We are still on the ice unable to get back to Resolute because the bad weather has settled in. Rather than sit in the tent another day we will continue to walk towards the Magnetic North Pole. Remaining days left on the ice are few so rather appreciate every minute of this stunning environment.
At first coming back to Resolute was disappointing. We came back to support Saskia in healing her eyes from snow blindness, and to keep our strong team morale alive. As always when one door closes another opens, now we’ve realised that forgoing our goal of reaching the magnetic North Pole has given us the opportunity to build a deeper understanding of Inuit culture and what life is like in the second northernmost village in the world of Resolute. Since we came back from the ice we’ve been exploring the intriguing town with the help of our local teenage friends and guides Alicia and Angeline who like all the people up here are open warm welcoming, always more than happy to answer the thousands of questions we have.
We walked up to the local school today on the now melted roads (before we left for the pole they were all covered in snow, in such a short time its already almost all gone). School life here is fascinating; in the small school of 60 students they get free breakfasts, learn a range of interesting subjects, get to work with visiting scientists and are immersed in the native Inuit culture and language. The principle, Jennifer Borden, was happy to show us around the well resourced school with its corridors covered in posters ranging from how to build an igloo or dog sled, to the Inuit values which guide everything the school does. We learnt about how students get to go out on trips with elders to learn about traditional hunting methods and how every part of the animal can be used. We sat in on part of an Inuktitut (the Inuit language) lesson and saw how students love to learn their highly descriptive language.
After going to the local store, and talking with the manager about why a can of coke costs $5 CAD and learning about how everything here either comes on the yearly resupply ship or has to be flown in at exorbitant rates, making us appreciate the conveniences we have at home, Saskia and I headed out to meet Wayne the weatherman. Wayne’s been monitoring the weather and atmosphere in Resolute for the past 25 years, over that time he’s seen some extreme changes in the climate. When we arrived he was busy trying to fix a spectrometer which measures the amount of Ozone in the upper atmosphere, but he was more than happy to explain to us how the ozone hole above the arctic has changed in the last few months due to the warmer start of winter, he went into a much more scientific explanation which I’m sure Roswitha Stolz, of the University of Munich, would love but most of us wouldn’t understand.
He told us about how all his precise instruments are all indicating dramatic change and warming, which happens much faster in the Arctic that anywhere else in the world. This backs up what we’ve witnessed on the thin sea ice, to back up our predictions of open water on our journey to the pole he showed us a recent satellite image of a large lead in the ice (a gap between two packs of ice) just ahead of where we were heading. As we sit in the comfort of Resolute we hope that the ice doesn’t break up too much and the weather clears so the rest of the team can get back and learn more about Inuit life.
We only want to finish the expedition under the right conditions. Unfortunately we encountered some problems because Young Explorer, Saskia, damaged her eyes due to the suns bright reflection on the snow. The suns rays in this warming Arctic are so intense that they damaged Saskia's cornea and her eye's became irritable, sore and vision became blurred. This condition, called snowblindness is experienced by most mountaineers or Arctic explorers. It is not serious and treatment is easy. It was important for us to keep Saskia's eyes protected in the dark and soothe them with cool tea compresses. Given a little time and patience her eyes will improve.
For the team and myself it was a big disappointment. We were not able to continue our trek the last few days which meant we would not reach out end goal – the Magnetic Norh Pole. After calling a team meeting it was decided amongst us that the entire team would return to Resolute where we could support Saskia and contine to explore this Northern Nunavut Village.
We had a magnificent time on the ice. The YEPs were great and ready for the challenge. A few more days walking and the Magnetic North Pole would have been ours. But it wasn't meant to be!! Nevertheles what the YEPs and my team have experienced is beyond comprehension. We took on a magnificent challenge, we worked together as a team, we laughed, we cried, and experienced what few people can rarely do.
Our goals in the Pangaea Expedition are to leave a mark on the youth, to give them an experience and opportunities that they will never forget. Perhaps we didn't make the Pole but we have succeeded in our goal to show these youths one of the rare beauties of our planet.
The Arctic is warm, too warm. There is open water everywhere, the ice is 30cms thick when it should be 5 meters. The polar bears are migrating further and further north. There are signs of dark silt pollution on the ice causing melting puddles. This beauty in diminishing rapidly. The YEPs have seen it for themselves and can now understand what the scientists are saying. It's now up to them to share their Arctic experiences with their friends, families and people around them and try and save this vanishing beauty.
Saskia and 5 others returned to Resolute yesterday and myself and the rest of the team are waiting for weather conditions to impove before we will be able to join them.
We only want to finish the expedition under the right conditions. Unfortunately we encountered some problems because Young Explorer, Saskia, damaged her eyes due to the suns bright reflection on the snow. The suns rays in this warming Arctic are so intense that they damaged Saskia's cornea and her eye's became irritable, sore and vision became blurred. This condition, called snowblindness is experienced by most mountaineers or Arctic explorers. It is not serious and treatment is easy. It was important for us to keep Saskia's eyes protected in the dark and soothe them with cool tea compresses. Given a little time and patience her eyes will improve.
