North Pole 2012: Norwegians Call Off Expedition To The Pole

It looks like there won't be any full-length expeditions to the North Pole after all this year. Earlier today the Norwegian team of Mads Agerup and Rune Midtgaard announced that they are calling off their attempt at a speed-ski to the Pole after Mads' frost-bitten thumbs took a turn for the worse and have now deteriorated to the point that it is dangerous for them to continue. According to their home team, the two men have now broken camp and are searching for a suitable landing spot for a plane to come retrieve them from the ice.

While just 12 days into their journey, Mads and Rune were making excellent progress towards the top of the world. While conditions weren't always as good as they had hoped, they were none the less routinely knocking off 20+km (12 miles) each day, which is a solid pace for the early days of any Arctic expedition.

We first learned about Mads' condition in a dispatch yesterday but the situation didn't sound all that serious at the time. It appears that his thumbs have gotten significantly worse since that time, prompting their call for an evacuation.

At the moment, the weather in the Arctic is quite good, with low winds, relatively warm temperatures and plenty of visibility. That is expected to change tomorrow however when bad weather is expected to hit the area. With that in mind, the two men are hoping to still get picked-up today in order to avoid further frostbite damage.

It now appears that the Arctic has fended off all challengers for yet another year. Yes, there will be some skiers still heading to the North Pole, but none will be making the epic journey on foot that we've seen in years past. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the days of the expedition to the Pole may be coming to an end, as climate change have made it increasingly difficult to complete such a journey. I already know of a couple of teams that are planning to give it a go in 2013 but the Arctic window of opportunity definitely seems to be getting narrower.

North Pole 2012: More Teams Prep For The Arctic

There may be only one team scheduled for the full journey to the North Pole on skis this year but a host of others are now gearing up to hit the ice. The Barneo Ice Station is still on track to open in the next few days and a number of explorers and skiers will start their expeditions from the Russian side of the Arctic. Many of those will be doing one or two degree journeys to the Pole, but others will simply be conducting research and studying the region.

One of those setting out early next week is Mark Wood who is currently in Norway and waiting for a lift out to the ice. He'll start his approach to the Pole at about 88ºN and hopes to finish up in just a few weeks time. The journey will cap his North-South Expedition which began with a successful solo-ski to the South Pole in January. When he's done in the Arctic, Mark will continue sharing his message of environmental protection through public speaking and interaction with classrooms.

According to their Facebook page, the three-man French team that will be conducting research at the North Pole this spring should be getting ready to depart soon as well. They've spent the last few days preparing gear and doing last minute prep work and yesterday that posted an update saying that a weather window has now opened for travel. Presumably that means they'll also be airlifted to Barneo first and then take a helicopter to the North Pole. Their original plan was to stay at 90ºN for six weeks but it remains to be seen if that will happen.

The team of Six Ordinary Men will also be starting their North Pole expedition soon as well. They appear to be doing a last degree journey to raise funds for the Sparks Charity. The group has been silent for the most part so far, although they do promise to start blogging on March 31st. The countdown clock on their website currently lists their time of departure as a day and a half away.

Finally, an update on the Norwegians who are taking the long and difficult route to the Pole. After picking up speed in the early part of the week, they've now started to run into some challenges. Just a few days ago they were routinely hitting 20-25km (12-15 miles) traveled each day, which is actually a great pace at this stage of the expedition. But the past few days as brought them upon some large open leads that have slowed them down. They began the day today with an open water crossing and their home teams reports that had they decided to go around it would have taken them 100-150km (62-93 miles) out of their way. Worse yet, they anticipate hitting another lead later today or tomorrow as well.

The news isn't good for Mads Agerup either. Apparently he has picked-up some frostbite in his thumbs which isn't looking particularly good at the moment. The rest of his hands and fingers are fine, but they'll definitely be keeping an eye on his damaged digits in the days ahead.

