journey has always been more challenging than a South Pole-ski, but if recent years are any indication, it may soon become simply impossible.

ExWeb posted a good article a few days back in which they discussed the challenges that Arctic explorers face. Unlike the Antarctic, skiers going to the North Pole never actually have land underneath. Instead they travel on the frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean, which brings its own set of unique challenges. Unfortunately, due to global climate change, the Arctic pack-ice is shrinking at an alarming rate and in 2012 it was at its smallest amount ever recorded. As a result, all of the skiers attempting a full-distance expedition the Pole were forced to abandon their attempts.

2013 isn't shaping up to be much better. According to the ExWeb story, some teams have already abandoned their attempts without even heading to Resolute Bay in Canada, which is where they usually launch from. We're also told that Kenn Borek Air, the company that typically flies the skiers out to their starting point, won't begin those flights until March 5, five full days later that last year. And at the other end of the season, the Russian Barneo Ice Camp has announced that they'll pull up stakes on April 22nd, four days sooner than last year. Since the Russians are the ones who typically pick up explorers that reach the North Pole, that means that skiers will have nine fewer days to travel in this year. All of those schedule changes are due to unstable and changing conditions on the ice.

All of this begs the question. Will North Pole expeditions soon become a thing of the past? Considering that no one has made the full journey since 2010, it is beginning to look like a full-distance ski journey will soon become very rare indeed. Explorers have reported larger open leads of water the past few years and it is a long and tiring process to try to cross them all or find a way around. With a narrower window then ever to make the journey, it seems that the margin for error is extremely small for anyone who is hoping to undertake this type of adventure.


I've been saying for the past few years that I expect a North Pole expedition to simply be out of the question, as least in the traditional sense, in just a few years time. The icecap is simply getting smaller and the challenges are getting larger, making the proposition of such a journey more daunting. I do know of at least two people that I've spoken too directly who are planning expeditions to 90ºN in the next year or two, but quite frankly I believe that after that the window for such an expedition may close altogether. That is, if it hasn't already.

Now, I suspect that we will still see adventurers going to the North Pole in some form. Sure, we'll have one- and two-degree ski expeditions. But if the ice cap continues to break up, some industrious person will likely try to do a combined kayak-ski expedition or something similar. But a full-on ski journey just seems like it will be increasingly rare before too long.

I'm not one who likes to step into the middle of a heated (pun intended!) debate over global warming or climate change. Quite frankly, all you have to do is look around to see that thins are changing. Whether or not man is the cause of that change remains debatable, but it also doesn't matter. If there is anything we can due to help alter the course or limit our impact, no matter how minimal, I believe we should. The Arctic icecap is like the canary in the coal mine when it comes to witnessing these changes and anyone who has been there in recent years will tell you how dramatically different it is now as opposed to just a few years ago.

We're still a month and a half away from the start of the 2013 North Pole season, but it is already starting to look like it'll be another lean one.

Beyond The Circle: Rowing, Sailing And Trekking Across the Northwest Passage

Australians Cam Webb and Matt McFadyen are preparing for what is sure to be one epic journey next summer. The two men are planning to cross the Northwest Passage in a 17-foot boat that they'll row, sail and drag through the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, covering more than 2000 miles (3218 km) in the process.

The expedition, which they call Beyond the Circle, is scheduled to get underway next July from Inuvik, located in Canada's Northwest Territories. Cam and Matt estimate that it will take approximately three months to complete the crossing, eventually ending in Resolute in September or October.

In recent years, climate change has opened the Northwest Passage and made it more accessible than ever before. Where it was once frozen shut, it now opens during the summer, allowing ships to pass through for a brief time. That window of opportunity is often a narrow one however and the large icebergs that choke the waterway are still dangerous to navigate through. That's why our two adventurers have elected to take such a small ship, designed by Norseboat,  through the tight passage. Not only will it be more maneuverable in the Arctic Ocean, it'll also be easier to row when necessary and drag across the ice when their is no passage at all.

The expedition will serve as a fund raiser for two California based charities as well. Cam and Matt are hoping to raise funds and awareness for both Save Our Shores and the Coastal Watershed Council, two worthy organizations focused on protecting the oceans.

Once they officially get underway, you'll be able to follow the adventure through satellite tracking, blog posts, and Twitter. As Cam and Matt describe it, this expedition will be 4 Oars + 3 Months + 2 Men + 1 Small Boat = The Journey of a Lifetime.

Arctic Row: Calling It A Day

One of the big adventures we've been following this summer is the Arctic Row 2012, during which Paul Ridley, Collin West, Neal Mueller and Scott Mortensen were attempting to travel from Inuvik, Canada to Provideniya, Russia by rowboat. This was to be the first crossing, of sorts, of the Arctic Ocean by a rowing team, but bad weather conditions have conspired agains the crew, forcing them to call off the expedition altogether.

