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The battle for the North Pole - full story

Apr 2, 2005 17: 47 EST
Previously published Mar 9, 2005 14: 45 EST
Over the past 24 hours, ExplorersWeb has received two e-mails detailing the present status of the Arctic Ocean logistics situation. First, there was a media release sent out by team Pole Track, currently waiting to get out on the ice with the help of their French outfitter Cerpolex.

The press update included addresses for Armand Dijcks (Pole Track Base Camp in Netherlands), Anne Kershaw (formerly ANI and now Press Support USA) and Romain Troublé for Cerpolex/Polar Circle Expeditions (current logistics provider) where more information could be obtained.

The message was as follows:

“Yesterday, the logistical provider of Pole Track, the French-Russian based company Cerpolex, released a formal statement on the cause of the delays. They claimed that Cerpolex is being actively obstructed by a competitive Moscow based company, which is using its network within the Russian authority to delay operations. This has resulted in slow administrative procedures that have been countered by the kind help of the Krasnoyarsk Governor, M.A. Khloponin.”

Flight to military areas halted, airport locked up

Although all required permission has been obtained, Pole Track and two other expeditions were stopped last Saturday at the Khatanga airport by the border guard military. Without being given any official explanation, a phone call from the military post at Murmansk overruled the approved flight plan. The plan includes stops in the military areas of Cape Chelyuskin and Sredny to re-fuel before continuing on to Cape Arktichesky, the starting point of the expedition. On the morning of Sunday, March 6, military security rose to an unprecedented level when four armed guards locked down the airport in case the expedition attempted to leave, even with written permission in hand.

Cerpolex offering a helicopter re-supply, and extended pick-up

Due to a formal holiday on March 8, authorities have been difficult to reach, making it hard to clarify the situation. The original departure date for Pole Track was scheduled for February 23. A one-week delay was planned for, since arctic operations are always very dependent upon ice and weather conditions. Cerpolex has committed to help make up for the additional delay by offering a helicopter re-supply, resulting in lighter and faster travel for the team on the ice. The availability of helicopter assistance for the pick-up operation has also been extended, and in case the terrain condition around the Cape is unfavorable, the expedition will be flown further north to more favorable ice conditions.

“We have to be flexible and adjust our plans”

The longer the expeditions are out on the ice, the greater the risk of bad ice conditions, making travel and logistical support difficult, even hazardous.

Pole Track expedition leader Marc Cornelissen stated, “Every expedition is a matter of adapting to the situation. We have to be flexible and adjust our plans, if necessary, in such a way that the main objectives of Pole Track are met while still carrying out a safe operation. We have come here to highlight the beauty of the arctic and to focus on the changes that global warming is causing to this unique eco-system. It is hard to believe that our efforts, which have the support of many international organizations and institutions, are being obstructed.”

A fight for the market of polar logistics

“It is a shame to see that a fight for the market of polar logistics is being played out in such a way that jeopardizes three expeditions. We want to make this an open call to the parties involved to make life a little easier for us. The challenge ahead on the Arctic Ocean is more than enough for us to focus on.”

With a re-supply scheduled and the logistical support extended, the expedition still feels confident that all objectives can be met, but it is critical to the mission to get under way very soon.”

Then a second e-mail arrived – this time from the local outfitter, Victor Boyarsky. In the letter, he offers a brief history of polar logistics in Russia, and closes with his own explanation of what is now taking place. Here's Victor's story:

The first outfitters

The first commercial flight to the Pole was organized by the local agency “Vicaar” (including Victor Boyacki) together with the Russian Travel Company “Bark” in 1992, chartering planes from Khatanga Air. Vicaar had worked together with Khatanga Air to outfit scientific expeditions in the high Arctic since back in 1970.

Entering the private market in 1992, Vicaar chartered 3 helicopters out of Dikson and flew 12 French tourists to the North Pole. These tourists were gathered by Vicaar’s agent in France, Mr.Bernard Buigues, current owner of Polarcircle (formerly Cerpolex).

Agent goes straight to air flight company

The next year, in 1993, Vicaar was setting up logistical support for another expedition; the international “Transsibering-Longines” team. Vicaar invited their French agent Bernard Buigues to visit Khatanga – en route to the expedition.

The agent and Vicaar had an agreement to develop North Pole programs using the Icy Runway. The runway was built in 1960 by Khatanga Air and has been traditionally used for temporary scientific bases established on the drifting ice near the Pole.

But now the agent had made direct contacts with Khatanga Air, breaking his mutual agreement with Vicaar.