North Pole 2012: Norwegians Pick Up Speed

The 2012 North Polar season has been a quiet one so far, but after several teams abandoned their expeditions early on, it seems things are starting to heat up.The Norwegian team of Mads Agerup and Rune Midtgaard are starting to hit their stride and another explorer prepares to launch his expedition, albeit from a direction he hadn't originally intended.

Last week Mads and Rune were struggling out on the ice as their bodies adapted to the cold and physically demanding conditions. Now they seem to be getting into a rhythm and as a result they're covering respectable distance even at this early stage of their journey. The men are hoping to ski to the North Pole and over the weekend they were routinely hitting 20km (12.4 miles) per day. That is an outstanding pace for the start of their expedition which is currently passing through a region that typically has more rubble fields and open water to deal with. They are currently camped at 83.5ºN however, which means they still have a very long way to go before their done.

Explorer Mark Wood is finally on the move once again. After completing his solo ski to the South Pole back in January, he has been anxious to begin the second leg of his journey, which originally was suppose to be a solo trip to the North Pole. Some logistical and economic issues have since cropped up, which have forced Mark to actually begin his journey at 90ºN however and head south from there. An updated to his website late last week indicated that he is now packed and ready to get started and that we can expect more news on his plans this week. My guess is that he'll soon head to the Barneo Ice Station, which is set to open on April 2nd, then catch a lift to the North Pole from there. Stay tuned for more news on his travels soon.

Finally, the French North Pole team is busy preparing their gear for an extended stay at the top of the world as well. According to their latest updates they have arrived in Spisbergen where they are preparing their equipment. The three men intend to camp at the Pole where they'll conduct scientific research on climate change, the Arctic Ocean and more. Initially I believe they intended to stay there for six weeks, but I'm not sure if that is still part of their plan or not. They are likely waiting for Barneo to open as well and will probably be shuttled to the North Pole early next week.

North Pole 2012: New Team Hits The Ice, Others Waiting To Begin

Despite my doom and gloom headline from last week, the North Polar season isn't quite over yet. In fact, while several teams have already aborted their expeditions for the year, another hit the ice over the weekend and a few more hope to join them in the days ahead.

The Norwegian team of Mads Agerup and Rune Midtgaard have started their journey to the North Pole. They were dropped off at 83.5ºN on Cape Discovery and according to their first blog update, they found the conditions to be better than expected. The duo didn't waste and time in getting started either, as they apparently started hauling their sledges immediately and managed to cover 8.3km (5.1 miles) in about 3 hours. No word on their progress today, but best of luck to the boys who hope to reach the Pole by April 22nd, which is when the last flight off the ice is tentatively scheduled.

Meanwhile, the same plane that dropped off Mads and Rune also picked up Japanese solo skier Yasunaga Ogita. You may recall that he pulled the plug on his expedition last week, although we weren't entirely sure why at the time. Turns out Yas wasn't all that happy with the ice conditions, which were apparently deteriorating at a rapid pace. Those conditions slowed his progress considerably and so he decided it was best to turn back rather than take the risk of continuing northward.

Three Frenchmen are preparing for their North Pole adventure, which is now set to get underway on Thursday of this week. The men plan on spending the next month at the North Pole where they'll be conducting scientific research on the Arctic Ocean and the effects of climate change on that region.

Also setting out soon are the Six Ordinary Men who have set their sights on a last degree expedition to the North Pole. They'll be raising funds for Sparks, an organization dedicated to children's health issues, and will begin their journey north on the first of April.

Finally, Mark Wood is expected to begin the second leg of his North South Expedition later this week. You may recall that Mark had planned to ski back-to-back to both the North and South Pole. Having already completed the Antarctic portion of the journey he has been gearing up to take on the Arctic ever since. Due to timing and ice conditions however he had decided to begin his journey at 90ºN and head south instead. He tells ExWeb that most of the logistics are now in place for the expedition to get underway, but he is still working out funding for his extraction from the ice. He hints that a few big decisions will have to be made this week or the entire project could be jeopardized.

Good luck to everyone about to get underway. Enjoy the journey!

North Pole 2012: Explorers Ready To Go!