The journey was originally expected to cover some 2100km (1300 miles) and take approximately 30 days to complete. When they set out back in mid-July conditions were actually better than expected and  progress was good. But as the days rolled on things took a turn for the worse and unusually powerful storms began to develop in the Arctic. Those storms proved to be impossible to row in, which slowed progress to a crawl. On more than one occasion, the team had to take shelter in a lagoon, sometimes for days, in order to wait out the heavy seas and high winds that were blowing through their area.

The delays proved costly and a journey that was expected to take about a month began to drag on much further. Today was their 41st day at sea and with their supplies dwindling and more storms on the horizon, they decided to go ashore at Point Hope, Alaska.

In a lengthy blog post last night the team talked about the trials and tribulations of their voyage. It hasn't been an easy one to say the least and for four men who have been stuck inside the tiny cabin of a small ocean rowboat, I'm sure it felt good to come ashore yesterday.

I'm sure we'll hear more about their story in the days ahead, as for now they are likely eating and catching up on their rest. It was a valiant attempt on their part, but the Arctic Ocean proved a bit too strong for these men. At least for now.

Arctic Row Update: Finally Rowing Again!

The last time we checked in with the Arctic Row team they were waiting out a storm in a relatively calm inlet on the Arctic Ocean. At that point, the four member crew was preparing to get back underway, after having just passed their half-way point. Forward progress didn't last very long however, as another storm blew into the area a few days later and as a result the boys have not advanced nearly as far as they would have liked.

The Arctic Row actually began on back on July 17 with the plan of rowing from Inuvik, Canada to Provideniya, Russia, a distance of 2100km (1300 miles). They had originally estimated that it would take approximately 30 days to complete the journey, but as it stands right now they're hoping to reach Point Hope, Alaska sometime today. That's a good milestone for the crew, but it also means they have a lot more miles to row before they reach their destination.

To make matters worse, the boat's water-maker, a device used by ocean rowers to desalinate ocean water and make it drinkable, is causing them problems. Their latest update indicates that it is they do have a second water-maker, although it is a hand-pump model which can work as a back-up should the primary unit fail completely.

The big question now is is the boat stocked with enough food and supplies for the row to continue all the way to Russia. They've already shot past their 30 day window and are now on borrowed time. It would be one thing if they were just a few days away from the finish line, but they are potentially facing a couple of more weeks out on the water. If another major storm pops up, and the storms this season have been horrible, they could find themselves in a nasty situation. Worse yet, they will soon leave land behind completely and set out to open sea.

Stay tuned!

Arctic Row Update: Major Storm Halts Progress

It has been a very long and tough week for the Arctic Row team. The four-man crew set out a few weeks back in an effort to cross the Arctic Ocean in a rowboat starting at Inuvik, Canada and ending in Providenya, Russia, a distance of about 1300 miles (2092km) that was expected to take 30 days to complete. Now 21 days into the voyage and they aren't even close to wrapping up the trip, thanks in now small part to a massive storm that has hit the arctic and halted progress for the past week.

Early on in the row the team was surprised to find not only good weather but clear water conditions as well. Few icebergs were spotted and winds were calm with warmer than expected temperatures. This allowed them to cover solid mileage as they continued to row non-stop, 24-hours per day in two hour shifts. That pattern allowed them to cross the half-way point of their journey on the first of August, which put them slightly behind schedule but still making good time.

That all changed when they started to hit heavy winds last Friday. Progress slowed to a crawl and levels of exhaustion quickly increased. Those winds eventually started to hit sustained speeds of 45 mph (72 kph), which not only made the seas choppy but also made it nearly impossible to keep moving forward. Then it started to rain. A cold, hard rain that wasn't very conducive for spending long hours behind the oars.

With conditions so poor, the boys decided to seek shelter in a protected lagoon not far from Barrow, Alaska. They managed to limp into the relatively calm waters and drop anchor, and unfortunately they were stuck there until today when they took to the oars once again just to move five miles towards Point Barrow in order to be in position to resume their journey once the storm lets up once and for all. For now though, they continue to wait for improvement.

This massive storm is very unusual for this time of year. Typically July and August are the calmest months of the year in the Arctic Ocean, which is why that is the period of time that these kinds of adventures take place there. A storm of this size and intensity doesn't tent to form in the warmer months, but then again judging from how bad the weather was in the Karakoram this season, I'm beginning to think that all bets are off in terms of long term forecasts.

