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: Mark Wood Shares Details on His North Pole Ski

I mentioned yesterday that explorer Mark Wood was expected to announce the specifics of his plan to ski to the North Pole today and true to form, Mark has posted a video with details on the next stage of his expedition. The original plan was for him to follow-up his successful journey to the South Pole by skiing to the North Pole as well, making him the first person to do both journeys back-to-back. But unstable ice conditions and shifting logistics caused Mark to change his plans to actually start at 90ºN and travel southward instead. Those plans were then put in jeopardy because of funding and the need for cash to cover a possible emergency evacuation from the ice. Now, the final plans are in place and Mark knows what he'll be doing over the coming weeks.

Instead of starting on the Canadian side of the Pole, as originally planned, or even starting at the Pole itself, Mark will now launch the next phase of his expedition from the Barneo Ice Station which is set to open next week. Barneo is a temporary base that is set-up each year by the Russians to allow access to the North Pole from their side of the planet. It is usually open for a month or so and serves as a logistical command center for Arctic expeditions. The actual location of the base changes slightly each season based on the movement of the ice caps and where a large, flat surface can be found to land the supply planes. Generally it is built at or around 88ºN however, which means that Mark will now be making a 2º journey to the Pole.

While the expedition was of utmost concern for Wood, he also wanted to ensure that his educational outreach program to classrooms stayed intact and his message of protecting the environment continued as well. When he begins the journey north next week he will continue to focus on those objectives as well. The video below shares his thoughts on the project.

With Mark dramatically shortening his expedition the Norwegian skiers of Mads Agerup and Rune Midtgaard are now the only team attempting a full North Pole ski expedition this season. We'll keep our fingers crossed for their success.

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: Tough Sledding for Norwegians

It has been a challenging week for the Norwegian team of Mads Agerup and Rune Midtgaard, who are currently skiing to the North Pole from the Canadian side. The two men were dropped off on Cape Discovery on Sunday and while their initial reaction was that conditions were better than they expected, the soon found that the Arctic was not as hospitable as they first thought.

The second day of their expedition delivered the ice conditions that the two speed-skiers were anticipating, including large rubble fields and open leads. That meant that they were forced to do a lot of climbing and scrambling over and around huge blocks of ice. Despite the deteriorating conditions however, Rune and Mads managed to cover a very solid 14km (8.6 miles) which is outstanding at this stage of the expedition.

Yesterday the boys elected to take a rest day however as they have found that they are still acclimatizing to the environment and the cold weather hasn't been kind to their lungs. When physically working hard in -40ºC/F weather it is very easy to do damage to the respiratory system, which is the last thing you want to do when making a trip to the North Pole. So, they decided to take it easy and let their bodies adjust before proceeding. Their home team reports that spirits are high and the equipment is performing well, so they should be back on track today.

Meanwhile, the three Frenchmen who will be spending six weeks at the North Pole are still preparing to get underway this week. According to their Facebook page, they should have begun their journey today and will presumably arrive at the Pole sometime in the next few days. They'll be conducting a host of experiments and taking a number of readings on conditions at the Pole which will help us to understand the Arctic more fully and learn about the ways that is it changing.

Finally, we're still waiting to hear of Mark Wood will be proceeding with his expedition as expected. He plans to start at 90ºN and ski southward, and while has secured funding for the trip, the last we heard he was still looking for someone to help cover the costs of a retrieval from the ice once he has finished the journey. Mark says he'll make a statement about his plans in the next few days, so for now we'll just have to be patient.

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: Another Season Over Before It Begins?

Last year's North Pole season was a slow one, mostly because bad weather delayed the start for every team and an already tight window slammed shut before the season could truly get underway. This year things looked more promising as two teams were able to get out on the ice in relatively short fashion, but now it appear that bad weather, precarious conditions on the ice and delayed schedules could bring an end to the Arctic expeditions once again.

Earlier in the week we found out that the Irish team of Clare O'Leary and Mike O'Shea have decided to call off their journey to the North Pole, mainly due to logistical issues. Now it seems they aren't alone pulling the plug on their expedition, as ExWeb is reporting that Japanese solo-skier Yasunaga Ogita is also returning to Resolute Bay and the big Indian Army team isn't even going to start their planned mission to the Pole.