For the team and myself it was a big disappointment. We were not able to continue our trek the last few days which meant we would not reach out end goal – the Magnetic Norh Pole. After calling a team meeting it was decided amongst us that the entire team would return to Resolute where we could support Saskia and contine to explore this Northern Nunavut Village.
We had a magnificent time on the ice. The YEPs were great and ready for the challenge. A few more days walking and the Magnetic North Pole would have been ours. But it wasn't meant to be!! Nevertheles what the YEPs and my team have experienced is beyond comprehension. We took on a magnificent challenge, we worked together as a team, we laughed, we cried, and experienced what few people can rarely do.
Our goals in the Pangaea Expedition are to leave a mark on the youth, to give them an experience and opportunities that they will never forget. Perhaps we didn't make the Pole but we have succeeded in our goal to show these youths one of the rare beauties of our planet.
The Arctic is warm, too warm. There is open water everywhere, the ice is 30cms thick when it should be 5 meters. The polar bears are migrating further and further north. There are signs of dark silt pollution on the ice causing melting puddles. This beauty in diminishing rapidly. The YEPs have seen it for themselves and can now understand what the scientists are saying. It's now up to them to share their Arctic experiences with their friends, families and people around them and try and save this vanishing beauty.
Saskia and 5 others returned to Resolute yesterday and myself and the rest of the team are waiting for weather conditions to impove before we willl be able to join them.
Sliding though the endless bright snow over the Arctic ocean, we tow our 50kg sleds around and over huge chunks of pack ice which tower above us. Pulling the sleds through pack ice is a bit like pulling a kayak over big sand dunes with planks tied to your feet. Its tough. But, unlike at the beach, the towering ice shafts distract us with a sense of awe at the powerful forces of nature that create them.
It's these same forces which are causing our beautiful world to warm and our climate to change. All around us we can see the effects that our fossil fueled society is having. Dark clouds loom on the horizon. For us this indicates open water formed when the ice packs break up. Its something which is happening sooner and sooner each year; according to Inuits we've met who've lived here for millenia and scientists who study the sea ice with super computers. Next to us is a 5m high ice berg, indicating the thickness that the ice should be at the north pole. But, from the seal breathing holes we pass, and the snow profile measurements we do, we can see that the ice we're walking on is less than 50cm thick.
After mentally preparing for freezing cold temperatures, for the past few days we've experienced relatively warm weather with days of -15 to -10*C with clear skies and the sun searing down on us and reflecting off the fresh snow into our eyes and faces. Its the same sun which is causing the ice to melt, and the climate catastrophe around the world, is also putting our expedition in jeopardy with the risks of painful sunburn and snow blindness.
Much like the challenges we will face in our lifetimes, the journey to the pole is full of uncertainty and risks with pack ice, storms, polar bears and open water ahead of us. But, like the thousands of young people around the world carving their future creating positive change, as a team we know we will make it.
Rick Zwaan
You could ask me what Saskia was doing in the tent at midday. She had to stay in the dark because of sore eyes. This situation shows us one more time how small things can play a big role. Saskia's example taught us. First result you can see immediately: we look like turtles. Almost all of us have two layers: glasses and goggles at the same time. But the main result is that we changed something in our mind. We are trying to care not only about ourselves,but also about others.
We didn't spend the whole day sitting in our tents today – afterall we are explorers ! The beautiful iceberg, floated ice attracted us. And one common wish come true. We looked at the pack ice from the high observation. When you're on the top everything seems unreal. However it's not a dream, it's our life for now. Few minutes on the iceberg definitely cost few hours which we spent walking to this place.
It wasn't easy, my sledge fell down more than 30 times. I also often was following it. It doesn't matter how often you fall down, but it's really important how many times you stand up after it! This rule works in Arctic. And we're the team, we're going to help each other. There are 7 of us and it means that everyone can be stronger in 7 times.
… Now I 'm sorry, but I'm going to sleep. As a late sleeper I have a unique opportunity to listen a special "tent music": 4 people snoring around me.
Maria
We are all eager to get to the Pole but of course will only do so under the right conditons. Too much of the suns reflection has given Saskia sore eyes so we decided to take a rest day. Until now we have been spolit with great weather. It's been wonderful to relax for one day and to take, ice measurements, film and photos and enjoy the immense beauty of this place. Hopefully Saskia will feel better tomorrow and we will be able to continue our trek to the Magnetic North Pole. Lets see what tomorrow brings.
Position: 79°05'740" N 105°37'325" W
Blog written by Arianne
The minute we got dropped off the plane, I seriously asked myself why I was there. The wind was whipping my face and I could not see more than 10 meters before me. The plane took off and I realized that we were alone in this freezing wilderness.