The beginning of March can mean only one thing in the adventure world – a new Arctic season is about to begin. This is the time of year when our attention shifts away from the South Pole and instead turns toward the North. As we speak, several teams have already gathered in Resolute Bay, Canada where they are waiting for word on whether or not they can get underway with their respective journeys. Most will depart from Cape Discovery, where they will begin the long and arduous trek to the top of the world.

Traveling to the North Pole presents some very unique and difficult challenges over a journey to the South. For starters, Antarctica actually has solid land underneath the polar icecap, while the Arctic is actually one giant slab of ice floating above the Arctic Ocean. That means that the ice is far less stable, and Arctic explores often have to deal with large open areas of water, called leads, that they must somehow find a way around, or cross. In recent years, those open leads have become larger and more frequent, particularly at the start of the journey, with global climate change usually being blamed.

Arctic explorers also have to deal with a frustrating phenomenon known as negative drift as well. Negative drift is caused when the large slab of ice they are traveling across actually floats further south, carrying them away from their intended destination at 90ºN. It is not uncommon for someone traveling in the Arctic to spend a full day covering ten miles of distance, only to stop for the night and have negative drift carry them in the opposite direction. More than one Arctic explorer has found that they are significantly further away from the North Pole when they wake up the next morning than they were when they went to sleep.

Those aren't the only challenges to Arctic travel either. For instance, the unstable nature of the ice can cause large areas of it to collide with one another, causing it to crack and break. This can create large debris fields filled with massive boulders of ice which can be extremely difficult to cross, particularly when you're dragging a sled filled with equipment and gear behind you. Additionally, when traveling through the Arctic, explorers need to carry a shotgun with them to help dissuade the polar bears from getting a little too close. In the Antarctic, explorers never encounter anything more vicious than a penguin.

As I write this, two expeditions are preparing to get underway. The Irish North Pole team, consisting of Clair O'Leary and Mike O'Shea, are waiting for word on whether or not their flight to Cape Discovery will fly today. Joining them on that flight will be Japanese solo skier Yasunaga Ogita, who hopes to complete an unsupported journey of his own to the North Pole.

In the days ahead, more teams, including a large contingent from the Indian Army, will head out on the ice. Lets just hope they have better luck than last year, when bad storms at the start of the season delayed flights long enough that most of the explorers simply gave up and went home. The window for skiing to the North Pole is a very narrow one, and the journey has only gotten tougher in the past few years. I hope that everyone at least gets a fair shot at achieving their goals in 2012.

Rowing Team Preps For Arctic Ocean Crossing

A team of American adventurers is preparing to take on the Arctic Ocean next year, and if successful in their venture, they will become the first group to row non-stop across that body of water. That aptly named Arctic Row 2012 is scheduled to get underway in July of next year, and if you're looking for something to do next summer, maybe you can join the expedition.

The team of rowers currently consists of Paul Ridley, Collin West, and Neal Mueller. All three already have some impressive credits on their adventure resumes. Ridley, for example, has already rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean, while West is a top adventure racer, and Mueller has climbed the Seven Summits and swam the English Channel. They're hoping to add a fourth member to the squad before they embark and interested parties are encouraged to e-mail team@arcticrow.com for more information.

The row will begin in Olafsfjorour, Iceland and end in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. The team will cover approximately 1100 miles and expect to be done in 20-30 days depending on weather conditions. To accomplish that goal, the four-man team will row non-stop, 24-hours a day, with two-man rotations spending two hours on the oars at any given time. Their specially designed boat has been built to take on the rigors of the Arctic Ocean and features two cabins – one for the crew to sleep in and one to store their gear.

While the team does plan to row the Arctic Ocean in the July, that doesn't mean that the conditions will be all that easier to endure. Even in the height of summer, temperatures will hover around freezing and the water will be colder still. High winds, choppy seas, and unexpected storms will all conspire to thwart their progress, which is why no one has ever made this journey before now.

I'll follow-up on the expedition as we get closer to the launch next July and follow along with the team as they make their crossing. It should definitely be one adventure to keep our eyes on.