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ExWeb Interview: Eric Larsen - Unsupported summer Arctic crossing

Apr 14, 2005 13: 37 EST
With the kickoff of their ambitious expedition fast approaching, Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen have their eyes on the prize. Starting May 12th, they’ll begin their unsupported crossing of the Arctic. The unusal part is that the guys will try it in the summer season - negotiating vast areas of open water and melted ice.

In a chat with ExWeb, Eric unveils some of their plans, motives, concerns, and expectations.

ExWeb: You guys are planning a crossing of the Arctic Ocean in May 2005. Have you checked the ice conditions yet this year? Do you expect mostly pulling, or mostly paddling?
Eric Larsen: We started planning our expedition by researching summer ice conditions on the Arctic Ocean over the past 25 years. We mainly analyzed ice coverage and drift from May to September. We have also been working with a researcher from the space science center (SSEC) in Madison, WI. He helped construct some rough satellite images of ice conditions during the summer.

We were also hoping to get a general winter condition report from the expeditions leaving this spring, but as you know, that information is no longer available. Regardless, we are still checking data weekly.

We expect to be pulling our slacs (half sled/half canoe) for upwards of 80% of the crossing. It is possible that we may experience a large open ocean crossing right when we leave from the Cape (up to 70km). Of course, it is also possible that there will be ice as well.

If there is a large open ocean crossing, we will use an 18' foldable freighter canoe (made by Bergens of Norway) and tow our two smaller boats behind. We will modify this canoe to be rowed by one person and paddled by the other.

ExWeb: You'll be gone four months, how much weight are you going to pack on?

Eric Larsen: We estimate the crossing to take 98 days. We are taking 106 days worth of food. Our diet now consists of anything and everything that we want to eat. I personally ate most of an all-butter pound cake the other day. We hope to be around 15 pounds heavy at the start. Lonnie seems to be able to gain weight faster than me; however, we are both still involved with a rigorous training schedule as well - the polar standard, dragging tires.

Still, our expedition diet is slightly smaller in caloric consumption than traditional polar expeditions as we will have warmer temperatures.

ExWeb: Your sleds look mostly adapted for ocean travel. Also, most unsupported expeditions travel with two sleds each in the beginning. What will you do with the weight if there's not enough water? Do you plan to make carries, or to place out depots?

Eric Larsen: We plan on making an unsupported crossing. That means everything that we need to live and survive for the entire crossing has to be carried with us from the beginning. No depots at all. There are some in the polar community who say an unsupported summer crossing is impossible.

Our sleds our 9'5" whitewater canoes made by Esquif in Quebec, Canada, modified to be pulled like sleds. They have runners on the bottom and a permanent spray cover. We also reinforced the pulling points and the bottom. They are a bit heavier than normal North Pole sleds (55lbs) but they float and maneuver easily even when loaded with 420 lbs of gear AND US! For the math experts out there, that's more than enough.

We plan for roughly 325 lbs total (with the weight of the slac). Remember, summer means a little less clothes and fuel. Hopefully, warmer snow/ice conditions will also mean that the slacs will drag easier as well.

For pressured ice sections we will most likely work together as the boats at maximum weight are difficult to pull up/down any kind of incline. We hope not to have to relay - although anything is possible.

At times, we may also have to lower our boats into the water off the edge of a pan. We can belay the boats down off of an ice screw. We can also catamaran the boats for more stability if needed. We'll have gaff hooks to claw our way through consolidated pack ice and dry suits, too, if we need to swim or “salamander” our way over thick brash ice.

ExWeb: You expect to travel May 12 - mid Aug. Borneo closes at the end of April, and Canada doesn't fly to the Pole after mid May. Who will handle your logistic support? Do you have a rescue plan?

Eric Larsen: We are coordinating all of our Russian-side logistics with Victor Boyarsky (we had decided on that a long time before this year's fiasco). From the Russian side we will rely on helicopters coordinated by Victor as well as the Russian ice breaker, “The Yamal,”(and its helicopters).

We are coordinating our arrival at the pole with “The Yamal.” While we plan to arrive earlier than “The Yamal” and avoid any sort of 'support' questions, the ship will be near in case the need for evacuation arises. We will be able to rely on this (helicopter from “Yamal”) support past the pole for two degrees.

From the Canadian side our logistics are a bit tricky. We could have an air drop from a twin otter, but no rescue. From Ward Hunt to about 150 miles we will rely on the helicopter on board the Greenpeace ship “Arctic Sunrise” should we need a rescue.

ExWeb: What is your greatest concern, right now?

Eric Larsen: Two things. That everything goes smoothly in Russia, and the possibility of a large open ocean crossing in the beginning.

ExWeb:What is your previous experience with the Arctic Ocean?

Lonnie completed the first ever circumnavigation of Greenland in 2001. He traveled 6,500 miles by dog team and kayak over some of the worst ice conditions in the world. He also dogsledded the entire Northwest Passage and was involved with Paul Schurke's Bering Bridge expedition in 1989.

ExWeb: Lonnie received the Rolex Laureates award last year. Can you tell us what landed him the award?

Eric Larsen: Four things:

1. His previous experience.
2. The uniqueness of the One World Expedition
3. Our focus on Global Warming
4. They liked us!

The American One World Expedition plans to cross the Arctic Ocean in May 2005. American Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen will travel from Cape Arkticheskiy, Siberia, to the geographic North Pole, then on to Ellesmere Island, Canada. The team will be unsupported, and the expedition is scheduled to last four months. Lonnie was named one of five Rolex Laureates last year. According to Chris Y.H. Tan, one of the world's leading biochemists and a member of the 2004 Rolex Committee, "The project brings a simple message about something that has a very deep meaning as to the survival of the species. I think Dupre's work will have a very important impact on this area of public awareness."

Image of Lonnie and Eric courtesy of the team, compiled by ExplorersWeb.

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