EXPEDITION ABORTED

Danish Bettina Aller and French Jean Gabriel Leynaud planned to do a complete Arctic crossing from Russia to Canada, via the North Pole. However, they were airlifted out of Cape Arktichevsky due to bad ice conditions at the Siberian coastal ice. Bettina and Jean Gabriel started on March 3. They got three airdrops along the way, the last of them three days before reaching the North Pole (arrival date was on May 3). The team’s plan was to cover the second leg of their trip, from the NP to Resolute Bay in Canada, without further resupplies.

Bad ice conditions prevented them from reaching the Canadian Coast. According to the team's last reported position, they were on the 86th degree when they called the expedition off. After 97 days on the ice, on June 8 they asked to be evacuated.

In 2004, they had reached the NP from Siberia in a partial crossing after being airlifted across a wide open water section just out from Cape Arktichevsky.

Bettina Aller's website (Danish / English):www.nopenguins.com

North Pole Dog Sledge Crossing 2006

Top of the World expedition – Arctic dog-sled crossing – 1725 km

EXPEDITION ABORTED

Paul Landry’s team was evacuated along with Bettina and JG on June 9 and airlifted back to Resolute Bay. Both teams were forced to abort after large amounts of open water made it impossible for them to continue their Arctic crossings. They were about two degrees shy of completing their expedition. Paul Landry was leading a never before attempted dog sled Arctic crossing along with his daughter Sarah Landry-McNair, and British David de Rothschild and Martin Hartley. The team was airlifted from Cape Arktichevsky and received airdrops.


Expedition's website: www.adventureecology. com/mission1

Paul’s company website: www.polarconsultants.com

Arctic Crossing via Geomagnetic Pole

Michele Pontrandolfo solo crossing: Canada - Geomagnetic NP - Greenland - 1000 km

EXPEDITION CANCELLED

Italian Michele Pontrandolfo, 34, intended to complete an unsupplied, solo crossing from Resolute Bay (Canada), to Quaanaaq, via the Geomagnetic NP. The circa 1000km, solo trip was expected to take two months and a half. Finally, Michelle joined the Ice Warrior Ice Squads for the Geomagnetic NP.

Michele's website (Italian): www.artiko.it

North Pole Supported Crossings 2006

One World Expedition: Summer Arctic Crossing - 1995 km

EXPEDITION ABORTED

Minnesota residents Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen attempted to cross the Arctic Ocean via the North Pole for the second time. They started on May 2, 2006 from Ward Hunt Island (Canada), and reached the NP on July 1. Originally they planned to continue from the Pole until they reached Greenland - but called off the attempt two days after reaching the Pole.

Being a "summerly" trip, the team carried their loads on kayak-sleds, which they used to paddle across frequent open water leads.

Last year, the attempt was called off after 3 weeks due to bad conditions, including deep snow and a steady southerly ice drift.

Expedition’s website: www.oneworldexpedition.com

Canadian Arctic Holidays: Borneo - North Pole - Ward Hunt Island – 879 km

EXPEDITION ABORTED

The Canadian Outfitter run by Richard Weber launched a 6-8 men team on this partial Arctic crossing. Starting about April 10, 2006, the expedition hoped to start from Borneo base, one degree of latitude from the North Pole. The team would trek to the Pole and then head south towards Canada. Leader was Richard's wife Josee Auclair. However, the group was forced to abort due to bad ice conditions a few days after departure. They were picked up at 88 deg 52 mins North.

Expedition’s website: www.canadianarcticholiday s.ca

Bancroft Arnesen Explore Arctic 2006 – 1725 km

EXPEDITION POSTPONED

After a failed attempt in 2005, American Ann Bancroft and Norwegian Liv Arnesen planned to give the Arctic Ocean a second try. However, they have finally decided to postpone the expedition. Here is Ann’s statement on the subject: “Due to the request from sponsors, and the fact that it is the International Polar Year 2007/08, I have postponed the attempt to cross the Arctic Ocean from Russia via the North Pole and further on to Canada until February 2007.”

Expedition’s website: www.bancroftarnesenexplo re.com

Winter North Pole Unsupported 2006

North Pole in Winter – 950 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

Norwegian Borge Ousland and South African Mike Horn joined forces for a bold North Pole expedition: Starting in January from Cape Arktichevsky (Russia), they trekked unsupported to the North Pole in pitch black Arctic winter.

Borge and Mike hit the ice on January 20, but had to return to Cape Arktichevsky after two hours of progression due to bad ice conditions. They started again on January 22. They did most of the trip in darkness, and endured frequent negative drift (especially at the beginning of the trip) and severe cold (mostly towards the end of the expedition, in the transition between winter and spring).

