Polar expedition

An Arctic expedition to the North Pole or Antarctic expedition to the South Pole is a monumental challenge. Is it it for you? Find out below.

South Pole Expedition

Scott,Amundsen and Shackleton ;names of daring adventureres racing to the poles with nothing more than knitted vests,socks and biscuits. Is it possible to have the same chance as them to aim for the Poles. It is? But is still a severe challenge which requires grit, determination, a tolerance to cold,strength,forward planning and pots of cash. You can walk, ski ,kite ski or as Helen Skelton from Blue Peter has done Bike!

Antarctica is protected by the Antartic Treaty which brings together the nations who have bases on the continent to protect the only pristine continent on earth. Antartica does not belong to a country but countries such as The UK have sectors which they use for research. The USA has a large permanent structure base at the South Pole called Amundsen-Scott Antartic Base. There are in fact three pole, geographic,magnetic and ceremonial. Walking to the South Pole is not your normal adventure holiday that you just book and turn up and realistically its not for most people. However if you are desperate to stand at the South Pole believe it or not you can fly there. Flights leave from Punta Arenas in Chile or Cape Town in South Africa.

If you should be fortunate enough to be accepted on an expedition then you will have to train hard. Pulling car tyres over beaches and fields simulates pulling a sled.

An example itinery is a flight to Patriot Hills from Punta Arenas and a chance to practice and acclimatisation. Setting out from Patriot Hills you wll trek south for the next 45-60 days. The terrain is flat and featureless although you actually very gradually ascending to the South Pole. A constant wind of 10-20 knots will be in your face and you will have to protect all your skin to avoid frostbite. You will camp every night and will eat an enormous amount of calories 6500 / day. Even just butter eaten like chocolate. The trick is to not go to fast as you'll sweat and get cold. Steady pace wins the race here.

. www.polarexplorers.com offer varoius Antartica and Arctic trips, in 2011 they offered the opportunity to ski the last 20k to the pole to celebrate the 100 anniversary of Amundsen and Scotts expeditions.
www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk Royal Geographical Society Antarctica Pages

North Pole Expedition

Who was the first to the pole on land? Some say Robert Peary in 1909, some say Amundsen by airship in 1926. The first person to officially get thee over the ice was Ralph Plaisted, a Minnesotan who traveled to the pole by snowmobile in 1968.Wally Herbert got there the following year by Dogsled but it was nt until 1986 that the first unsupported one way trip was made and 1995 an unsupported there and back. North Pole success has therefore been very recent. You can now travel to the North Pole by Icebreaker and the Russians have travel under the pack ice by submarine.

The main difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is that the surface you travel on in the Arctic is frozen Ocean not land with ice on top. The sea ice flows, moves, breaks up and squeezes into ice block obstacles called pressure ridges. Your days progress can be wiped out by the ice flow you are on drifting away. Most expeditions are by ski and sled which spreads the load over the ice. When the ice is smooth this workd well but when ice ridges are encountered there is alot of man handling of the sleds which can be exhausting and frustrating.

Most expeditions are attempted in April when there is more daylight,its warmer but the ice is still thick. A sample itineary would be to fly to Longyearbyen in Norway then onto the Russian base Barneo Station, specially set up every year to provide support to Polar expeditions. Alternatively you can leave from Ward Hunt Island,Canada.From here you can expect to travel up to 20km a day over the ice if weather and pressure ridges allow. As you progress your sled become lighter allowing less arduous progress as you tire. Expect to consume 6000 calories/day. you will know you are at the North Pole by your GPS. Once you have arrived a lift by helicopter will speed you back to civilisation. www.polarexplorers.com/expeditions/northpole