North Pole 2014: One Team Left To Challenge The Arctic

Yesterday we received the news that Japanese solo-skier Yasu Ogita has pulled the plug on his expedition to the North Pole. Bad weather and rough ice led to slow progress this season, and with food and fuel running out, it was evident that he would not be able to make it to the North Pole in time. He is still waiting for a plane to come retrieve him from the ice, but his departure means that only one team remains to challenge the Arctic this season, and they are doing their best to complete a full journey to 90ºN. That's a journey that no one has been able to complete in four-years.

Ryan Waters and Eric Larsen continue to press ahead with their expedition to the North Pole, despite the fact that they have faced many of the same difficulties that Yasu did. They are now in their 38th day out on the ice, a week behind their Japanese counterpart. With 55 days of food and fuel with them, the clocking is starting to tick on their progress as well.

As of now, they still have 235 miles (377 km) to go before they reach their goal. That means they need to average approximately 13 miles (20 km) per day, for the rest of the journey, in order to make it before they run out of supplies. That is a tall order, but their speed has increased in recent days, and should only continue to do so as they get closer to the top of the world. They are now past 86.5ºN, and picking up steam. If the weather cooperates, they still have a chance of completing an expedition that has only gotten more difficult overt he past few years. Stay tuned for updates on their progress.

Elsewhere, the Expedition Hope team of Bernice Notenboom, Eric Philips and Martin Hartley are heading in the opposite direction. They set off from the North Pole and are traveling to Cape Discovery, the starting point for Eric and Ryan. A bad storm has plagued the team for the past few days, making travel difficult, and reminding them of how challenging the Arctic can be. Things have improved now, and temperatures have warmed up to a balmy -18ºC/0ºF. That's quite warm for the region of the world they are traveling through, which has made things easier, at least for today. The squad is nearing in on 87ºN at the moment, and should pass their second degree over the next few days. That's a good milestone for the expedition so far.



Over in Greenland, Dixie Dansercoer and Eric McNair-Landary are now 13 days into their attempt to circumnavigate the entire country using kite-skis. Temperatures there are not so hospitable it seems, as they are currently facing -30ºC/-22ºF conditions. They've faced their fair share of storms already in the past few weeks, and have been tent-bound because of it. But when they can ski, they've been able to cover some decent mileage. Yesterday they knocked off 250.6 km (155.7 miles), a distance the North Pole skiers can only dream of. But considering this is a 5000 km (3100 mile) journey, that could last as much as 80 days, those distances seem trivial at times. With a bit of luck, hopefully conditions will improve, and they can continue to see good travel days.

Finally, on the Russian side of the ice, the Barneo Ice Camp is getting ready to shut down for another season. The temporary base, built in the Arctic each year, has served its purpose well, allowing a number of researchers, explorers, and well-heeled travelers to visit the North Pole. But the season didn't end without a little drama. A youth group had to be rescued from the ice when they began to run low on food and fuel. No one was in any imminent danger, but discretion seemed the better part of valor, and a helicopter was sent to retrieve them. It is best to not fool around when traveling in those conditions.

That's all for now. We'll have more updates as things progress.

North Pole 2014: Greenland Circumnav Underway, Tough Conditions Continue Up North

Explorers in the Arctic continue to face very difficult conditions, even as the season stretches on. Those traveling on foot to the North Pole still face what in my opinion is the toughest challenge in the world of adventure today. And while those teams have now been out on the ice for a month, other Arctic expeditions are just getting underway, including a ski journey that began at the North Pole, and an epic attempt to circumnavigate Greenland by kite-ski.

We'll begin with those heading north today. Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters have truly hit the part of the expedition that could best be described as "the grind." Each day is a real challenge, and they're never quite sure what is going to come next. Pressure ridges continue to cause delays, and rough is nags them, even 28 days into the expedition. Even though they are exhausted from their journey, they continue to pick up speed. Yesterday was their best day yet, covering 9.73 nautical miles (18 km), which must have felt good after days of struggle. They are still 353 miles (568 km) from the Pole however, and have now gone through half of their supplies. That is an awful lot of ground to cover before they are done, and while they have improved their speed in recent days, they'll now have to average roughly 13 miles (21 km) per day to reach 90ºN before they run out of food and fuel. That is going to be a tall order, but both men seem as determined as ever to finish what they've started.

Meanwhile, Japanese solo-skier Yasu Ogita is pressing forward as well, although the stress of the expedition has worn on him some. His home team tells ExWeb that he is doing fine physically, but is disappointed with the distances that he has been able to cover on a regular basis. Yasu continues to lug his kayak with him over the ice, although he has found few open leads where he has needed to use it. He has been considering abandoning the kayak for a number of days now, but has elected to keep it with him – at least for now. Yasu has been out on the ice the longest of anyone so far this season, having departed from Cape Discovery a full week ahead of Eric and Ryan. He has crossed the 85th degree, but continues to struggle for progress.