No reason is given as to why Yas has turned back, but a few days ago we learned that some of his equipment was damaged during one of the blizzards that recently hit Cape Discovery. It is possible that what ever is damaged is preventing him from continuing north. In the case of the Indian team, ExWeb says they decided to abort the expedition due to the bad weather and poor condition of the ice, as well as because their sleds were late in arriving in Resolute Bay. They hope to return next year and give it another try.

Unfortunately I suspect that this is a trend that will only continue in the years ahead. While I won't go so far as to suggest that we won't ever see teams making the journey to the North Pole again, I think it is becoming abundantly clear that an Arctic expedition is becoming increasingly more challenging things to climate change. The pack ice use to be incredibly solid and dependable, but now the open leads of water are becoming larger and more frequent, making the passage North much more difficult than it was in the past. If these trends continue, those conditions are going to make a full North Pole expedition nearly impossible in the years ahead.

There are still a few teams who are planning on going and once the Barneo Station opens at the beginning of April we'll have some teams making the journey, albeit along a shortened route, from the Russian side of the ice. For now we'll have to wait to see how everything fares, but it seems the 2012 North Pole season will be another very quiet one.

North Pole 2012: Irish Team Headed Home

The 2012 North Pole season has been an incredibly trying one to say the least. Two teams were able to take advantage of a narrow weather window and get started on their expeditions, but that window soon slammed shut and Cape Discovery has been hit with successive blizzards ever since. Today we have word that one of those teams is calling it quits while the other is struggling with damaged equipment.

ExWeb is reporting that the Irish team of Clare O'Leary and Mike O'Shea have decided to abort their attempt to travel to the North Pole due to the expense that they would incur to cover the costs of their resupply along the way. Apparently the duo had hoped to share the costs for the planes with other teams, but since there are so few of them at the moment, those expenses were going to rise to the point that it didn't make sense for them to continue.

Clare and Mike have already turned around and are headed south, back to Cape Discovery, where they hope to be picked up by plane on Thursday or Friday of this week. As you can imagine, they are a bit dejected by the change in plan but they also don't want to bankrupt themselves in their attempt to reach the Pole.

The only other explorer out on the ice right now is Japanese solo-skier Yasunaga Ogita. Yas spent the weekend trying to avoid the storm as much as possible, but apparently he still suffered damage to some of his equipment. It isn't clear which pieces of gear were damaged and hopefully it isn't something that is critical to his expedition. As ExWeb points out, Yas is going to the North Pole without resupply which means the logistical costs that Clare and Mike faced won't have an impact on his journey.

Finally, ExWeb is also reporting that work on the Barneo ice station has begun for 2012 as well and the base is on track to open on April 2nd. For those who aren't familiar with Barneo, it is a temporary base that is constructed on the Russian side of the North Pole at approximately 89ºN. The base serves as a launching point for "last degree" journeys to the Pole and is used to retrieve skiers headed there as well. For 3-4 weeks each year it is a hub of activity for arctic expeditions that don't launch out of Canada.

North Pole 2012: Slow Progress in Bone-chilling Temperatures

We finally received an update from the Irish squad of Clair O'Leary and Mike O'Shea this morning. The duo are making slow progress in their expedition to the North Pole but report that things may be starting to get a bit easier. They're still covering fairly short distances, yesterday just 4.3 miles, although considering their position, that isn't completely unexpected.

Right now they report that the temperatures have been hovering around -47ºC/-52ºF and those readings don't account for the windchill. Strong winds have been hitting the region and Mike and Clair are preparing for another storm to roll in today. Those winds are not aiding their cause much, as they lost nearly a mile to negative drift over night last night.

They also report that the entire area looks like it has been hit with an earthquake. When the large slabs of ice run into one another, they buckle and break, creating giant rubble fields that are extremely difficult to cross. Throw in the fact that they've also been encountering a lot of open leads, and you start to understand why it is so tough going in the early stages of the expedition.

Also of note is the fact that they are nearly constantly surrounded by the sounds of ice cracking, which can take some time to get use to and is rather unnerving. They even hear it while they are attempting to sleep in their tents at night and those unsettling noises can prevent them from getting the rest they need.

Fortunately, many of these issues will begin to fade away as they get further north. The ice field will solidify more and they won't encounter nearly as much rubble or open patches of water. They have a long ways to go until they get to that point, but it is something for them to look forward to.

Hopefully the predicted blizzard that is expected across Cape Discovery won't have too big of an impact on their travels and they'll be able to continue to make progress throughout the weekend.

