Live updates from the ice for our North Pole, South Pole, and Greenland crossing expeditions. Hear what it's like to dogsled over leads in the polar ice cap and sleep in a tent while trekking to one of the poles. Our guides and clients call in updates from the ice, and you can hear them here, right away. http://polarexplorers.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-us Sat, 7 Jun 2008 12:41:42 -0500 staff@nwpassage.com Sat, 7 Jun 2008 12:39:15 -0500 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com Updates from the ice for our Polar expeditions. PolarExplorers.com guides and clients call in their experiences from our North Pole, South Pole, and Greenland crossing expeditions. Hear first-hand accounts of living and trekking in sub-zero conditions among some of the most difficult and most rewarding landscapes on earth. PolarExplorers.com Annie Aggens annie@polarexplorers.com Polar Explorers, nwpassage, Northwest Passage, North Pole, South Pole, PolarExplorers.com, Greenland, polar travel, skiing, dog sledding, polar ice cap, ice cap no no June 7: Success!!! The team traveled to their pick up point yesterday at 65 53.773 North, 039 13.239 West and met the charter helicopter which took them to Kulusuk. They were extremely fortunate that the weather cooperated- the pilot told them that had it been 20 minutes later, he would not have been able to fly. They arrived in Kulusuk and thoroughly enjoyed all of the comforts of civilization- showers, celebratory dinner in the restaurant and perhaps a few alcoholic beverages. Overall, it was an outstanding expedition. They had some absolutely spectacular days of weather and travel, some extremely challenging days, they weathered a severe storm which had everyone rather anxious and they all worked together as a team to accomplish their ultimate goal- crossing the Greenland Icecap. It was a unique situation to have a 10 member team representing 7 different nationalities. Today all will be departing from Kulusuk, beginning their journeys back to their homes, families and friends. Congratulations to all team members on a spectacular accomplishment! Expeditions such as this require not only good physical conditioning but can present mental and emotional challenges that not all are cut out for. Our team did an incredible job meeting all of the various challenges. We are all extremely proud of team members Alexander Drozdkov (Russia), Norbert Kern (Germany), Katerina Marinaki (Greece), Jin Fei Bao and Fei Xuan (China) and Lawrence Lahay (USA) with expedition guides Mykkel Lybaech and Peter Ignatiussen from Greenland and Annie Aggens and Keith Heger of Polar Explorers, Wilmette, IL. Bravo!!! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080607 94768B33-B5ED-4E81-B43F-E4D81A6E9F78 Sat, 7 Jun 2008 12:39:15 -0500 Success!!! The team traveled to their pick up point yesterday at 65 53.773 North, 039 13.239 West and met the charter helicopter which took them to Kulusuk. They were extremely fortunate that the weather cooperated- the pilot told them that had it been 20 minutes later, he would not have been able to fly. They arrived in Kulusuk and thoroughly enjoyed all of the comforts of civilization- showers, celebratory dinner in the restaurant and perhaps a few alcoholic beverages. Overall, it was an outstanding expedition. They had some absolutely spectacular days of weather and travel, some extremely challenging days, they weathered a severe storm which had everyone rather anxious and they all worked together as a team to accomplish their ultimate goal- crossing the Greenland Icecap. It was a unique situation to have a 10 member team representing 7 different nationalities. Today all will be departing from Kulusuk, beginning their journeys back to their homes, families and friends. Congratulations to all team members on a spectacular accomplishment! Expeditions such as this require not only good physical conditioning but can present mental and emotional challenges that not all are cut out for. Our team did an incredible job meeting all of the various challenges. We are all extremely proud of team members Alexander Drozdkov (Russia), Norbert Kern (Germany), Katerina Marinaki (Greece), Jin Fei Bao and Fei Xuan (China) and Lawrence Lahay (USA) with expedition guides Mykkel Lybaech and Peter Ignatiussen from Greenland and Annie Aggens and Keith Heger of Polar Explorers, Wilmette, IL. Bravo!!! http://polarexplorers.com?ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080607greenland DE1F6203-AEF5-49BE-95FA-473CBFFA57A6 Sat, 7 Jun 2008 12:36:47 -0500 Current position is 65 57.036 North, 039 34.096 West. The team traveled another 30 km yesterday. They had excellent weather and great travel conditions. Going downhill really helps too! They are nearing their goal rapidly and feeling excited as the end draws nearer. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080606greenland 628F54FB-788D-4B48-B78D-C6C2F76BB0DD Fri, 6 Jun 2008 12:34:20 -0500 Current position is 66 03.142 North, 040 10.835 West. Yesterday the team traveled 30 km (18.64 miles) again. They experienced all different kinds of weather- at the start of the day they experienced the most beautiful sky they have had yet. They are now 78 km from the coast. Everyone is in great spirits as the end of the expedition is nearing and they experience the sense of accomplishment from all their hard work. Special update from team member Katia Marinaki from Greece, wishing a special hello to Rick Sweitzer, Executive Director of Polar Explorers, who is currently in Crete guiding a sea kayaking trip. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080605greenland C4575D4A-4298-441A-8800-E83CC2E1309F Thu, 5 Jun 2008 18:23:24 -0500 June 4: Current position is 66 06.515 North, 040 49.811 West. They are now south of the Arctic Circle. They traveled over 30 km (18.64 miles) yesterday through very strenuous conditions. Initially, they had very deep snow but toward the end of the day, conditions turned icy and they were able to speed along and cover more kms. They are all tired but feeling the end is in sight (not quite literally yet but could be soon). They are 30 km from the dog food cache which is their goal today. Overall, they have about 100 km to go. Live update from team member Larry Lahay (Colorado). http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080604greenland D3526DA0-1642-4775-BA87-17BFB6EEA911 Wed, 4 Jun 2008 13:55:28 -0500 Special thanks to everyone sending text messages- they really help the team keep up morale and persevere on the long, challenging days. A very special thanks to John’s 4th grade class who has been following their progress every day. It means a lot! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080603greenland 8166D588-26B0-44CB-B71E-97D4693935F6 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 17:41:17 -0500 Current position is 66 10.717 North, 41 31.951 West. The team had an exceptionally challenging day yesterday as they traveled through deep, deep snow. It took great effort on everyone’s part, skiers and dogs, and they deservedly felt very proud to have made 27 km (16.8 miles). They woke up to stormy conditions this morning and were concerned they might be weathered in again. But the storm blew threw and they were able to get a late morning start, still hoping to cover 30 km today. http://polarexplorers.comExpeditionTracker.htm#20080603greenland 1C5BA71B-D18D-4170-B219-5F5E35B21675 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 17:39:31 -0500 June 2: Current position is 66 13.853 North 42 07.134 West. The team is doing very well. Yesterday, they traveled 30 km in mixed conditions- at times, the snow was very wet and heavy which can stick to one’s skis and have the effect of slamming on the brakes. But they persevered and were able to make good progress. They received an email from Mary D., wondering about the location of the dog food cache. It is located at 66 03.14 North, 40 10.84 West. From there, it will be all downhill and the team anticipates making significant progress, clocking away the kilometers, heading into the home stretch. A special hello to the Polar Explorers’ North Pole team members who are following the expedition- it is beautiful and they wish you were with them! Annie Aggens wishes a special hello also to her family. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080602greenland 9A04DE83-D7AA-4E4E-818D-C14D039B4F84 Mon, 2 Jun 2008 18:15:05 -0500 Current position is 66 16.756° North, 042 45.980° West. The team had another great day of travel, covering 30 km (18.64 miles). The weather cooperated nicely with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures. They look forward to continuing this trend of clocking the kilometers toward their final destination. Listen to the live update from team member Alexander Drozdkov from Russia. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080601greenland 5697EA3A-0943-4B6F-83C2-4FCC870ADD5A Sun, 1 Jun 2008 14:20:27 -0500 Current position is 66 19.47° North, 043 25.32° West. The team had an amazing day of travel! The storm finally broke around 1 a.m. to the great relief of all. They had a slow start to the day as they had to dig out the dogsleds which were completely buried in snow, break off the ice balls crusted in the dogs’ fur, repair the tent which had been damaged in the wind- all part of the adventure! When they started traveling, they had no wind and 100% sun, perfect visibility. As the afternoon wore on, it became partly cloudy and they had a slight wind but it was at their backs. They traveled 30 km (18.64 miles) in 7.5 hours- the fastest travel date yet. All are very excited to be back on the move, looking forward to more travel days like this. Keith Heger's live update below.  http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080531greenland 39548C48-16A1-46B0-92FE-316BF095DF42 Sun, 1 Jun 2008 14:17:46 -0500 Current position is the same as yesterday as the team was not able to move at all due to the extremely high winds. They boldly braved the storm and maintained high spirits throughout. One tent sustained damage in the winds but has now been repaired. The team was delighted to find the winds died down today and they have a beautiful day for travel. Listen to Norbert Kern’s report below. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080530greenland BD9EF099-73BD-45A0-BDF4-A8FC119534D2 Fri, 30 May 2008 11:30:31 -0500 Current position is 66 22.869° North, 44 05.288° West. Windbound! The team traveled in full white out conditions yesterday with winds of 48 km/hr (30 mph) and zero visibility. They were able to follow the tracks of the dog teams and kept close together but it was extremely challenging. After 3.5 hours, they had made 7 km (4.4 miles) and decided to stop and make camp. This as you can imagine was quite difficult with such winds. Today, the winds increased to 80.5 km/hr (50 mph) sustained with gusts significantly higher. The weather forecast indicates that the storm should blow over tonight and winds decrease tomorrow. All are well and safely in their tents, looking forward to hearing the wind die down so they can continue their travels. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080529greenland B70E815C-89E5-4295-BC86-A267147CBD13 Thu, 29 May 2008 17:49:25 -0500 Current position is 66 23.598 North, 44 13.589° West. The team traveled 27.5 km (17.1 miles) with decent travel conditions. Visibility was limited and the winds were at their faces but they managed to cover significant distance. They look forward to reaching the summit soon. All are in very good spirits. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080528greenland D9AB1A90-69DD-4267-8BA0-A719599FCBB7 Wed, 28 May 2008 18:14:13 -0500 You can text message the team by emailing 881641403334@msg.iridium.com. You can send a message up to 160 characters. They will be looking forward to receiving your greetings, questions, best wishes, etc. The live updates below cover their report of travel yesterday along with information on texting the team. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080522greenland2 97285F09-B43E-4629-993E-F7CC157DFC9F Thu, 22 May 2008 10:49:33 -0500 May 22, 2008 Current position is 66 40.772 North, 046 56.878 West. The team had an excellent day of travel yesterday in challenging conditions. They covered 27 km (16.8 miles) with winds from the south at 40 km/hour (25 mph). They had zero visibility, making travel and navigation quite difficult but temperatures were in their favor, -15 C (5 F) so the colder temperature combined with the wind dried out the snow and let the dogs really run. Welcome all NPR listeners who heard Annie Aggens’ (Polar Explorers Director) interview on the Eight Forty Eight program yesterday morning. You can listen at http://polarexplorers.com/Radio.htm. You can text message the team by emailing 881641403334@msg.iridium.com. You can send a message up to 160 characters. They will be looking forward to receiving your greetings, questions, best wishes, etc. The live updates below cover their report of travel yesterday along with information on texting the team. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080522greenland 8D575237-A4E0-486D-95A8-2BC4324007FF Thu, 22 May 2008 10:44:49 -0500 Current position is 66.48.63 N, 047.27.79 W. The team traveled 15 km (9.3 miles) yesterday through very challenging conditions- wet, heavy and deep snow. They had gray skies and very poor visibility. The dogs were stars, pulling the sleds through the difficult snow conditions. And the team members all did a fantastic job breaking trail. Temperatures were -7 to -4 C (20-25 F) but have now dropped to -10 C (15 F). All are in good spirits, hoping that the temperature will continue to drop and bring about better snow and travel conditions. Annie Aggens, Polar Explorers Director, called in the update today. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#2080521greenland 1165C836-E753-4B8E-A51D-2C922919ABA7 Wed, 21 May 2008 18:49:33 -0500 Current position is 66.53.253 North, 047.45.479 West. The team had a challenging travel day yesterday with zero visibility, winds from the SE at 24 km/hr (15 mph) all day, blowing snow. But they persevered and traveled 22 km (13.7 miles). Temperatures were warm 2 C (35.6 F) which contributed to the challenges. Norbert Kern from Germany recorded today’s update. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080520greenland F2BC3B4B-BCBC-469B-8AD1-76BEF0070904 Tue, 20 May 2008 09:11:22 -0500 Current position is 66.59 North, 48.11 West. Today is Larry Lahay’s (team member from Colorado) birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY!! He’s thinking about his mother and brother and wishing them all the best. They will celebrate with a special birthday dinner tonight. Conditions currently are overcast with blowing snow, temperature still around 0 C (32 F). The snow is very wet, tents, boots, everything is wet so moisture management is a key issue. They hope the temperatures will drop some to freeze the snow further. The team traveled 24 km (15 miles) yesterday in 8 hours. Conditions were very overcast with flat light, giving no depth perception. This made travel and navigation tricky and they felt very positive about covering 24 km. All are in great spirits looking forward to another good day of travel. The live update today is from Katia Marinaki from Greece and includes some notes in both Greek and Turkish. