For the ultimate adventurer, nothing beats our dogsled & ski expeditions to the North Pole. This traditional mode of travel brings to mind names like Peary, Henson and Cook. If visions of dog teams maneuvering over tall pressure ridges, or crossing freshly frozen leads stir your spirit of adventure, this may be the expedition for you. More...

Expedition Dates

2012 Tentative dates: April 14-26, 2012 (one degree) April 8-26, 2012 (two degrees)

2013 Tentative dates: April 14-26, 2013 (one degree) April 8-26, 2013 (two degrees)

Expedition Pricing

Please contact us for details. Download Application

This expedition includes our 5 day Polar Shakedown Training (with dogsled training), team expedition anorak, and accommodations, dinners and breakfasts in Longyearbyen.

"All-inclusive" packages available that include your full kit, hotels, in-town meals and more... Contact us for details.

Daily Itinerary
Two Degree Expedition (click here for the One Degree Expedition itinerary)

Day 1:	Meet in Longyearbyen. Transfer from airport to hotel. Unpack gear and relax. Opportunity to explore Longyearbyen. Welcome reception and dinner.
Day 2:	Final equipment review, warm-up ski/dogsledding near Longyearbyen. Last chance to get goodies and/or clothing or equipment in town!
Day 3:	Fly to the vicinity of 89 degrees North latitude where there is an ice runway and small basecamp. Depending on weather conditions, we may immediately depart for the vicinity of 88 degrees north (by helicopter) or we may set up camp and spend the night.
Day 4- 16:	From the vicinity of 88 degrees, we'll dogsled and ski the final 2 degrees +/- to the North Pole! Days are spent mushing the dogs, and skiing. Generally, one or two people work with each dog team while other participants ski. We'll break periodically to eat and drink, and to switch dogsledding/skiing roles. Evenings are spent setting up camp, feeding and caring for the dogs, preparing meals and relaxing with fellow expedition team members.
Day 17:	Arrive at the geographic North Pole! Enjoy a Polar celebration with champagne, photographs, and plenty of photos. Call home and share the moment with friends or family! Camp in the vicinity of the North Pole.
Day 18:	Pick up by charter helicopter and fly back to the basecamp. Board return flight to Longyearbyen. Hot showers and celebratory dinner!
Day 19:	Breakfast at Longyearbyen hotel. Transport to airport. Flights home!

One Degree Expedition

Day 1:	Meet in Longyearbyen. Transfer from airport to hotel. Unpack gear and relax. Opportunity to explore Longyearbyen. Welcome reception and dinner.
Day 2:	Final equipment review, warm-up ski/dogsledding near Longyearbyen. Last chance to get goodies and/or clothing or equipment in town!
Day 3:	Fly to 89 degrees North latitude where there is an ice runway and small basecamp. Depending on weather conditions, we may immediately depart to meet up with the 2 degree expedition (by helicopter) or we may set up camp and spend the night.
Day 4 - 10:	From the vicinity of 89 degrees, we'll dogsled and ski the final 1 degree +/- to the North Pole! Days are spent mushing the dogs, and skiing. Generally, one or two people work with each dog team while other participants ski. We'll break periodically to eat and drink, and to switch dogsledding/skiing roles. Evenings are spent setting up camp, feeding and caring for the dogs, preparing meals and relaxing with fellow expedition team members.
Day 11:	Arrive at the geographic North Pole! Enjoy a Polar celebration with champagne, photographs, and plenty of photos. Call home and share the moment with friends or family! Camp in the vicinity of the North Pole.
Day 12:	Pick up by charter helicopter and fly back to the basecamp. Board return flight to Longyearbyen. Hot showers and celebratory dinner!
Day 13:	Breakfast at Longyearbyen hotel. Transport to airport. Flights home!

This itinerary is highly dependent on a number of factors and is subject to change. Contact us for a more detailed itinerary!

Qualifications
This expedition is for people who are in good shape, and who are eager to push themselves physically and mentally. You will need to have very good cardiovascular endurance and the ability to work with heavy dogsleds for several hours at a time. You must also be able to travel on cross-country style skis. Though no experience is necessary (we can teach you dogsledding and skiing skills on the shakedown), previous skiing skills are very helpful as team members often find this aspect of the expedition most demanding. Towards the end of the day when we stop dogsledding & skiing, it is critical that you have the energy reserves to set up camp, melt snow for hot tea or cocoa, and make dinner. Most importantly you need to be able to regulate your body temperature so that you do not get too cold, or too hot while you are on the move. This expedition will encounter extremely cold conditions, and living in such cold conditions 24 hours a day can be very challenging. You do not have to be a world class athlete to participate in and enjoy this expedition, but every ounce of training and preparation will help to make the expedition more enjoyable and safer. Please contact us with further questions!

Equipment
Upon registration, you will receive a comprehensive gear guide including an instructional DVD that explains the importance of each item as well as gear recommendations from our past participants.