North Pole 2012: Blizzard Conditions for Early Explorers

It has not been a great week for the first teams of skiers out on the ice and heading towards the North Pole. While the Irish team of Clair O'Leary and Mike O'Shea, as well as solo Japanese skier Yasunaga Ogita, were fortunate enough to get their respective expeditions underway early, the weather has been far from accommodating since they left Resolute Bay and it doesn't look like its going to improve over the next few days either.

The second day that the explorers were in the Arctic the weather services issued blizzard warnings for the area. That meant high winds and the potential for heavy snow. While we haven't had much word on Yas' progress, we do know that Clair and Mike struggled for 7.5 hours through deep snow throughout the day. They also encountered several large open leads of water as well, which they were forced to swim across in their dry suits.

Over the past few days there has been little word about the progress of either of the teams nor is there an indication of their current positions on either website. My guess is that they are struggling to make much progress at the moment and that there isn't much to report. Hopefully the weather will improve soon and they can start to get into their daily rhythm at last.

In the meantime, this bad weather is keeping other explorers stranded back in Resolute. It is impossible to fly through these blizzards and so a large squad from the Indian army is currently waiting for a flight out to Cape Discovery so they can begin their own expedition. At the moment it appears as if they won't get that opportunity until this weekend at the earliest, so for now the two expeditions that have launched will continued to be the only ones heading north.

Lets hope they stay safe and sound inside of their tents rather than risk travel in a blizzard.

North Pole 2012: The Journey Begins

It has been a cold and difficult beginning for the first skiers out on the ice for the start of the 2012 North Polar season. As noted last week, the first two teams set out on Friday, flying from Canada's Resolute Bay to Cape Discovery, the starting point for most expeditions from the Canadian side of the globe. After being dropped off, both the Irish team of Clair O'Leary and Mike O'Shea and Japanese solo-skier Yasunaga Ogita started their separate journeys north.

According to Clair and Mike's blog it has been tough going so far. The snow is deeper than they had expected, which has in turn led to slow progress over their first few days. On Saturday they managed to cover just 2.33 nautical miles and yesterday wasn't much better. To make matters worse, they are also experiencing temperatures below -50ºC/-58ºF and this early in the season there is little to no sun to help them at least feel a little better.

These temperatures and distances are typical for the start of the season. It always seems that the first few weeks are painfully slow for the explorers who are battling bad weather, unstable ice, and deep snow as they first get underway. The journey to the North Pole is not an easy one, but they'll soon find a rhythm and start making better progress.

Meanwhile, ExWeb reports that Ogita is experiencing the same conditions, although he has the added burden of going it alone. After being dropped off on Friday, Yasu managed to cover 3.6km (1.9 nautical miles) before he decided to set-up camp for the night. No word on his progress since, but at this stage of the expedition we have to assume that he is covering similar distances at the Irish team on a daily basis.

Look for more teams to join them out on the ice this week. Flights to Cape Discovery will be dependent on the weather but there are other teams who are preparing to start soon.

North Pole 2012: Season Officially Begins!

The 2012 North Polar season is a go as ExWeb reports that the first skiers are now en route to Cape Discovery, the launching point for their Arctic journey. Aboard the first plane out should be Irish duo Clair O'Leary and Mike O'Shea, as well as Japanese solo skier Yasunaga Ogita.

The flight from Resolute Bay to Cape Discovery is not a short one. The explorers will cover 1000km (620 miles), and make a fuel stop at Eureka Weather Station, located on Ellesmere Island, along the way. Once there, they'll be offloaded with all of their supplies and gear and will likely spend the night prepping for an early morning departure tomorrow. That means by early next week we should be getting our first reports back from the ice and a good indication of what the current conditions are.

Last year poor weather delayed the start of the Arctic season for several weeks and effectively closed the window on the North Pole before most of the teams could even think about getting underway. Its good to see that the weather has improved for the start of the 2012 season. At least for now anyway.

Good luck to the explorers. Godspeed!

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.

Mark Wood's North Pole Expedition In Jeopardy

For the past several months we've been following explorer Mark Wood as he attempts to become the first person to ski to the North and South Pole back-to-back. He completed the first stage of that journey in early January when he reached the 90ºS and he has been anxiously preparing for the second stage of the expedition ever since. A few weeks back, Mark announced that he would no longer be skiing to the North Pole but would instead begin at the top of the world and ski southward once again. The reason for that change in direction   was because of the dramatic break-up of the Arctic ice and how that could impact his ability to make progress early on.