Veteran polar explorers Eric Philips, Bernice Notenboom and Marten Hartley have launched their efforts to ski from the North Pole to Canada, which is in the exact opposite direction of the two expeditions mentioned above. They've found much better conditions on their end of the ice, and have the benefit of having positive drift working in their favor. They teams calls their project Expedition Hope, and it is meant to raise awareness of the Plant-for-the-Planet organization, which is encouraging kids to battle global warming by planting trees. The journey started at 90ºN on April 2, and will now cover some 600 miles (965 km) over approximately 50 days.

Over in Greenland, Dixie Dansercoer and Eric McNair-Landry have finally been able to launch their Greenland Ice Expedition. Poor weather had delayed the launch, but they were able to fly out to their starting point yesterday, and have now begun kite-skiing across the ice that surrounds the country. Their route is expected to cover more than 5000 km (3106 miles) and take up to 80 days to complete. If successful, they'll become the first to circumnavigate Greenland in this fashion.

Way up north in the Barneo Ice Camp, the Polar Marathon took place yesterday. American Mika Wardian took top honors amongst the men, completing the race in 4 hours and 4 mins, nearly a full hour ahead of the next closest competitor. Anne-Marie Flammerfeld claimed victory amongst the ladies, clocking in at 4 hours, 52 minutes. Her next closest competitor was more than three hours back. All of the competitors have already flown back to Longyearbyen and are now on their way home.

Barneo will continue to serve as a base of operations for polar activities through April 22. During that time, a number of teams of researchers and travelers will come and go. Once the end date arrives, the Russian team that maintains the camp will clean up shop, and head out for another year.

That's it for today. Hopefully we'll have better news on the progress of the North Pole teams in the days ahead. They are all very weary, but also aware that they only have so much time to wrap up their expeditions.

North Pole 2014: Business As Usual For Arctic Teams

It has been a few days since I shared any updates from the Arctic, mostly because there hasn't been much new to report. The teams headed to the North Pole are skiing along as best they can, making slow, but steady progress towards the top of the world. The weather and surface conditions still dictate what is possible, and will continue to do so right up until the end. Meanwhile, the Barneo Ice Camp has been open for business for a week now, with explorers, travelers, and researchers filing in and out. The clock is certainly ticking on the season, but there is still time for these adventurous souls to accomplish their goals for this year.

The American team of Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters continue to battle difficult ice on their attempt to ski to the North Pole. They're dealing with large fields of ice blocks at the moment, which Eric describes as ranging in size from as small as a soccer ball, to as large as a washing machine. This is making it very difficult for them to haul their sleds across the ice. They struggled early in the expedition with rough ice, and had hoped to have put those conditions behind them, but these fresh obstacles are making for slow progress once again.

Yesterday, the duo managed to cover 7 nautical miles (13 km), which is up from the early days of their journey, but well below what they would like to be accomplishing. As of now, they still have more than 370 miles (595 km) to go until they reach 90ºN, and now that they are 25 days into the expedition, they are rapidly approaching the halfway point in terms of food and fuel. When they set out from Cape Discovery, they had enough provisions to last 55 days. By the end of the week, they'll have used half of those supplies, and will still have 350 miles to cover before they are done.


Elsewhere, yesterday I posted about Dixie Dansercoer and Eric McNair-Landry's attempt to circumnavigate Greenland by kite-ski this spring. The 5000+ km (3106 mile) journey is expected to take up to 80 days to complete, once they get underway. The boys continue to experience delays, and were unable to fly out their starting point once again yesterday, thanks to poor weather. They're keeping themselves entertained and occupied while they wait, but both are eager to get started with this long distance journey.

Finally, you can get updates from the Barneo Ice Camp courtesy of its Facebook page. Regular postings keep us informed of the comings and goings from the temporary gateway to the North Pole, that is built each year on a floating slab of ice. Of particular interest are the coordinates that are shared on a daily basis. This will give you an idea of how much negative drift can come into play on an expedition to the Arctic, as the camp's location is slowly, but constantly, shifting.

Barneo has been the staging area for well heeled adventure travelers who are skiing the "last degree" to the North Pole, but it also a place where researchers can come to measure changes in the Arctic ice and observe environmental conditions there. The base also serves as an exit point for explorers heading to 90ºN, and it is an emergency search and rescue station should the need arise. The camp will remain open for another couple of weeks.