• 1 pair skis and ski poles (supplied by PolarExplorers)
• 1 pair skins covering the full length of your skis (supplied by PolarExplorers)
• 1 pair snow pack ski boots (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• 1 pair extra boot liners (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• Sleeping bag rated to at least -35° Celsius (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• Bivy sack (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• 2 sleeping pads (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• 1 wind anorak with hood (supplied by PolarExplorers - your to keep)
• 1 wind pants
• 1 insulated parka with hood
• 1 warm fleece jacket and pants
• 2 sets wool or synthetic underwear, medium weight top and bottom- 2nd set optional
• 3 sets mitts: 1 regular, 1 overmitts, 1 spare regular mitts or gloves
• 2 pair working gloves
• 2 hats: 1 lightweight balaclava, 1 ski type
• 2 neck gaiters
• 3 pair socks and sock liners
• Several small stuff sacks
• 1 face mask
• Sun glasses and/ or mountain ski glasses
• 2 pr. anti-fog goggles
• 1 sturdy small backpack with waist belt and sternum strap
• 2 Thermos bottles or insulated water bottles
• 1 set eating utensils with bowl
• Pocket knife / multi-tool
• Personal toiletries
• 1 pee bottle (small plastic bottle)
• Face cream, lip protection
• 4 carabiners

What's Included:

• PolarExplorers expertise in planning and preparation (call us anytime!)
• PolarExplorers guides (world-class polar guides having guided a combined 40+ polar expeditions & adventures)
• 5-day Polar Shakedown Training (THE best polar training available!)
• PE's popular "North Pole Slideshow" (a ready-to-go PowerPoint presentation about the North Pole, expedition travel, and the polar environment.) We've prepared this for you to use as a stand-alone presentation or to edit/ incorporate into your own presentation about your expedition. Share the North Pole with your friends, family & community
• PolarExplorer's "Polar Prep" DVD covering personal clothing & equipment and tips for training.
• Expedition anorak with expedition patch (yours to keep!)
• Daily online expedition blogs for friends and family back home
• Pick up at Longyearbyen airport and transfer to hotel
• Welcome reception on first night of expedition
• All charter air transportation from Longyearbyen and return
• Up to three nights lodging in Longyearbyen (with dinners and breakfasts)
• Skis, poles, sleds (quality gear that's tried and true in the polar environment)
• Boots (use ours or bring your own)
• Sleeping systems (sleeping bag, bivy and pads)
• Tents & all group camping gear
• Expedition patch
• All food while on the ice
• North Pole celebration
• Official framed certificate
• Satellite phone call from North Pole
• Communication and safety gear
• Baggage allowance up to 77lbs (35 kg)
  

What's Not Included:

• Round trip airfare to Longyearbyen
• Personal clothing and accessories
• Full medical, baggage, trip cancellation and evacuation insurance (required)
• Excess baggage costs
• Additional phone calls from the ice (one call from the North Pole is included)
• Extended stay fees associated with weather delays
• Food and lodging in Longyearbyen if booked on the "standard" package
• Taxes and gratuity
• Travel to Polar Shakedown location

Full Expedition Description
For the ultimate adventurer, nothing beats our dogsled & ski expeditions to the North Pole. This traditional mode of travel brings to mind names like Peary, Henson and Cook. If visions of dog teams maneuvering over tall pressure ridges, or crossing freshly frozen leads stir your spirit of adventure, this may be the expedition for you. To give you more options, we are offering a two degree dogsled & ski expedition, as well as a one degree "resupply" expedition.

Contrary to popular belief, having dog teams to pull your gear doesn't make an expedition any easier. Plain and simple, this can be a very difficult expedition and it requires excellent cardiovascular endurance. Instead of riding on the back of the sled you more frequently work along side the dogs on ski or foot, guiding them over pressure ridges and around open water leads. Experience with cross country skiing is very beneficial. It all adds up to long, but very rewarding days. Dogsledding and skiing for up to 10 hours a day, you'll get to see the Polar pack ice up close and personal. You'll experience the incredible challenges of dogsledding on the pack ice, along with the tremendous sense of accomplishment that accompany an expedition of this magnitude.

As with all of our other expeditions this is a "hands-on" experience. You'll be participating in all aspects of the expedition, including setting up camp, cooking, feeding the dogs, etc. Give us a call and let us tell you more about what skills you should have prior to the expedition, and what skills we will be teaching you prior to our departure. A 5 day dogsledding Polar Shakedown trip is included in the cost of both expeditions (and is mandatory for the 2 degree trip). Click here to see the dates.

Upon reaching the North Pole, we'll celebrate with our special Polar champagne and special treats for our canine friends (whale blubber!). An array of North Pole photos and the prized call home are also a part of the celebration. A helicopter pick up and charter flight back to Longyearbyen complete this grand adventure. As with our other Polar expeditions we will work with you to ensure that you acquire the best clothing and equipment for your expedition.