Hopefully the weather will improve and the crew can continue forward again soon. I'm sure they're well supplied with food and gear, but they still have a long way to go until they're done. Keep your fingers crossed they get through this and get back underway shortly.

The Last First Expedition: Rowing The Northwest Passage

While I was away last week the details of a major expedition, slated to get underway next year, began to emerge. In July of 2013 a team of rowers will attempt to become the first to complete a crossing of the Northwest Passage in a single season, covering roughly 3000km (1864 miles) between Pond Inlet and Tuktoyaktuk, Canada in the process.

Scheduled to get underway July 1st of next year, The Last First expedition is expected to take approximately 75 days to complete. During that time, the crew will row non-stop through some of the most challenging and treacherous waters on the planet, facing unpredictable weather, massive ice flows and frigidly cold waters along the way.

As many of you know, this type of journey wasn't even possible until recently. Changing climatic conditions have caused much of the polar ice cap to melt, opening the Passage to travel for the first time. Even with those changes however the route is only navigable for a few months each year and is still a very difficult crossing. Climate change has had a dramatic effect on the region and the crew, which consists of adventurers Kevin Vallely, Paul Gleeson, Frank Wolf, and Denis Barnett,  will witness those changes first hand as they visit remote communities along the way.

Find out more about The Last First on the expedition's website and in the video below.

Arctic Row Update: Slow Progress Across The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Row 2012 expedition has now been underway for just over a week and the team continues to make slow, but steady progress – that is when the weather allows. After setting off last Tuesday, the four men aboard the small rowboat have had their ups and downs as they struggle to find their rhythm, but it seems they remain in good spirits and committed to achieving their goal of rowing across the Arctic Ocean.

As you no doubt recall, Paul Ridley, Collin West, Neal Mueller and Scott Mortensen are attempting to row from Inuvik, Canada to Provideniya, Russia, a distance of 2100km (1300 miles). They had planned for the entire journey to take approximately 30 days, as they are rowing 24-hours per day in two hour, two-man shifts. But already in the first week they've had to spend some time on anchor as rough seas and high winds have made progress impossible. Still, their home team reports that they are making the most out of the experience and have enjoyed the expedition thus far.

According to their latest blog update the boys are just now starting to encounter ice. They've come across absolutely massive icebergs that are easily spotted from a distance and they've only seen smaller ones that have broken off from the bigger ones so far. As they progress further along in the expedition they expect to encounter more ice in general, which could slow progress at times too, but for now things are good.

The team's SPOT device hasn't been providing accurate tracking of their progress, so it's difficult to tell how much ground they've covered. Reading through the reports, I'd guess that they aren't on their intended schedule however, so it is already starting to look like the could go past their 30 day window. Of course, they could make up time if the weather cooperates, but we'll just have to wait to see how things unfold.

Either way, they team is just getting started and there is still a lot of rowing to go.

Arctic Rowing Team Departs Today!

I've mentioned the Arctic Row team on a couple of occasions in the past as the four man crew planned and prepared for their attempt to row across the Arctic Ocean. It seems their big day is finally here however and as I write this the boys are preparing to start their adventure.

For those who haven't been keeping up on this expedition it is an attempt by a Paul Ridley, Collin West, Neal Mueller and Scott Mortensen to row from Inuvik, Canada to Provideniya, Russia in approximately 30 days. During that time, the crew will be rowing non-stop, 24 hours per day, in two-hour, two-man shifts. They'll cover approximately 2100km (1300 miles) through the ice waters of the Arctic along the way.

You'll be able to follow the team's progress on their blog, Facebook page and Twitter feeds. At the moment there isn't a lot of activity on either of those sites, but that should change once they get underway. The announcement of their departure should come at any time.

I know that there has been some debate in certain circles about whether or not this is a true "ocean crossing" since the Arctic Row crew isn't exactly going directly through the heart of the ocean but are instead skirting about the edge. But put those strict definitions aside for a moment and you realize that this is a truly challenging undertaking. It should be interesting to see how they fare out on the open water, where they'll also be conducting research on the health of the Arctic Ocean's ecosystem.

Check out the great coverage the expedition received from Al Jazeera a few days back in the video below.

Good luck guys!

Video: Inspiration For The Weekend From The Arctic Row Team

On July 15, the four-man crew of the Arctic Row 2012 Team will set off on their attempt to row non-stop across the Arctic ocean from Inuvik, Canada to Provideniya, Russia, a journey that has never been made before. It'll certainly be an epic challenge and as a way of inspiring us all, they created the video below, which serves as a good reminder that many times the only thing that is stopping us from achieving what we want ourselves. Perfect inspiration for the start of a weekend.



There's A Reason It Hasn't Been Done from Scott Mortensen on Vimeo.