Now, it seems Wood has hit another snag in his plans, although this one is more financial in nature. Because of the increased danger for travel in the Arctic, rescue teams are now requiring a substantial deposit ahead of time just in case they need to retrieve explorers from the ice. Conducting rescues above the Arctic Circle is a dangerous, costly affair and in order to ensure that that can happen, Mark now needs a considerable amount of money so that he can proceed with the expedition. Money that he doesn't have, and won't have, unless he can find a corporate sponsor or raise funds elsewhere. To that end, he has released the video below in the hopes that someone will be able to assist his cause.

It should be noted that prior to this, Mark wasn't asking for funds or donations of any kind. While he is making the journey to raise awareness of the impact of global climate change, he has always asked us to pledge to help his cause through the Donation website. On that site, we don't pledge money of any kind, but instead choose to select a number of activities that can help us lower our carbon footprint and help ease the burden on our planet. It is a great approach to this issue and I respect that Wood has chosen to go this route rather than simply passing the hat around the table.

Now it seems that Mark is definitely in need of a white knight to come along and save him. His expedition is a good one and his message is definitely positive as well. Hopefully he'll find a sponsor soon and can begin the second phase of his journey as expected.

North Pole 2012: Change In Direction For Mark Wood

For the past few months we've been following Mark Wood on his North South Solo Expedition as he attempts to make back-to-back trips to the North and South Pole. After 50 days in the Antarctic, Mark achieved the first leg of that journey by reaching the South Pole on January 10th. He has now moved on to Canada, where he's now preparing for the Arctic leg of his adventure, although there has now been a change of plans.

Apparently Mark enjoys traveling south much more than north, as he will no longer be traveling from Cape Discovery to the North Pole, but will instead go in the opposite direction. I received a press release this morning that indicated that this change of course is a direct result of the unstable ice conditions at the top of the world. It has been no secret that global climate change has caused the Arctic ice to become thinner and break-up more often. That has made North Pole expeditions extremely challenging the past few years. Marks plan is to start at the top of the world and head South instead, which makes it a bit easier to deal with those unstable conditions. It also means that he'll probably have the drifting ice work in his favor, which is usually a real challenge to those heading north.

This change in plan means that Mark is now headed home to London for a brief stop over, before proceeding to the North Pole in a month or so. My guess is that he'll get to 90ºN by way of the Barneo Ice Station, which is created on the Russian side of the Arctic each year. He'll then start heading south towards Cape Discovery, in Canada, while reporting back live on his findings of the impact of climate change on the ice there.

Stay tuned for more. We'll continue to follow Mark's grand adventure in the weeks ahead.

Antarctic Gear: What Do You Need For A Trip To The South Pole

Ever wondered what kind of gear you need to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole? If so, you'll probably really enjoy this blog post from Mark Wood from a few days back. As you may recall, Mark recently completed that journey, and is now en route to Canada, where he'll soon begin the second part of his expedition, during which he'll ski solo to the North Pole as well.

In the blog post, Mark lists out all the kit that he took with him on his Antarctic adventure and shares a video with details on ten of his favorite items. You'll find the video below, but you'll need to click over to the blog to see the rest of his gear, which is broken up into the following categories: Tent Items, Clothing, Kitchen Items, and Communications and Filming gear. Under each of those categories you'll find listings of the particular gear he took and which brand he used along the way, as well as the quantity of those items too. In some case, back-up gear was necessary, so you'll see multiple version of that item included in the inventory.

He also lists one item under "Missing In Action" as well, which is his iPod. Apparently the device broke on day two of he expedition, and he had to spend the next 48 days without any kind of audio to help pass the time. Many polar explorers like to load up their iPod with plenty of music, podcasts, and audio books to help pass the time on the trail, but for Mark, that wasn't a luxury he was able to enjoy.

The North Pole season is now just a few short weeks away, and it won't be long before more teams are gathering in Resolute Bay to start their expeditions. Mark hasn't posted his current whereabouts, but make no mistake, we'll be following him on his journey North as well.

Antarctica 2011: Johan Ernst Nilson Reaches Second Pole

One of the bigger adventures of the past year came to an end last week when Swedish adventurer Johan Ernst Nilson reached the South Pole. That point marked the final destination of his Pole2Pole expedition, which began last spring when he set out from the North Pole and began traveling south.