After two months on the ice, they reached the NP on March 23. Theirs is the first unsupported expedition to successfully reach the NP from RUssia since Rune Gjeldnes and Torry Larsen's Arctic crossing in 2001.

Borge’s website: www.ousland.no

Mike’s website: www.mikehorn.com

Magnetic + Arctic + Geographic Unsupported North Pole 2006

Ice-Warrior 4 Poles expedition - 1807 km

EXPEDITION CANCELLED

British firefighter “Ice-Warrior” Jim McNeil hoped to reach three North Poles in one go, though an unsupported solo trip to the Magnetic NP, situated some 294 miles north of the Canadian Coastline. Then he would proceed to the Arctic Pole (or North Pole of Inaccessibility) , a further 418 miles to the centre of the Arctic Ocean. Once there, Jim planned to continue to the Geographic North Pole, 411 miles further away.

However, Jim had to return to resolute Bay after a first attempt. Later he was airlifted back to the ice and covered 6 miles in rough ice conditions until the expedition came to a second end - Jim fell in the water and called for evacuation.

In addition, two teams of Polar novices who have been trained by Jim for the last 14 months will trekked 250 miles to the Geomagnetic North Pole, situated on the Darling Peninsula of Ellsmere Island.

Expedition’s website: www.ice-warrior.com

North Pole Unsupported 2006

Dickinson/Weber North Pole Classic – 775 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

Canadian Guide Richard Weber and Briton Conrad Dickinson, both 50, reached the North Pole at 01.30 hours GMT on Thursday April 27 2006 in only 52 days and twelve hours. The guys knocked 10 days off the British record for the fastest unsupported 775 km (482 miles) trek from Ward Hunt Island, Canada, to the top of the world. They trekked unsupported and used snow-shoes instead of skis.

Conrad was a member of the award winning 2004/2005 Kites on Ice Antarctic expedition. Richard Weber's greatest polar feat was accomplished in 1995 when he and Misha Malakhov did a roundtrip to the North Pole without resupplies.

Expedition’s website: www.northpoleclassic.com

Airborne Ranger Club of Finland North Pole Classic – 775 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

A seven-member team from the Airborne Ranger club of Finland reached the North Pole unsupported from Ward-Hunt Island (Canada). They comleted the trip on April 29.

They are the first Finn team to reach the North Pole unsupported.

Expedition’s website: www.pohjoisnapa.fi

Norwegians for two Poles back-to-back - 775 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

Norwegians Cecilie Skog, Rolf Bae and Per Henry Borch completed a polar back-to-back double trip this year. First they pioneered a new route to the South Pole. Then the three explorers skied unsupported from Canada to the Geographic North Pole.They reached the goal on April 24, after only 48 days and 22 hours on the ice.


Cecilie’s website (Norwegian): www.cecilieskog.com

North Pole Solo - 950 km

EXPEDITION POSTPONED

Ben Hammersley, 28 year old Englishman, living in Florence, Italy, announced he would be attempting to reach the North Pole solo and unsupported. Ben would depart in spring 2006 from Cape Arktichevsky, Siberia. Contacted by ExplorersWeb, Ben said he had postponed the trip until 2007.

Expedition’s website: www.ben hammersley.com

North Pole Supported 2006

Ice queen Matty McNair leads again - 775 km

EXPEDITION ABORTED

American Matty McNair, awarded among the Best of 2005 by ExplorersWeb, planned to guide two explorers to the Geographic North Pole from Ward Hunt Island (Canada), getting two airdrops along a 54 day trip. The trip was cancelled soon after it started.

Matty’s North Winds’ website: www.northwinds- arctic.com

Magnetic North Pole 2006

Polar Quest – Magnetic Pole 473 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

A team from the British Royal Navy completed a ski trip to the Magnetic North Pole in 26 days, covering 420 km. Members were junior and novice members of the Naval service and will comprise a 8-strong Ice Party. Captain Sean Chapple, from the Royal Marines was the expedition leader.

In a second stage of the project, a different 6-strong Ice Party will conduct a 1,400-mile, 65-day, return ski to the geographical South Pole in November 2006. This trek is aimed at the more experienced ranks of the Naval service and when complete will be the first Royal Navy Expedition to the South Pole since Captain Robert Falcon Scott's 1912 Expedition.

Expedition’s website: polarquest.co.uk

Partial Dog-sledgging NP trips

Northwest Passage Polar Expeditions’ two dog-sledding NP teams - 1 & 2 degrees

 

Rick Sweitzer, founder and owner of American outfitter The Northwest Passage along with Annie Aggens and Paul Schurke of Wintergreen Dogsledding, guided two dog-sledding teams to the NP for amateur adventurers.

