| Welcome to the YPO/WPO North Pole expedition blog. We will be sending out dispatches from the team starting April 1, 2009 so check back soon! | |
April 1 The YPO/WPO North Pole expedition officially kicked off tonight in Oslo with a welcome reception and dinner at the Fram. The highlight of the evening was a wonderful presentation from world renowned polar explorer Borge Ousland whose list of accomplishments and world records stand about as tall as the mast of the Fram. After cocktails and dinner on the deck, Borge gave the team an inspiring presentation about his expeditions to the North and South Poles, highlighting the tenacity, perseverance and motivation that keeps him going on his expeditions, and how those same strengths can be applied to non-polar situations. The Fram is a famous polar ship that has served many of the world's most famous explorers including Nansen, Amundsen, & Sverdrup on their historic Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. It is also one of Norway's most coveted museums, and it was the perfect place to celebrate the start of this incredible adventure. Enjoy the photos of the first night and check back tomorrow for another dispatch! |
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April 2 Today the team flew from Oslo to Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen is a delightful Arctic town well above the Arctic Circle at 78 degrees North latitude. It is on the island of Spitsbergen, which is a part of a larger group of islands named Svalbard. Spitsbergen is home to one of the largest polar bear populations on Earth, in fact there are more polar bears in the vicinity of Spitsbergen than there are permanent residents! The team arrived to beautiful conditions; sunny, clear, calm and about -25C (or close to -12 F). These are ideal conditions to welcome you to the Arctic! After arriving and transferring to the hotel, each person's clothing and equipment was checked for the upcoming expedition. The team then met for an expedition briefing followed by dinner Norwegian-style (crab, whale, seal, veal, foie gras...) of course there were vegetarian options. At this time of year the sun stays up late into the night, in fact it never gets fully dark, so it's easy to stay up until the wee hours of the morning socializing without realizing the time of day (or night). Many team members did just this, likely drinking the local MACK beer, which is from the northernmost brewery in the world. Everyone is excited for the coming adventure and looking forward to a full day tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for another dispatch! |
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 Who knew there was such fine wine in the Arctic? |
 Expedition briefing |
View of the mountains |
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 Map of Svalbard (Spitsbergen is the largest island) |
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Today the team went on a ski-doo safari traversing nearly 200 km of Spitsbergen's beautiful white wilderness. Along the way they saw reindeer foraging for food, arctic fox and even a polar bear from a distance (though they were able to watch it with binoculars). YPO member Pritam Doshi described the landscape as surreal, amazing and at times like another planet. They traveled up and over mountains, across wide valleys and stopped for lunch on a frozen fjord. Their destination, the sailing vessel Noorderlicht, which lies frozen in beautiful Temple Fjord. The Noordelicht is a very unique vessel, outfitted to sail in the rugged waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. She has been outfitted to accommodate small groups with a beautiful wooden dining room and berths not unlike those on the Fram. The team enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by the Noorderlicht's hosts, and it is reported that conversation centered around polar bears, and in particular their mating habits. The weather today saw mixed clouds, with temperatures around -20C. Check back tomorrow for another dispatch! |
View from the deck |
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Today the team returned from the Noorderlicht back to Longyearbyen. The route took them over some beautiful terrain and the weather cooperated by providing sunny skies. The feeling of expanse is tremendous in the Arctic, and it can feel as if the land connects directly with the sky. It's easy, as Robert Service - a favorite Arctic poet writes, to "grow bigger in the bigness of the whole." Upon getting back to Longyearbyen the team readied themselves for the flight tomorrow to "the ice". They packed their sleds and all the gear was transferred to the airport where it will be ready for a morning flight tomorrow (weather permitting). Dinner was a special treat... a candle-lit meal of traditional foods served at a small trapper's cabin. The log cabin with it's open fireand rugged comfort gave the feeling of stepping back in time. An after-dinner presentation about Spitsbergen helped put into perspective the places the team has traveled to in the last couple of days. Good food, and lots of merriment made tonight a night to remember. Click
here to listen to an audio dispatch by YPO team member Pritam Doshi.
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 Getting sleds ready for transport |
 All packed and ready to go! |
 Don't forget the sleeping pads! |
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April 5 Today the team flew via charter air to the Borneo Ice Station. Borneo, sometimes called Barneo, is a small basecamp currently located about 20 kilometers from the North Pole (it drifts with the ice, and therefore changes location every day!) . Borneo is a temporary ice camp. It is established every April to support North Pole expeditions and science teams that are studying the pack ice near the North Pole. Borneo consists of a heated mess tent where people gather for meals and socializing, as well as several sleeping tents. It has an ice runway and a very dedicated staff who call it home for the season. The weather today was perfect for flying; sunny, clear and about -20F. After landing the team had an orientation followed by lunch. Later they put on their skis and spent some time skiing around the camp to loosen up the ski muscles. The snow is firm and well-packed and though most people are wearing skis, it is also possible to walk on the snow. After skiing the team had a social hour/wine tasting in the mess tent. The wine-tasting featured wine from three countries that have had particularly interesting & historical North Pole expeditions (France, Australia and Italy). Later on Bert Peary Stafford, great grandson of Admiral Robert Peary, gave a presentation about his great-grandfather's discovery of the North Pole. He brought along a family photo album as well as one of Peary's sextants. Several team members opted to spend 2 days skiing to the North Pole rather than just one. This group departed Borneo via helicopter after lunch and headed north for the start of their adventure. The whole team will head to the Pole tomorrow! Check back in for more details... |
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 The Anatnov on the ice runway |
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 Welcome to Borneo! |
 A small oasis in the frozen Arctic Ocean |
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April 6 Today the team flew to within striking distance of the North Pole and skied the remaining kilometers to the top of the world. The weather was brilliant with sun, no clouds and little wind and a temperature of around -30C. Though beautiful outside most people opted to hang out in the main tent where there was a celebration taking place. On the drink menu was the official cocktail of the North Pole, the Aurora Borealis, which is champagne with a splash of Russian vodka and some snow from the North Pole mixed in. When they reported in there was much laughter and shouting and an obvious party being had. Five of the team members who spent the previous night on the ice headed back to Borneo and will meet up with the everyone else in the morning at 90 degrees (the Geographical North Pole) for a photo session and ceremonial placing of the time capsule. Make sure to listen to the audio dispatches below, and check back soon for pictures from the North Pole. Click here to listen to an audio dispatch from YPO member Dave Nelson Click here to listen to an audio dispatch from YPO member Russell Pullan |
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April 7 The team returned to Longyearbyen today after having a ceremony and photo session at the North Pole. It was a bright, brisk day to be at the Pole, perfect for soaking it all in and taking some photos. Bert Peary Stafford said a few words about Peary's 1909 expedition and the time capsule was placed in the snow. Back at Longyearbyen, they had a celebratory dinner and award ceremony to commemorate their expedition. Make sure to listen to the daily audio update! Listen to an audio dispatch from YPO member Alexander Rittweger
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