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080519greenland DF181801-6589-402C-BFD1-30EC9B703AA5 Mon, 19 May 2008 12:01:00 -0500 Current position is 67.06° North, 48.39° West. They had a fantastic day of travel yesterday, covering 21 km (13 miles). They had beautiful weather- blue skies, unlimited visibility, slight wind at their faces, temperatures still around 0° C (32° F). They were planning to begin travel around noon today. This time the live update did record- have a listen... http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080518greenland 348DC262-CBAB-4E3F-ABDC-6B082ACA0F05 Mon, 19 May 2008 11:16:35 -0500 Current position: SAS Radisson, Longyearbyen, Norway! Both teams are back in Longyearbyen. They returned by charter air from basecamp Borneo today and thoroughly enjoyed a well deserved shower and rest. As you will hear from the update below, they are also thoroughly enjoying their celebratory dinner! Many thanks to everyone who has helped the teams from a number of different angles- physical training, mental and emotional support- there are so many who have played a part in the success of both of these teams. We thank you one and all! Once again, major congratulations to everyone! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080427ski 85DE88AE-E399-48A5-8F49-7600B6857A4E Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:16:42 -0500 Current position: SAS Radisson, Longyearbyen, Norway! Both teams are back in Longyearbyen. They returned by charter air from basecamp Borneo today and thoroughly enjoyed a well deserved shower and rest. As you will hear from the updates below, they are also thoroughly enjoying their celebratory dinner! Many thanks to everyone who has helped the teams from a number of different angles- physical training, mental and emotional support- there are so many who have played a part in the success of both of these teams. We thank you one and all! Once again, major congratulations to everyone! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080427dog 97487DD3-FECE-4ED4-A5C9-404F36D3000B Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:07:53 -0500 Current position: SAS Radisson, Longyearbyen, Norway! Both teams are back in Longyearbyen. They returned by charter air from basecamp Borneo today and thoroughly enjoyed a well deserved shower and rest. As you will hear from the updates below, they are also thoroughly enjoying their celebratory dinner! Many thanks to everyone who has helped the teams from a number of different angles- physical training, mental and emotional support- there are so many who have played a part in the success of both of these teams. We thank you one and all! Once again, major congratulations to everyone! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080427dog EB91F0CE-3D8C-4277-9EC7-B084837949DC Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:04:49 -0500 The team enjoyed a final beautiful day in camp- blue skies, sunny, unlimited visibility, temperature around -10 C (-14 F). They were then picked up for their helicopter flight to basecamp Borneo They plan to enjoy a final night of festivities at Borneo before their flight back to Longyearbyen tomorrow. They anticipate arriving in Longyearbyen around 5:00 PM. They will have time to enjoy a shower- what a concept! And then a final celebratory dinner. They will give their final update tomorrow evening. Here is the most recent posting. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080426dog 5CBBACF2-0C9D-43A9-AF3A-45C7FF0698CB Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:50:02 -0500 The team enjoyed a final beautiful day in camp- blue skies, sunny, unlimited visibility, temperature around -10 C (-14 F). They were then picked up for their helicopter flight to basecamp Borneo They plan to enjoy a final night of festivities at Borneo before their flight back to Longyearbyen tomorrow. They anticipate arriving in Longyearbyen around 5:00 PM. They will have time to enjoy a shower- what a concept! And then a final celebratory dinner. They will give their final update tomorrow evening. Here are the most recent postings. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080426ski2 15F5DB0B-4EDF-4880-A3C5-02113A3CF44D Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:32:05 -0500 The team enjoyed a final beautiful day in camp- blue skies, sunny, unlimited visibility, temperature around -10 C (-14 F). They were then picked up for their helicopter flight to basecamp Borneo They plan to enjoy a final night of festivities at Borneo before their flight back to Longyearbyen tomorrow. They anticipate arriving in Longyearbyen around 5:00 PM. They will have time to enjoy a shower- what a concept! And then a final celebratory dinner. They will give their final update tomorrow evening. Here are the most recent postings. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080426ski ADFDBF0C-F453-44D9-B7F4-D7CA16E13AE4 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:27:04 -0500 The team had a well deserved rest and slept in till 1:00 PM! They spent the day lounging in their tents, going outside to take pictures, visit with others in their tents and play with the dogs. They had breakfast around 4:45 PM, then started snacks for dinner at 5:15 PM. They were just starting dinner at 10:45 PM- a feast of cheesy quesadillas and pasta. When you have 24 hour sunlight, time definitely changes perspective! There had been rumors yesterday of a football (soccer to Americans) or rugby match between the dogsled team and the ski team. Excuses from the dogsled team tonight were that weather conditions weren’t great- blowing snow and flat light so the match has been weather delayed…. Right! But there’s always tomorrow. The current plan is for both the dogsled and ski teams to be picked up by helicopter tomorrow around 5:00 PM for the flight to basecamp Borneo. Their current position is 89 54’ 40” North, 002 39’ West. So the southerly drift continues with a vengeance! They will spend the night Saturday at Borneo, then return by charter air to Longyearbyen on Sunday. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the guides- Tommy Jordbrudal, lead musher from Longyearbyen, Rick Sweitzer and Annie Aggens of Polar Explorers. They all did a phenomenal job leading the team through very challenging Arctic conditions, keeping everyone’s spirits up and reaching their ultimate goal. And congratulations again to team members Dennis Woods and Alan Bussey (UK), Scott Anderson (US) and Richard “Rex” Excoffier (France). And finally the true heroes of the expedition- the dogs! One team was made up of Ula and Atla in front, Zilde and Luffen next in line followed by Frost and Rosko and just before the sled Voje and Grace. The other team was Birk and Skaidi in front followed by Kubbuk and Brance, then Killti and Lila and finally Pan and Tress. They all did a fantastic job and thoroughly deserved their day of rest, lots of food and lots of hugs today. They were let off lines today in pairs and had a glorious time frolicking and playing. For those who may be wondering, Voje (the “wander” dog) is doing spectacularly! No problem letting her off line today- at Borneo, she had been freaked out by the noise of the helicopter, planes, all the activity. She now has all her friends and family around and is surrounded by love and lots of hugs. http://polarexplorers/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080425dog 5C8096CE-E81C-4ABA-A79E-60638955D133 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:09:29 -0500 The team had a well deserved rest and slept in till 1:00 PM! They spent the day lounging in their tents, going outside to take pictures, visit with others in their tents and play with the dogs. They had breakfast around 4:45 PM, then started snacks for dinner at 5:15 PM. They were just starting dinner at 10:45 PM- a feast of cheesy quesadillas and pasta. When you have 24 hour sunlight, time definitely changes perspective! There had been rumors yesterday of a football (soccer to Americans) or rugby match between the dogsled team and the ski team. Excuses from the dogsled team tonight were that weather conditions weren’t great- blowing snow and flat light so the match has been weather delayed…. Right! But there’s always tomorrow. The current plan is for both the dogsled and ski teams to be picked up by helicopter tomorrow around 5:00 PM for the flight to basecamp Borneo. Their current position is 89 54’ 40” North, 002 39’ West. So the southerly drift continues with a vengeance! They will spend the night Saturday at Borneo, then return by charter air to Longyearbyen on Sunday. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the guides- Tommy Jordbrudal, lead musher from Longyearbyen, Rick Sweitzer and Annie Aggens of Polar Explorers. They all did a phenomenal job leading the team through very challenging Arctic conditions, keeping everyone’s spirits up and reaching their ultimate goal. And congratulations again to team members Dennis Woods and Alan Bussey (UK), Scott Anderson (US) and Richard “Rex” Excoffier (France). And finally the true heroes of the expedition- the dogs! One team was made up of Ula and Atla in front, Zilde and Luffen next in line followed by Frost and Rosko and just before the sled Voje and Grace. The other team was Birk and Skaidi in front followed by Kubbuk and Brance, then Killti and Lila and finally Pan and Tress. They all did a fantastic job and thoroughly deserved their day of rest, lots of food and lots of hugs today. They were let off lines today in pairs and had a glorious time frolicking and playing. For those who may be wondering, Voje (the “wander” dog) is doing spectacularly! No problem letting her off line today- at Borneo, she had been freaked out by the noise of the helicopter, planes, all the activity. She now has all her friends and family around and is surrounded by love and lots of hugs. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#200804dog 5BF939E0-AFDA-4690-B90E-A533D1CEA39B Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:07:45 -0500 Current position is 90 North!! Congratulations to an incredible team on reaching the North Pole today! They had a long, hard day but achieved their goal. They awoke to blue skies, sunshine, minimal wind and a sense that this could be THE DAY. The ice and weather conditions were in their favor and they successfully reached the North Pole in the early evening. They encountered a few tricky leads but nothing compared with the challenges they had previously faced. They enjoyed a well deserved celebration with champagne, photos and satellite phone calls to friends and family (one very, very special one as you will hear in the update below!). Major congratulations to all on a hard fought victory! Spending days making no progress and eventually moving backwards is quite discouraging to say the least. But they kept up their spirits, kept plugging away and deserve to feel very proud of themselves. Congratulations to our two degree dogsled team members Dennis Woods and Alan Bussey and to our one degree team members Richard Excoffier and Scott Anderson. And Scott gets major kudos for being our Pole-to-Pole team member. He completed a two degree ski expedition to the South Pole in 2003 with Polar Explorers and is now an official member of the Bi-Polar Club! Bravo to all!! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080424dog 91DDD1E7-C137-4960-9354-D2CAF34C99A8 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:54:02 -0500 Current position is 90 North!! Congratulations to an incredible team on reaching the North Pole today! They had a long, hard day but achieved their goal. They awoke to blue skies, sunshine, minimal wind and a sense that this could be THE DAY. The ice and weather conditions were in their favor and they successfully reached the North Pole in the early evening. They encountered a few tricky leads but nothing compared with the challenges they had previously faced. They enjoyed a well deserved celebration with champagne, photos and satellite phone calls to friends and family (one very, very special one as you will hear in the update below!). Major congratulations to all on a hard fought victory! Spending days making no progress and eventually moving backwards is quite discouraging to say the least. But they kept up their spirits, kept plugging away and deserve to feel very proud of themselves. Congratulations to our two degree dogsled team members Dennis Woods and Alan Bussey and to our one degree team members Richard Excoffier and Scott Anderson. And Scott gets major kudos for being our Pole-to-Pole team member. He completed a two degree ski expedition to the South Pole in 2003 with Polar Explorers and is now an official member of the Bi-Polar Club! Bravo to all!! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080424dog 57B94527-7930-430C-B4B1-4B62F9863417 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:52:47 -0500 Current position is 90 North!! Congratulations to an incredible team on reaching the North Pole today! They had a long, hard day but achieved their goal. They awoke to blue skies, sunshine, minimal wind and a sense that this could be THE DAY. The ice and weather conditions were in their favor and they successfully reached the North Pole in the early evening. They encountered a few tricky leads but nothing compared with the challenges they had previously faced. They enjoyed a well deserved celebration with champagne, photos and satellite phone calls to friends and family (one very, very special one as you will hear in the update below!). Major congratulations to all on a hard fought victory! Spending days making no progress and eventually moving backwards is quite discouraging to say the least. But they kept up their spirits, kept plugging away and deserve to feel very proud of themselves. Congratulations to our two degree dogsled team members Dennis Woods and Alan Bussey and to our one degree team members Richard Excoffier and Scott Anderson. And Scott gets major kudos for being our Pole-to-Pole team member. He completed a two degree ski expedition to the South Pole in 2003 with Polar Explorers and is now an official member of the Bi-Polar Club! Bravo to all!! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080424dog B9AC0ECD-906C-4186-B737-95EC7C243E97 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:50:05 -0500 Current position is 90 North!!! Congratulations to an incredible team on reaching the North Pole today! They had a long, hard day but achieved their goal. They awoke at 7 AM and reached the North Pole at 7 PM. They covered 10 nautical miles in 9 hours of travel. The ice conditions were quite solid. They ran into a few cracks but again, nothing compared with the conditions they had previously encountered. All were quite excited to reach the Pole and had a well deserved celebration with champagne, photos, and satellite phone calls back to family and friends. They are now comfortably settled into their tents enjoying the fruits of their labors. Major congratulations to all on a hard fought victory! Spending days making no progress and eventually moving backwards is quite discouraging to say the least. But they kept up their spirits, kept plugging away and deserve to feel very proud of themselves! Special congratulations to Laurie and Richard Goldsmith, our Pole-to-Pole team members. They completed a two degree ski expedition to the South Pole last year with Polar Explorers and are now official members of the Bi-Polar Club! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080424ski 4C34DA5F-BFA6-4CC1-94FE-43A06F667898 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:24:50 -0500 Current position is 89 53’028” North; 039 01’ 651” West The team got a helicopter lift today around 11:30 AM and were dropped off around 1:30 PM at 89 47’ 25” North. Conditions were remarkably improved from where they had been- ice much more solid, much less open water- a great relief to everyone! They covered 6 nautical miles in 5.5 hours which felt like huge progress compared with their recent days of travel. John Thompson returned safely to Longyearbyen and was seen at the medical clinic. No specific treatment is needed other than keeping his hands warm which he plans to do. His spirits are overall very good and he’s talking about trying again next year. Our thoughts are with you, John! You’re a real trooper and should be very proud of all you accomplished- we certainly are! Here the live update below: http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080423ski 9CE0B474-5253-4A94-8B32-68D74A6164BA Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:51:32 -0500 Current position is 89 53’028” North; 039 01’ 651” West The team got a helicopter lift today around 11:30 AM and were dropped off around 1:30 PM at 89 47’ 25” North. Conditions were remarkably improved from where they had been- ice much more solid, much less open water- a great relief to everyone! They covered 6 nautical miles in 5.5 hours which felt like huge progress compared with their recent days of travel. John Thompson returned safely to Longyearbyen and was seen at the medical clinic. No specific treatment is needed other than keeping his hands warm which he plans to do. His spirits are overall very good and he’s talking about trying again next year. Our thoughts are with you, John! You’re a real trooper and should be very proud of all you accomplished- we certainly are! Here the live update below: http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080423ski A0A4281F-4C7C-4283-8D1C-E128A58B2DD6 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:50:15 -0500 Current position is 89 54’ 27” North, 40 39’ 21” West The team got a helicopter lift today from the “land of 10,000 lakes” as lead guide Rick Sweitzer described it. He felt like they were in the middle of northern Minnesota rather than the “frozen” Arctic Ocean. Global warming has definitely hit hard! They were shuttled to an area with significantly more solid ice and landed at 89 47’ 25” North. They traveled for about 5 hours to their current position, covering 7.5 nautical miles. The conditions were excellent compared with what they had been dealing with and everyone’s spirits are high. They did run across a few leads which made them feel good that they hadn’t left all the challenges behind. At one point, they were skiing across water that was probably frozen within the last couple of days and the ice looked like a field of Hershey’s ® kisses popping up. The dogs were running fast and overall everyone is doing great! Hear the live update below: http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080423dog 18A62871-DEC5-4BBF-98B8-8226FF75B3AE Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:48:55 -0500 Current position is 89 54’ 27” North, 40 39’ 21” West The team got a helicopter lift today from the “land of 10,000 lakes” as lead guide Rick Sweitzer described it. He felt like they were in the middle of northern Minnesota rather than the “frozen” Arctic Ocean. Global warming has definitely hit hard! They were shuttled to an area with significantly more solid ice and landed at 89 47’ 25” North. They traveled for about 5 hours to their current position, covering 7.5 nautical miles. The conditions were excellent compared with what they had been dealing with and everyone’s spirits are high. They did run across a few leads which made them feel good that they hadn’t left all the challenges behind. At one point, they were skiing across water that was probably frozen within the last couple of days and the ice looked like a field of Hershey’s ® kisses popping up. The dogs were running fast and overall everyone is doing great! Hear the live update below: http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080423dog 44C8968F-B6F0-4F0E-AAA4-DD64DD996E25 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:43:26 -0500 Current position is 89 19’ 840’ North, 004 58’ 102 West. The team took a layover day today to rest up from their intense efforts at “going nowhere fast”! The Arctic treadmill is working against them combined with massive amounts of open water. They are finding more open water than they have seen in the 15 years they have been leading North Pole expeditions. Each night, they drift further south and spend the day trying to recapture lost ground, ending up basically right back where they started. One team member, John Thompson, is having some significant frostnip issues on his hands and for his own health and health of the team overall, he will be transferred back to Longyearbyen tomorrow. The team will be getting a shuttle by helicopter over this huge area of open water to a position with firmer ice conditions closer to the North Pole. They will then continue their trek to the north. Meanwhile their spirits are high as they enjoyed their day flying kites, resting, reading, soaking in the beauty of the Arctic (and drifting south 7 nautical miles!). Hear the live update from lead guide Keith Heger below. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080422ski 33B6A3C1-6817-4997-9BAA-FB58E94369D5 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:19:50 -0500 Current position is 89 17’1” North, 008 118’51” West. The team continues to drift southwest. They have been significantly challenged by the Arctic treadmill (drifting south as quickly as they can make northward progress) combined with massive amounts of open water, more than they have seen in the 15 years they have been leading North Pole expeditions. Last night they camped on the edge of a “lake” several hundred meters across and 400-800 meters wide. They spent the last couple of hours of travel yesterday trying to find a way around it and eventually made camp. This morning, conditions had changed enough that they were able to continue some progress north though again encountered lots of open water and a strong southerly drift. Lead guide Annie Aggens reported that it feels more like the ice is a portage between areas of open water. The wind has been strong from the north-east (20-30 knots). The current plan is for the team to get a lift by helicopter tomorrow over this huge area of open water to a position with firmer ice conditions closer to the North Pole. They will then continue their trek to the north. All are in great spirits as you can hear in the two updates below from team members. Continuing the international flavor, you will hear from Scott Anderson (CA), Dennis Woods (UK) and Richard Excoffier (France). http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080422dog 93D64CE7-1651-471C-99E3-299396C98E08 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:18:19 -0500 Current position is 89 17’1” North, 008 118’51” West. The team continues to drift southwest. They have been significantly challenged by the Arctic treadmill (drifting south as quickly as they can make northward progress) combined with massive amounts of open water, more than they have seen in the 15 years they have been leading North Pole expeditions. Last night they camped on the edge of a “lake” several hundred meters across and 400-800 meters wide. They spent the last couple of hours of travel yesterday trying to find a way around it and eventually made camp. This morning, conditions had changed enough that they were able to continue some progress north though again encountered lots of open water and a strong southerly drift. Lead guide Annie Aggens reported that it feels more like the ice is a portage between areas of open water. The wind has been strong from the north-east (20-30 knots). The current plan is for the team to get a lift by helicopter tomorrow over this huge area of open water to a position with firmer ice conditions closer to the North Pole. They will then continue their trek to the north. All are in great spirits as you can hear in the two updates below from team members. Continuing the international flavor, you will hear from Scott Anderson (CA), Dennis Woods (UK) and Richard Excoffier (France). http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080422dog E53A3E98-BC3B-4056-90C6-3AD9C4817BF6 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:16:15 -0500 The team drifted south 3.5 nautical miles last night which is not the best way to start the day! They encountered more challenging conditions today than they have previously- strong winds from the North, clouds and snow. They have been traveling directly into the teeth of the wind all day. They have encountered many large leads which they have had to navigate around. Between the southerly drift, the leads and the winds, they are finishing the day right where they ended yesterday which is rather discouraging. But the live update from Dennis Woods below remains upbeat. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTrcker.htm#20080421dog 2BEA7336-4900-483E-9150-F0B9BD23376C Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:55:52 -0500 Current position is 89 20’ North though they have drifted south some since making camp. The team reports a wonderful day in terms of weather with blue skies, unlimited sunshine, white as far as the eye can see. They did have quite challenging traveling conditions with many open leads and rubble fields (areas of significant pressure ridges or big blocks of ice that jumble together). However, the team negotiated their way through the obstacles and were still able to cover 7.5 nautical miles (though probably twice that much once one factors in the negotiations around the leads and up and over the pressure ridges). Listen below for the live updates from Richard Excoffier and Dennis Woods. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080420dog 9CD5AD20-5CC6-4CEA-9A75-829CD57F9749 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:30:34 -0500 http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080420dog A3E0452B-861B-4F0E-91B9-0CF2F7EF5173 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:20:23 -0500 Current position is 89 15’ North. This has been the toughest day of travel for the team thus far. They awoke to cloudy skies, snow having fallen overnight and flat light. This makes negotiating the varied terrain extremely challenging as there is almost no definition to the rises and falls of the Arctic Ocean. They encountered many significant leads, some of which led to several different attempts before being able to negotiate the crossings. The team covered 7.5 nautical miles which is very commendable in light of the conditions. Listen to the live report from team members Dennis Woods, Scott Anderson and Richard (“Rex”) Excoffier below. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080419dog 4B18F37E-F22A-4CF7-A00C-4C279C291AA4 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:30:19 -0500 Current position is 89 13’ 664” North. Another rather challenging day of travel as the team again encountered quite a few open leads. They were able to navigate around them but the leads definitely impact their progress to the north. They had flat light- cloudy conditions with minimal sunshine, making it difficult to see the contrasts in the snow and ice. They progressed 5 nautical miles as the crow flies, over 7 nautical miles including negotiating around the leads. All are in good spirits- tired but satisfied with their day of travel. Listen to the live report from guide Chris Maher. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080419ski 12F964F3-0F73-4A91-8A5F-3ED85E38B3B6 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:57:26 -0500 Current position is 89 05’ 96” North, 005 17’ 2” East. The team covered 10 nautical miles today in challenging conditions. They encountered lead after lead, some large enough that they had to build ice bridges in order to cross. They had drifted 3 miles south overnight so had some make-up work to do. They were delighted to have Voje, Rick and Tommy join them this morning by charter helicopter from Borneo. New team members are Scott Anderson (Pacific Palisades, CA) and Richard Excoffier (Paris, France). The one and two degree teams are gelling well and making great progress. It has been a glorious, sunny day with the ice and snow sparkling brightly. Click below for live updates from Dennis (two degree team) and Scott (one degree team). http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080418dog A353E7B9-51AC-4CF0-B1CD-CFD6F6646320 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:49:49 -0500 Current position is 89 05’ 96” North, 005 17’ 2” East. The team covered 10 nautical miles today in challenging conditions. They encountered lead after lead, some large enough that they had to build ice bridges in order to cross. They had drifted 3 miles south overnight so had some make-up work to do. They were delighted to have Voje, Rick and Tommy join them this morning by charter helicopter from Borneo. New team members are Scott Anderson (Pacific Palisades, CA) and Richard Excoffier (Paris, France). The one and two degree teams are gelling well and making great progress. It has been a glorious, sunny day with the ice and snow sparkling brightly. Click below for live updates from Dennis (two degree team) and Scott (one degree team). http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#2008dog 88564635-7C9C-41E9-8B81-5B84CCA7D020 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:47:51 -0500 The team had excellent traveling conditions today- sunny skies, unlimited visibility, no wind. The ice conditions were also excellent- incredibly flat for the first two thirds of the day, then they ran into a number of pressure ridges. They did encounter several sizeable leads that led them on some significant detours to find spots to cross. They traveled 7.8 nautical miles including their sideways motion. Their progress “as the crow flies” was 5.8 nautical miles. Everyone did very well- healthy, warm and now snuggly in camp. They enjoyed a wonderful dinner of fish sticks courtesy of team member Adam Cooper. Listen to his live update below. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080418ski E5ACDD11-9A1B-4688-AEBD-C28C9ADB83AA Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:06:11 -0500 Current position is 89 04.116 degrees North, 005 25 degrees East. The team had an excellent first day of travel on the ice. As they had a late night last night, they slept in a bit and were on the trail by noon. They covered approximately 6 nautical miles in 6 hours which is a very strong showing for the first day. The ice conditions were overall very good- they encountered a number of pressure ridges, some challenging enough that they had to take off their skis and climb through. The weather was very pleasant- quite sunny, temperature around -20 C (-4 F), light and variable winds. Hear the full report from team member Lei Wang. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080417ski 9167A169-DF54-4955-AEB1-208A21B5F86C Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:10:24 -0500 Current position 88 59.965 degrees North, 006 01.985 degrees East. The team was scheduled to fly from Longyearbyen to Borneo this morning at 10:00. They were delayed about 8 hours due to weather. They arrived at Borneo at 9:30 PM and left by charter helicopter at 11:00 PM. They met the two degree dogsled team at 11:30 PM, set up camp and are ready for a good night’s rest. They are looking forward to their first full day on the ice tomorrow. Click below for the live update from team member Brian Jones. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080416ski 8F2419A0-0FBA-4311-9B04-A80222AE0EE9 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:48:36 -0500 April 15: The team spent the day in Longyearbyen conducting final tweaks of their gear- skis, bindings, sleds and food. They are getting a good night’s rest to be ready for the start of their expedition tomorrow. They will fly in the morning from Longyearbyen to Borneo, then take off by ski pulling their sleds to the North Pole. It was quite windy in Longyearbyen today with much blowing snow and the weather deteriorated over the course of the day. Polar fact of the day: From 1829-1833 John Ross pursued his second expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. The expedition was privately sponsored by gin merchant Felix Booth. Ross and his team of Eskimos survived 4 Arctic winters. Listen to the live update from guide Chris Maher. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080415ski 7E596083-36EE-4BB1-A29C-2CF3A459B3C1 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:00:37 -0500 April 15: Current position is 88 59.85 degrees North; 12 29.98 degrees East. They had a good day being back on the ice. Before breaking camp, they had a visit from a solo North Pole trekker, George, from Switzerland. They enjoyed visiting over a cup of tea and wish him the best on his continued journey. They encountered their first open water lead and had to negotiate quite a detour to get across it. When crossing, Dennis spotted a lone seal and was able to capture it on film. The temperature has been quite warm- 12 degrees F (-11 C) with fairly strong winds. The barometer continues to drop and the forecast for tomorrow is for snow, blowing snow with lower visibility and a fair amount of wind. The plan for tomorrow is to meet up with the one degree dogsled expedition team at 89 degrees. Depending on their drift, the team may stay put in camp till the other team joins them. They are looking forward to joining forces with the other team and continuing their trek of the last degree to the North Pole. Listen to the live update from team member Dennis Woods. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080415dog 6A3A897C-3911-45CC-AC07-0D1B0D6E7C1A Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:37:41 -0500 The North Pole Ski Expedition is gearing up and ready to go. Keith, director of The Northwest Passage and guide for this expedition called in the first update to introduce the adventurers and offer a little polar history. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080414ski B2B1BB3B-00B4-4903-8568-DF6884B4E1EF Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:57:34 -0500 Current position is 88 51.06 degrees North, 014 44.4 degrees East. The team took a layover day today but still drifted approximately 4 nautical miles north. They were ahead of schedule and as noted in yesterdays audio update, had camped at the edge of a major rubble field- pressure ridges as far as the eye can see. Their weather deteriorated overnight and they woke up to the tents flapping in the wind. The wind was 10-15 mph in the morning with gusts up to 20+. They also had very poor visibility. Negotiating through rubble fields with big pressure ridges is tricky enough in good conditions but extremely challenging with limited visibility and strong winds. At times when the team went out to walk around, they found themselves falling as it was almost impossible to see the contrasts in the ice elevations. They relaxed in their tents all day and took a well deserved break. The dogs even had a 20 minute off leash play time which they thoroughly enjoyed and deserved. The team enjoyed a delicious dinner of “Spitsbergen Spaghetti” and hope that the weather will improve tomorrow. The barometric pressure earlier in the day dropped precipitously but seems to be leveling out in the evening and the winds are subsiding somewhat. Listen below for all the details. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080414dog 9786549D-B815-4989-AA97-9C7233D768DA Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:42:36 -0500 Current position 88 47.48 degrees North, 16 15.02 degrees East. Another beautiful day with great weather. They passed some amazing ice sculptures. The dogsledding was very fun and Alan reportedly looks like Evil Knievel on the back of the sled, getting it back upright after it tilts to a 70 degree angle. They are drifting North and East. Click the button below for the full audio update. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080413dog E17AE1C9-16C6-447F-9F44-0C21B84478F7 Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:03:05 -0600 The team left Borneo by helicopter and put down on the ice at 1:00 PM. It was another beautiful day with lots of sunshine, good visibility and great ice conditions. Temperature was -23 to -26 C (-10 to -15 F), light winds from the northwest leading to a slight southerly drift. They made great progress covering 10 km (5.4 nautical miles) in less than 4 hours and reached the North Pole. Those familiar with Arctic travel know that this is a great pace! They made camp and enjoyed a 6 course meal replete with Szechwan soup. They look forward to a good sleep and flight back to Longyearbyen late tomorrow evening. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080412NightatPole 00B50A46-5871-45A3-9360-92AD5F3A6E71 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:44:34 -0600 Dennis Woods called in the update tonight. The team made excellent progress again, covering 10 NM. Conditions have been fantastic- veteran polar guide and Polar Explorers’ director Annie Aggens tells the team it doesn’t get any better that this! And she certainly knows, having been guiding Polar expeditions for close to a decade. They report traveling through landscape that looks close to Jurassic in nature- ice sculptures resembling dinosaurs, leaping dolphins, big fins etc. Alan Bussey is becoming a professional musher with Tommy’s help. They are enjoying a fine dinner of lasagna imported from England- many thanks to Dennis’ wife! Click the link below to hear all the details. http://polarexplorers.com/podcast/20080412dog.mp3 E9D2958F-FE98-4608-A3CE-9FB5154EE53B Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:27:57 -0600 Current position is 88.30 degrees North. The team had a wonderful travel day today. Conditions were excellent, the kind of day you dream about for Arctic travel. Sunny, clear, excellent visibility, a slight wind from the south that helped push them north. They did encounter some pressure ridges and had a few falls on the bumpy ice but still had a lot of fun. The temperature was around -25 C (-13 F). They passed some beautiful ice sculptures and frost flowers in the ice. After a great meal, they’re tired and ready for a well deserved night’s sleep. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080411dog 48567A06-1A67-43CB-B7E3-2BDD3D602651 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:43:42 -0600 Chris Maher and his team of Kris Bunya (Los Altos, CA), Jurgen and Rosa Buchholz (Barcelona, Spain), Bonnie Wade and Ann Pescatello (Berkeley, CA) flew from Longyearben to Borneo this morning. They had a chance to explore the camp at Borneo for a bit as they awaited the charter helicopter. They then flew to the North Pole and had absolutely fabulous weather for the experience. They will be flying back to Borneo and then directly back to Longyearbyen. Click above to hear what it’s like to stand at the top of the world! http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080411champagne CD8B11E8-6E18-42CA-8543-806EC275761A Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:45:54 -0600 Rick Sweitzer, Cao Jun and their intrepid team of explorers from China (Li Xing, Yu Liang, Liu Aiming, Zhang Yundong, Wan Jie and Li Zhenfu) arrived at Borneo today. The position of Borneo is currently 88 19.88 degrees North, 14.08 degrees East. They report perfect weather with light winds out of the south (hopefully this will continue, giving them a slight push northward). They have full sunshine and excellent visibility. Temperature is around -10 F (-23 C).  They left Longyearbyen exactly on time this morning at 10:00 AM and arrived in Borneo around noon. The plane was quite full with 32 passengers on a variety of different expeditions. Borneo camp is in great shape. It was great to see many friends up there and they were glad to see our teams back this year. The team went out for a practice ski this afternoon and look forward to their days ahead skiing to the Pole. Click the button above for our first audio updates in Chinese! The first has an intro from Rick in English followed by updates in Chinese from the team. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080411NightatPole2 BFBD8458-D451-4BC6-8D64-D961A3595CEC Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:33:57 -0600 Rick Sweitzer, Cao Jun and their intrepid team of explorers from China (Li Xing, Yu Liang, Liu Aiming, Zhang Yundong, Wan Jie and Li Zhenfu) arrived at Borneo today. The position of Borneo is currently 88 19.88 degrees North, 14.08 degrees East. They report perfect weather with light winds out of the south (hopefully this will continue, giving them a slight push northward). They have full sunshine and excellent visibility. Temperature is around -10 F (-23 C).  They left Longyearbyen exactly on time this morning at 10:00 AM and arrived in Borneo around noon. The plane was quite full with 32 passengers on a variety of different expeditions. Borneo camp is in great shape. It was great to see many friends up there and they were glad to see our teams back this year. The team went out for a practice ski this afternoon and look forward to their days ahead skiing to the Pole. Click the button above for our first audio updates in Chinese! The first has an intro from Rick in English followed by updates in Chinese from the team. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditonTracker.htm#20080411NightatPole 6F0C0FD5-FBE1-4FAC-8E41-69066238F757 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:20:35 -0600 Alan called in the update today- click below to listen. The team was ready and eagerly awaiting their charter flight from Longyearbyen to Borneo this morning. They had a very smooth flight and reported that the dogs all did very well. They arrived in Borneo around 1:00 PM Longyearben time (all times in these updates will be local time in Longyearbyen, Norway). They unloaded and prepped their gear and had a chance to explore Borneo a bit. They left Borneo around 5:00 PM by charter helicopter to their current position at 88.19°N, 14.22.06°E. The ice is currently drifting to the east with a bit of a southerly drift. The conditions are beautiful- no wind, lots of sunshine, clear skies, temperature -22°C (-7.6°F). They are excited to begin their official trek to the Pole tomorrow and look forward to a wonderful night. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080410dog 812A8C05-B971-4A25-B299-F35652F6D127 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:41:16 -0600 Chris, Peter and Victoria arrived at the North Pole today at 4:15 PM Longyearbyen time by charter helicopter. They were greeted with calm winds, unlimited visibility, clear blue skies and cold temperatures (-20° F). After traveling with the dogsled team on the charter plane to Borneo, Chris and the team boarded the MI 8 helicopter for the 1.5 hour flight to the North Pole. Along the way, they picked up 2 ski expedition teams from various countries. After their celebrations at the North Pole, they returned to Borneo where they will spend the night snowshoeing, skiing, playing a few rounds of golf and enjoying the frozen Arctic Ocean. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080410champ 0EB6F52F-29A0-47E3-820D-FBE9E20AE7A2 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:13:48 -0500 Dennis just called in an update right before going to bed. Everyone is all packed, and rearing to fly out tomorrow to Borneo, the ice station where we launch all our expeditions. Weather reports show that it's going to be cold, -30°, with the pack ice flowing away from the pole at a few hundred meters per hour. http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080409dog 63AA2364-7D51-4A83-BFD3-B70966BEAC4F Wed, 9 Apr 2008 18:45:54 -0500 Annie called in her first update from the Dogsled & Ski Expedition! "HI, this is Annie, and it is April 8 - the start of the 2-degree dogsled expedition. We kicked off our expedition with a really nice dinner tonight, and had a great time, and we're off to bed for a busy day tomorrow. We're going to spend the day going over all sorts of logistics, and supplies, and all sorts of things - go meet the dogs, and we're really looking forward to it. We'll be in touch with more exciting news tomorrow, so check back in. Bye." http://polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker.htm#20080408dog 62BA354E-7276-49E2-B6D6-79EB2DFEA98E Wed, 9 Apr 2008 18:45:53 -0500