Original outfitter is put out of business

A deal was made and Vicaar was put out of business until 1997, when they acquired their own clients. Between 1993 and 1997, the French agent Bernard Buigues and his various companies worked as an agent for Khatanga Air, organizing a number of skiing expeditions over Borneo, but never took part in building the actual Borneo Base.

Until 2002, the base was built by the Khatanga Air company, while various agents and companies such as the French Parallel-90 (later Cerpolex/later Polarcircle), Vicaar, Weber-Malakhov and others were acting as agents, buying services of air supplies and logistics from Khatanga Air.

Khatanga Air management dies in fatal crash

In November of 2002, the airplane IL-18 crashed while flying from Khatanga to Moscow. All top management people of the Khatanga Air company were on board and killed.

Following the accident, Khatanga Air was reorganized, but it lacked people who could take over the difficult management of the Borneo icy runway. The task was mantled instead the next season (2003) by Center Polius – the expedition’s department of the “Association of Polarmen” of Russia with its President Artur Chilingarov.

The one and only licensed for Borneo

The “Center Polius” was a main logistics operator and investor on behalf of the establishment of Russia’s first drifting station, ‘North Pole-32,’ in April 2003. Today, Center Polius is the only Russian company to have all official authorizations, permits, and licenses to build and use the icy runway on Borneo.

New agreement goes sour again

To establish a proper and adequate way to do business on Borneo, the veterans of Vicaar held meetings with all the agencies and companies involved, and established prices together for different programs.

Last season, in 2004, Cerpolex again attempted to break agreements – this time, those made with Center Polius. The agent undercut the agreed upon prices in order to attract more clients, and hoped that they would be able to re-negotiate the prices of logistics once they arrived with the clients in Russia. Instead, as a result, Center Polius announced that Cerpolex would be expelled from Borneo altogether.

To avoid losing their clients, Cerpolex reconsidered and concluded the Agreement with Centre Polius.

2005: A déjà vu

This year, the situation has only repeated again. Cerpolex visited Centre Polius in January and agreed on the established prices. They would meet again in Krasnoyarsk on February 28. That’s when Bernard Buigues suddenly announced that he would build his own runway together with the Khatanga administration.

There had never been a plan to establish a second Borneo Base; and it just can’t be done in such a short period of time without obtaining the necessary permits and licenses for it or without having enough facilities in Khatanga.

And then there was another problem, too

The usual way to obtain permits for all North Pole programs is to apply for them through the Department of Tourism of Russia approximately 6 months in advance. But since last year there has been an administrative reform in the Government: The Department of Tourism had to change its function and declined to accept applications.

Local outfitter advised clients against full trip in 2005

It took Vicaar 4 months only to figure out where to send all the papers to obtain the permits. Vicaar also realized that because of the situation, all permits could get issued very late, theoretically at the end of February or beginning of March, even.

Vicaar therefore advised their clients intending to leave from Cape Arcticheskiy to instead go for a 2 degrees expedition this year and try a full crossing next year.

Cerpolex didn’t alert their clients to expect delays

Cerpolex Russian assistants didn’t know how to file the papers in the first place. Neither did they warn their 6 clients to expect delays with the permits. Thus, the current delay in Khatanga.

In addition to that, according to new requirements of the border guard of Russia, it is now obligatory to have a border control post in Khatanga – Sredniy in order to close the border for all people leaving Artcicheskiy towards the Pole (or Canada).

This means that the company who provides logistics for foreign people leaving Khatanga – Sredniy has to bring border guard’s from Dudinka to make sure that all formalities required by Russian law will be fulfilled. “This is another reason for the current delay – Cerpolex didn’t arrange for it in time,” Victor ends his report.

Two versions – and a reflection

So there you have it – the two versions of the story. The remains, however, that ExplorersWeb warned for this already last year. Back then, Cerpolex demonstrated serious delays as well, blaming everything from red tape to bad weather. But what really caught our attention were the friends of Finnish Polar explorer Dominick Arduin.

In desperate e-mails to ExplorersWeb, they begged us to help with a full search for the girl who had been dropped by an area of open water just before a storm, in full moon – with a malfunctioning tracking beacon. Dominick’s people had very serious complaints about Cerpolex. The outfitter had been very unfriendly and unhelpful – and planned to embark on a damage-control media tour to Finland, as well as a PR trip to France rather than helping out with the search.

In Finnish media, Cerpolex blamed the woman for the accident and their lack of money for their neglected full search.

After Dominick’s friends had raised additional money for a search, they alleged that Cerpolex had actually even tried to sabotage their effort. In the end, the search was organized and the mission was carried out by – Victor Boyarsky.

Image ExplorersWeb files.

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