That's about all for now. The North Pole teams are in a real grind at the moment, so there isn't much to report. Hopefully conditions will improve soon and they can begin to pick up speed. There is still a lot of ground to cover, and the clock is constantly ticking.

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: More Teams Heading To The Arctic

Yesterday I posted a story about Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters prepping to make an attempt on the speed record for skiing to the North Pole. But they aren't the only explorers heading north this spring. When the season gets underway at the start of March, there will be a number of other aspiring adventurers looking to make that grueling journey as well. But according to this report from ExWeb, a number of teams will be facing a condensed season this year, thanks to a narrow window of escape via the Barneo Ice Camp. Others, such as Eric and Ryan, will charter an expensive flight from Kenn Borek Air.

ExWeb is indicating that Norwegians, Kristoffer Glestad and Lars Mangerud Flesland will share a flight out to Cape Discovery with Larsen and Waters. These two young men hope to go even faster to the North Pole, covering the distance in 40 days. If they do make it, they'll also be the youngest to complete the full route to the top of the world, at the age of 24 and 25 respectively. They'll get started on March 7.

Also on his way to the North Pole will be Japanese skier Yasu Ogita, who is going solo and unsupported to 90ºN. He has also contracted with Kenn Borek and won't need to exit from the Barneo Camp. Similarly, Michele Pontrandolfo will attempt the same feat. He'll be in Resolute Bay next Monday, then set out for Cape Discovery on March 5, with an eye on reaching the North Pole by April 21. That would mean he'll complete the expedition in just 45 days.


Also returning this season to give the North Pole another go is the Irish team of  Clare O’Leary and Mike O’Shea, who made an attempt last year as well. They were force to abandon that attempt however, so they feel like they have a bit of unfinished business in the Arctic. They'll set off in the first week of March too.

When the Barneo Ice Camp opens on April 2, it'll give adventure travelers a chance to ski to the North Pole as well. For those who aren't aware, Barneo is a temporary camp that is built in the Arctic each year that gives assess to the top of the world. The camp is usually built at about 89ºN, which is within a helicopter flight to the Pole. This year, the camp will remain open until the 22, which is plenty of time for the tourists, but may be a tight squeeze for the explorers who hope to exit that way.

It looks like it will be a very active season in the Arctic, but as in the past few years, looks can be deceiving. The past two years, strong storms have kept many of the North Pole skiers stranded in Resolute Bay, waiting for a chance to fly out to the Cape. As the weather continued to be dicey, they watched their very few days begin to disappear before they even hit the trail. Some did eventually make it out, only to find conditions too difficult to endure. I suspect we'll see some of that again this year, as the Arctic continues to become more demanding, forcing some teams to pull the plug. At this point, I'll actually be very pleasantly surprised if anyone actually completes the full route this year. It is becoming that difficult to accomplish.

North Pole 2013: Barneo Ice Camp Opens For Business

One of the annual rites of spring in the world of adventure has come to pass with the opening of the Barneo Ice Camp. The floating base will now serve as a launching point for excursions to the North Pole with researchers and adventure travelers all completing "last degree" journeys to that point.

For those that aren't familiar with Barneo, it is a temporary camp created each spring by a private Russian company. In order to create the arctic base, the company first locates a suitably large piece of ice to serve as its home and then a team of engineers parachute onto that surface. Once there, they build a series of structures and tents, while also creating a runway for large Ilyushin aircraft to land. Those planes bring more equipment and deliver any arctic adventurers as well.

Typically Barneo is only open for a few weeks each spring. It is there to serve as a base of operations for a very limited time and then it closes down once again. The camp helps grant access to the North Pole and in the past, helicopters working out of Barneo would retrieve full-distance skiers coming from either side of the world. Since no one is skiing that route this year, there will be no need to conduct those operations.

The location of this year's camp is at 89° 30'03" N and 167° 59'20" E. That puts it roughly 35 km (22 miles) from the Pole. Temperature is reportedly a balmy -20ºC/-4ºF. The camp now intends to stay open until April 22.

North Pole 2013: Work Begins On Barneo Ice Camp

Thanks to climate change and shifting conditions in the Arctic, there won't be much of a North Pole season this year. In fact, I'm not aware of a single person attempting a full expedition to 90ºN in 2013 although there are sure to be some doing a last degree journey to the Pole. Most of those who undertake that endeavor will do so starting from the Barneo Ice Camp, a temporary base that is built each year on a floating slab of ice in the arctic ocean. Due to the shifting nature of that ice, the entire camp must be rebuilt every spring and construction is now underway for the 2013 edition.

