On July 1, 2006 Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen became the first people in the world to travel to the North Pole in summer. Traditionally, Arctic Ocean expeditions are launched during the coldest time of year while the ice is still thick and stable. In summer, freeze-thaw conditions, shifting ice floes, slush and melt water pools have deterred polar explorers from attempting a summer North Pole Expedition. Until now. How did they do it?
They pulled and paddled specially modified canoes across nearly 1,000 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean. It took them 2 months.
As well as being in it for the adventure, they teamed up with Greenpeace to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the Arctic. See their fact-filled website for more info and some fantastic photos.
And how did I get to hear about them? We both use XJournal for our blogs, and we are both concerned about the environment. Eric called me up today to compare notes on extreme expeditions, and we hope to meet up sometime soon.
I’d like to pick his brains about the Arctic, as I have ambitions in that direction. But I’d better get there soon, because it’s disappearing fast and I’d rather trek there than row there.