Northwest Passage Polar Expeditions:polarexplorers.com

Alaska expeditions 2006

Alone Across Alaska – 3000km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

Italian mountain guide Ario Sciolari crossed a great part of Alaska from south to north. Ario set off from Lake Louise December 11, 2005. He hopped from village to village to the Eskimo village of Kaktovik, 70 degrees latitude north, by the Arctic Ocean inside the Arctic Refuge protected area.

AAK (“Alone across Alaska”) expedition is part of a series of trips labeled “Back to the Mother.” The title is expressing Ario's desire to return to simpler origins, and reconnect with Mother Nature.

Expedition’s website: www.backtothemother.it

GoNorth! Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 2006 - 1126 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

In March 2006, an international team led by Paul Pregont emarqued on a 700-mile (1126,5 km) journey across the Alaskan Arctic by dogsled while delivering to classrooms worldwide an online curriculum centered on the realities of oil exploration and the search for renewable resources. The Aventure Educational program was supported by the University of Minnesota.

Expedition’s interactive website: www.polarhusky.com

Bering Strait crossing 2006

Park Young-Seok: Bering Strait Crossing - 85 km

EXPEDITION POSTPONED

Mr. Park planed to lead a team in an attempt to cross the Bering Strait (between Siberia and Alaska) on skis, beginning in February 2006, according to Korean media.

Korean Park Young-Seok reached the North Pole April 30 2005, completing the last leg of the Adventure Grand Slam: the 14, 8000ers (plus the Seven Summits) and full trips to both the North and South Poles.

Park’s website: www.parksgrandslam.net

Karl Bushby's longest way home - 85 km

STRAIT CROSSING FINISHED

Seven years ago, British Karl Bushby began the longest walk he could think of: From the southernmost point of South America back home.The so-called Goliath Expedition has taken him along the entire American continent and reached as far as the shores of the Arctic Ocean. In spring Karl walked across the Bering Strait, together with Dimitri Kieffer, an experienced endurance racer whom Karl met in Alaska last winter when their trails crossed.

Karl's Goliath Expedition website : goliath.mail2web.com

Svalbard expeditions 2006

Finnish Spitsbergen expedition – 300 km

EXPEDITION FINISHED

A Finnish, 16-member expedition trekked across the Spitsbergen Range in Svalbard Archipelago in April. During the 300km, three week-long expedition, the team summited the highest point of the Range: Newtontoppen (1717 m) located at 79° N.

Team leader is Kari "Vaiska" Vainio; he has previously led expeditions to the Magnetic North Pole (2003), Denali (2001) and Greenland (1999).

Expedition’s website (Finnish): www.spitsbergen2006.com

North Pole races 2006

North Pole Marathon – 45,95 km

RACE FINISHED

Originally planned for 2005, the race was postponed until April 8th, 2006. A diverse range of competitors from a dozen countries ranging in age from 18 years to 66 years took part.

Event’s website: www.npmarathon.com

Current Arctic and Antarctic Circumnavigations

Gary Ramos – Solo Arctic Circumnavigation

EXPEDITION ONGOING

Gary Ramos, grandfather of three, aims to become the first person to circumnavigate the North Pole solo. Gary set sail from Seward, Alaska on May 22, 2005, aboard his vessel, the Arctic Wanderer.

After a first stop at Kodiak, Gary headed southeast for False Pass in the Aleutian Islands, where he tied into the Bruin Bay, another boat also heading north. Gary Ramos and his boat Arctic Wanderer are currently wintering over at Cambridge Bay, Canada. He hopes to complete the worst part of the NW Passage this coming summer, then sail to northern Norway, Russia, and then try the Northeast Passage the following summer.

Expedition’s website: www.arcticwandering.com

Colin Yeates - Rowing around Antarctica

EXPEDITION CANCELLED

January 2nd 2006, Colin Yeates set off to become the first person in history to row alone and unsupported and non-stop around Antarctica. Four years in the making, the 21,630km (11,300 miles or the equivalent of traveling the Atlantic Ocean 3 times) journey was expected to take him nearly a year to complete.

Barely four days after departure though, his trip almost came to a sudden end. After a 30+ hour battle against the fierce coastal currents around the Falklands, Colin Yeates abandoned ship near the Northern part of East Falkland at Cow Bay. The British rower was rescued “in extremis”. Colin is currently in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands’ capital. Locals helped him to recover his boat, the 'Charlie Rossiter' which is at the moment of editing this list being repaired. Colin hopes to resume his trip soon.

Colin’s website: www.circumpolarrow.com