Dispatches from the team in charge of establishing Barneo indicate that their "assault team" is now on the ice and doing the preliminary work to get the station ready for its first visitors. That includes setting up tents, organizing supplies and building an ice runway that is long enough to accommodate an Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft. The team charged with completing these tasks parachuted onto the ice a few days ago to begin their work, while a second wave of support is en route via helicopter. Part of the team has been held-up in Khatanga do to bureaucratic red tape. They hope to have that resolved soon and get the aircraft moving again ASAP.

We're told that conditions on the ground are extremely cold at the moment with temperatures hovering around -39ºC/-38ºF. But other than that, the weather remains good with minimal winds and no snow. At least for now. That can change rapidly of course, but it seems that there is a window of opportunity for work to proceed at the moment.

The base is looking to open for its first visitors by April 1. After that there will be a string of scientists, researchers and adventurers making their way to Barneo over the following few weeks. The lifespan of the station is brief however, and operations there should wrap up by late April, sometime around the 24th of the month.

It seems any action in the Arctic this year will be centered out of the Ice Camp. We'll have to wait to see if anything interesting arises.

North Pole 2012: Arrivals At 90ºN

With the opening of the Barneo Ice Station last week, there has been a lot of traffic coming and going from the North Pole and the arctic in general. The temporary base is only scheduled to remain open for another two weeks, so travelers to the top of the world are taking advantage of the window while they can. To get a sampling of what is happening at Barneo, along with lots of great photos, check out the Live Journal, translated from Russian, by clicking here.

One of the explorers who is currently out on the ice and rapidly making his way to 90ºN is Mark Wood who is looking to cap his solo expedition to the South Pole with a similar journey to the North. According to his most recent update, which was posted yesterday, Mark was sitting at 89º49'32"N. That means he should arrive at the North Pole today provided everything goes as expected. He'll then immediately get airlifted back to Barneo before heading home. Wood has noted that temperatures have been hovering around -30ºC/-22ºF, which is colder than anything he had experienced while in the Antarctic. He also says that even though he is approaching the finish line, he is still quite wary of the challenges, which include open leads of water and polar bears.

The 6 Ordinary Men have completed their last degree journey to the North Pole, arriving at that point earlier today. You may recall this is the team of Brits who were skiing from 89ºN to the Pole to raise funds for the Sparks Charity, an organization dedicated to improving the health of children. While their journey was a relatively short one, it was still challenging. Conditions out on the ice haven't been easy and  the temperatures have been bitingly cold.

Finally, the team of French researchers at the North Pole have been diligently going about their work in varying conditions as well. They have taken advantage of the mid-night sun to collect more samples and take various environmental and atmospheric readings, but that sun hasn't provided much in the way of warmth. Their most recent dispatch indicates that temperatures at the top of the world have been around -35ºC/-31ºF.

In addition to these hardy explorers, there are a number of tourists traveling to the North Pole at the moment as well. Most are going by aircraft and not staying long, but a few are taking part in last degree ski journeys too. It is one of the top adventure travel destinations on the planet and few ever get a chance to visit that remote place. Considering joining such an expedition on your own? Expect to devote about 15-20 days and pay around $40,000. Ouch!

North Pole 2012: Barneo Opens For Season

Since reporting that the Norwegian squad had abandoned their attempt to ski to the North Pole last week there really hasn't been much to write about in terms of news coming out of the Arctic. That changed a bit yesterday when the Barneo Ice Station opened for the season and started to receive the first flight of the year. The temporary base of operations will now serve as the launching point for a variety of expeditions from the Russian side of the ice.

Each year the Russians rebuild Barneo on a floating slab of pack-ice somewhere around the 88ºN mark. This year the base is actually situated at 89º42' N 42 and 95º44' E. To build the station a team of commandos actually parachutes onto the ice along with some heavy machinery and a variety of tools that help them to construct a runway and build a camp. They spend several days clearing snow and smoothing the ice to allow the big Antonnov An-74 aircraft to actually touch down on the ice and deliver a host of explorers and adventure travelers to the Arctic. The camp remains in operation for just a few weeks, generally closing around April 25 or so.

Amongst those who should be en route or already in Barneo are Mark Wood who will be making a "two degree" journey to the North Pole and the 6 Ordinary Men team who are skiing the last degree. Mark hasn't updated his blog yet to let us know where he is at, but the "men" made a post yesterday saying they were packed and ready to go with plans to head out today.

Finally, the French research team that plans to spend six weeks at the Pole arrived at 90ºN just a few hours ago. They're busy setting up their camp and preparing for the work ahead. While there they intend to take a number of scientific readings on conditions in the Arctic including the effects of climate change and other environmental factors.

The big ski expeditions may all be over for the year but it seems we'll still get some Arctic adventures this season.