At first, I thought that a little sled could not be that heavy and that cross country skiing would be a piece of cake. Wrong. Combine a 100 pounds sled to a bad skiier and you get a clumsy young explorer trying to reach the pole. We then slowly but surely found the right balance and started our journey to the pole.
What most people ignore is that the Arctic sea is not a flat boulevard where you peacefully go ski touring. It is bumpy, rough and unforgiven. The second day of walking, we got our first glimpse of the Arctic; the pack ice. There are huge blocks of ice in which you can hardly navigate. We were falling every second step, trying to find our way through it. After this rough day, a good night of sleep was needed.
We routinely wake up at 8, eat an enormous quantity of porridge, walk for 8 hours and set up camp for the night. It's simple, right? Besides Felix's huge blisters and everyone's burnt faces, nothins is simpler.
Every day, we make progress. 14, 17, 18 km. We have 6 days left and more than a hundred km to cover. So far, the weather has been fairly mild and polar bears have kept away from us. However the wind can turn quicly here and in a minute, one of us could be in the water. But the constant danger and pain is definitely worth the view. Nothing is more unique and breathtaking than the Arctic desert.
This place, this austere and cold Arctic, only fews have seen it. It is indescribably liberating to be here. We live so much of our lives surrounded by things human have made. Here, i'm reminded that everything comes from the earth, the air and the sea. I feel strangely little in this white desert but yet, I feel in my element. Walking through infinite snow enthralles me and I can't wait to reach that magnetic North Pole.
Blog written by Luana
The endless white and gigantic arctic desert surrounds our small colourful tent. This part of the world is known to be hostile to man. We nontheless feel more alive than ever before. The twelve of us have squeezed into our little refuge where we find ourselves protected for the night.
Our bodies ache from todays efforts. The steemy food and heat coming from our four stoves are a rare luxury in these cold conditions After eight hours of continuous skiing we are greatful for a few hours of rest. In the tent we listen to adventurous stories from all around the world.
I could not be happier now. I am living every moment here. Us young explorers are slowly starting to understand our new environment. We very quickly realized that without Mike's incredible expe
rience and knowledge about the Arctic ocean none of us could have survived this longer than a few days. The vast masses of ice, water and land of this unique place are incredibly impressive to me. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. At the same time though it is also the most dangerous one I have ever been to. Funny enough I do not feel scared at all. Yes I do have a lot of respect for the Arctic – we all do – but we know what we are doing here. Nature is unforgiving and we are part of it so we have to adapt. Unfortunately in civilization people do not always think that way.
We have warm clothing, rich food and a supporting team standing behind us to protect ourselves from the cold. Six days are left, this seems too short of a time. On the other hand we want to reach our goal – the magnetic north pole. We are very optimistic and we will give everything to get there together!
It's been another fantastic day out here on the Arctic Ice. The team progressed 17 kms today with clear blue skies and virtually no wind. We are following the coastline of an island next to pack ice. The YEPs are doing really well and are highly motivated to get to the Magnetic North Pole. We have 101kms to go until we reach the 80° and before the twin otters will fly in and pick us up. If we keep an average of 15 kms a day we'll get there with no problems. Just a few Arctic Fox tracks around but still no bears. We are managing to avoid the open water and our furry friends for now. Let's hope it stays that way.
Mike
We walked 18kms today in heavy pack ice. It was a good day with warm temperatures and quite a bit of snow. We turned eastwards to avoid the open water so luckily haven't seen it yet – nor have we seen the polar bears. Young Explorer Felix has some blisters which need to be attended to. We dressed them up nicely last night and there was a slight improvement today. We'll need to keep a good eye on them to see that they don't get worse. Have sent only two photos today. Satellite connection seems to cut all the time. Will try and send more tomorrow.
MIke
Another good day for Mike and the Young Explorers on the Magnetic North Pole trek.
"We advanced 15 kms today which is pretty good considering the first two hours was in thick pack ice. The Young Explorers sleds are laden with about 45kgs of material which is not too heavy but still quite enough when you are not used to it. Throughout the day the ice eventually flattened so we were able to gain more ground later on."
"The weather remains good with virtually no wind, light snow and white out conditions, which keeps the temperatures nice and warm at -10°c to -12°C." Not only does the weather remain good but so does the morale of the team.
"We celebrated Christopher's birthday in style this evening. The Young Explorers had prepared some balloons in the mess tent and gave him a practical gift – handwarmers!!! We ate together and discussed the day. Everybody is tired this evening and have gone to bed early. It's pretty normal to feel like this after the fourth day of hard exercise. They'll bounce back tomorrow."
"We saw a lot of seal holes today and also our first polar bear with a small cub! They were far away in the distance and ran the opposite way when we saw them. There's a chance we'll see more tomorrow as we are getting closer to open water."
Best regards from MIke and the team!