The initial plan was for Nilson to make the journey completely without the use of motorized vehicles, going on skis from the North Pole to Greenland for instance, then employing dogsleds to reach the coast and sailing the northern Atlantic to Canada. He ended up skiing directly to Canada instead, and once there, he began riding his bike towards South America, where he had hoped to arriving in Punta Arenas in time for the Antarctic season. With the cycling leg behind him, he would then sail across the Southern Ocean, to Antarctica, and kite-ski to the Pole.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to travel as fast as he would like and that plan didn't come together completely. The bike ride took longer than Nilson expected, and as a result, he had to abandon his two-wheeled transportation and fly to the Antarctic in order to take advantage of the weather window that comes with the austral summer. Once on the ice, he did kite to the Pole, but it was a tough go that left him injured with a couple of broken ribs that must have been incredibly painful

Now, Nilson will return to South America and after a brief rest, get back on his bike and continue his ride to Punta Arenas. Once there, he still intends to sail to Antarctica, which would allow him to finish the expedition in the manner that he had started, just with a slight detour along the way. He hopes to accomplish this goal by early April, which would mean that he truly has gone from Pole2Pole in a single year.

Video: An Adventurous Life

I came across this video at the Adventure Journal, and found the imagery compelling, even if I didn't understand the language. It depicts German adventurer Olaf Rieck on numerous expeditions over the years and offers up some of the more challenging moments of those journeys. Entitled Abenteuer Leben (Adventure Life) Part I, the video is a reminder that adventures are often incredibly difficult and challenging, and can make us extremely uncomfortable for days and weeks at a time. And yet, strangely enough, we still keep going back for more.

While some of the scenes depicted here look absolutely brutal, I can't be the only one who views them and thinks "I'd sure like to be there."



Olaf Rieck - Abenteuer Leben Part I from ulF wogensTein on Vimeo.

Polar Explorer To Make Back-To-Back Journeys To The Poles

Making an expedition to one of the poles, either North or South, is a demanding proposition. It requires strength, endurance, and mental toughness, as explorers spend weeks at a time, often alone, out on the ice. One man has decided that going to just a single pole isn't enough for him however, so he now plans to make back-to-back journeys to the North and South Pole.

British adventurers Mark Wood will leave for the Antarctic next week, where he will embark on a solo and unsupported journey to the South Pole. He expects to take roughly 50 days to cover the 680 miles or so to reach that point, at which time, he'll be collected from the ice by ALE and flown back to Chile. For most polar explorers, that would be the end of the expedition, but for Wood it'll just be half-way there.

With the first leg of the journey behind him, he will then proceed directly to Canada, where he'll start the second stage of the expedition – a 65-day, 700-mile trek through the Arctic to reach the North Pole. When he finally reaches 90ºN, he'll then be picked up by a Russian helicopter and immediately make his way to an international conference on the environment and climate change, during which he is expected to share his thoughts on the effects of global warming on the polar ice caps.

Obviously this will be an incredibly demanding and difficult undertaking. Wood has scheduled himself a modest 50 days in the South Pole, which should be plenty of time, but the North Pole is a completely different beast, and 65-days may not be enough for that stage of the journey. On top of that, if conditions are anything like this past year, the weather may make it impossible to go at all. The journey to the North Pole is far more difficult than going to the South, and climate change has made it even more so in recent years.

Still, it'll be fun to follow along on this major expedition. I wish Mark all the best, and I'll be posting updates in the days and weeks to come. If he pulls this off, it will be an incredible accomplishment to say the least.

A Pair Of Adventure Interviews

We have a couple of good interviews this morning of two very interesting adventurers who have spent a lot of time on mountains and in very cold places.

First up, my friends at CheapTents.com are making it a habit of posting excellent interviews with some fascinating subjects. This week they put polar explorer Lonnie Dupre under their microscope, discussing such topics as what inspires him to go on his adventures, what his biggest weakness is, and why he decided to attempt Denali in January. Even for a guy who has been to the North Pole twice and circumnavigated Greenland, that was a tough expedition.

Once you're done getting to know Lonnie better, head over to Adventeer to check out their interview with  mountaineer Meagan McGrath. I've written about Meagan's adventures a few times, most notably when she went to the South Pole, but also on her Seven Summits climbs as well. In her interview, Meagan discusses her motivations for climbing, what it was like going to the South Pole alone, and how she manages to self-fund her adventures. She also goes into detail on the Seven Summits and shares which of those peaks was her favorite as well.

Both are good reads and highly motivational. If you're finding it difficult to get your energy going this morning, both Lonnie and Meagan may provide some inspiration. At the very least, they'll give you something to think about heading into the weekend.