I Stood At The North Pole!
Flying Reykjavik – Frankfurt – Singapore – Melbourne:
Air temperature: definitely warmer!
It still feels a little strange to say that I stood at the North Pole, and have walked around all lines of longitude in less than 60 seconds. But that’s what I did on 27th August 2022 – see photo. Unlike the multitude of explorers who attempted to reach the Pole, there was zero hardship on this trip. We achieved this in absolute luxury, and even the weather and seas were very good to us.
This trip was the obverse to the experience of early explorers who reached the North Pole, or who tried and failed, and to many others that have walked, skied, and dog-sledded to get there. They had ferocious conditions, their clothing and gear was heavier and less protecting than the materials we have today, they used sextants and chronometers rather than GPS, and were under constant natural threats of breaking through the sea-ice, as well as being attacked by polar bears.
Robert Peary is acknowledged as being the first person to reach the North Pole, achieving this in April 1909. Since there is no land mass there, just a sheet of sea ice that floats and moves (as it did when we were on it), expanding during winter and shrinking in summer, there is no way of knowing whether his team or Frederick Cook’s arrived first. There was no point in leaving a marker since it would move with the ice, or sink in the summer.
Ira Block, the wonderful National Geographic photographer and coach who I’ve travelled with several times now, reminded me before I left: “in 1978 when I was a young kid, I went to the North Pole by dog sled”. He was on assignment from Nat Geo to document Naomi Uemura’s achievement of being the first person to solo. What an amazing feat for them both – not only did they need to carry all their own gear and food, as well as for the dogs, they were traversing massive pressure ridges and experiencing all the changes in weather that the Arctic region throws at you. What an achievement!
Is there a next trip to the Arctic?
Le Commandant Charcot is an extraordinary ship with amazing capabilities to push through sea ice and to get to otherwise inaccessible places in the Arctic and Antarctic. However with one helicopter used for navigation, not for passengers, the opportunities to access some regions and to reach and see otherwise inaccessible areas, are reduced.
We had wonderful Expedition Crew who took us out and about on Zodiacs, hikes and kayaking, and taught us about the areas we were visiting (geology, geography, history, wildlife). The musicians were great, and the food delicious and plentiful. But my preference is for ships that are “expedition” first, and at the moment that ship’s focus seems to be more like a cruise ship with fewer opportunities to see areas in depth, such as Scoresbysund in East Greenland or walking on the sea ice at the North Pole.
It’s always amazing being in the Arctic, and this very capable and luxurious icebreaker took us all to the North Pole – that is a “wow”! A big thank you to Sue Flood and Ian Dawson who encouraged me to join them on this trip, and who, as always, helped me with many aspects of my photography.
I’ve been so fortunate to have thoroughly enjoyed seven different trips to the Arctic (including this one), or nine if I count two that were back-to-back. All but one have been on comfortable expedition ships including the Russian icebreaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov. The “one” was by dog sled for 300 kms from Herschel Island to Aklavik in Canada’s Northwest Territory, sleeping on sea-ice and iced-up rivers.
These have taken me across large parts of the Arctic, from sailing around the magical Svalbard archipelago, travelling from Svalbard to east Greenland and Iceland, up the coast of west Greenland from Kangerlussuaq to Qaanaaq, across to Canada’s Ellesmere Island and other parts of Canada’s high Arctic, through the famed Northwest Passage (via both low and high routes), over the top of Alaska, and even a small part of eastern Russia. The only area missing is northern Russia, and this is likely to stay unexplored by me.
So, when we arrived in Reykjavik on Wednesday 7 September at the end of this trip, it was quite an emotional moment with a fleeting thought: could this be the last time I visit the Arctic? I certainly hope not – there is nothing like looking out across an expanse of sea ice and seeing a group of walrus or a bearded seal lying on a small chunk of ice, a group of Brunnich’s Guillemots on little icebergs looking remarkably like little black and white penguins, herds of musk-ox grazing high up on a hill, and puffins flapping their wings madly as they take off from the water looking like they’re about to crash back into it at any moment.
Watching a single polar bear walking across the ice, or a mother helping her cubs navigate the Arctic is enchanting. Polar bears are extraordinary animals and often very inquisitive, roaming the massive expanses of sea ice and land, and swimming long distances if necessary.
So will there be another trip to the Arctic? Actually, one is in the early stages of planning … watch this space!
The photo: this image of all of us was taken from the ship at the North Pole. You’ll see a large Aussie flag on the right side of the middle horizontal line of the “9”. Three people are holding it – I’m the short one on the left!