Background about the North Pole expedition
The North Pole, often known as the home of Santa, is located on a floating ice pack situated in the Arctic Ocean in the northern hemisphere. Walking on frozen water, there is a risk of falling through into extremely cold water. Most deaths in the North Pole are due to drowning followed by polar bear attacks. There are many stretches of open water called leads, which will have to be crossed by swimming in an immersion suit (water temperature is as cold as -1.8ºC) or paddled across on a floating sled carrying 170kg of equipment. The problems don’t stop there, not only is the ice pack moving but the temperature can be anything from -20ºC to -60ºC. Pressure ridges of ice (where two ice floats crash into each other due to wind and sea currents) create blocks of jumbled ice that can be 6m high, many kilometres long and difficult to traverse pulling a 170kg sled.I am going solo, unsupported and unassisted; this feat has not been done from Canada. This is regarded as the “holy grail” in adventure, the supreme challenge and a truly remarkable feat of human endurance. I want to do this before the polar ice disappears.
How difficult is this? Here are the statistics:
4600 successful Everest summits from 1922-200625+ successful solo circumnavigation sail around the world22 successful solo unassisted unsupported South poleAnd 12 men have walked on the moon1 successful solo unassisted unsupported North pole
Explorers will tell you that in an extreme wilderness like the Arctic Ocean, which is still among the least explored places on Earth, your life is in danger from the moment you take your first step, and after that it's only a matter of how much danger. Constant vigilance, assessing and interpreting the weather conditions to determine the route I take, armed with a rifle and flares to deter polar bear attacks is all part of the journey. Yes, I choose the road less travelled.Friends are always intrigued by what I do and often ask “Hey Tim, what are you doing next?” When I tell them, the reaction is always the same, incredulous. The idea that I have a death wish seems to amuse people. It isn't a desire to be closer to death that attracts me, it's a desire to be closer to life. I know that willpower can be built, that ordinary people, like me, have abilities beyond their reckonings. It’s just that I’m the one who is out there, scouting the wilderness on behalf of the rest of us. Not marking dots on a geographical map anymore - that was accomplished long ago. What I’m exploring now is the inner map, the mental and emotional map. What will I learn, about myself, from being in a position where nothing matters except to stay alive? What, exactly, is the human being capable of? This is what drives me. (Modified description from Marguerite Del Giudice, who captures the essence of what is involved in Arctic Dreams and Nightmares, Nat. Geo 2007).
How does one prepare
for such a journey? Well the mental and physical preparation is intense. Physically one has to be supremely fit which involves 6 to 8 hours of training everyday. No breaks no holidays, just commitment. Combined with working commitments to pay the bills and let’s not forget family life too. Mental preparation is testing and practicing systems, pushing to failure and learning new scenario plans. The preparation so far has included multiple adventures in the Arctic, running above Everest base camp and a full expedition to the South Pole 1130km (150th person). Things that can go wrong (a problem with thin ice, extreme weather, polar bears or reach the North Pole too late) as all explorers and adventurers will tell you “ No point in worrying about it, the problem will be there regardless of if you worry or not.” it's how to react to these situations is key to survival.
I have been preparing for this for the last five years, although I didn’t know it at the time. It has been a gradual succession plan of previous adventures borne from my first arctic adventure in 2011. Sitting in the snow drinking a brew and reflecting how tough this environment is and how so many things went wrong. From there I extended my extreme experience conditions with other arctic exploits and mountain work. In 2015 I completed an expedition to the South Pole, 1130km and 56 days on the ice negotiating crevasse fields and extreme cold. Natural progression for me is the ultimate challenge…
I have been preparing for this for the last five years, although I didn’t know it at the time. It has been a gradual succession plan of previous adventures borne from my first arctic adventure in 2011. Sitting in the snow drinking a brew and reflecting how tough this environment is and how so many things went wrong. From there I extended my extreme experience conditions with other arctic exploits and mountain work. In 2015 I completed an expedition to the South Pole, 1130km and 56 days on the ice negotiating crevasse fields and extreme cold. Natural progression for me is the ultimate challenge…
Information on expedition to the North Pole
Geographic North Pole:90°00'00"N, 00°00'00"W
Start Position:Cape discovery or Ward hunt island 83.0817° N, 74.1740° W
Total Distance:770 kilometresUp to 300 more kilometres due to ice drifting from ocean currents and wind moving the ice south.
Start Date:Between 25th February and 3rd March 2018
Duration:60 days
Start Position:Cape discovery or Ward hunt island 83.0817° N, 74.1740° W
Total Distance:770 kilometresUp to 300 more kilometres due to ice drifting from ocean currents and wind moving the ice south.
Start Date:Between 25th February and 3rd March 2018
Duration:60 days
Sled Weight:Decreasing from 170kg
Calories burned:Between 10,000 and 12,000 per day
Lowest Temperatures:-60°C
Weather Hazards:Storms, blizzards, zero visibility white-outs
Physical Hazards:Thin ice and fall into water, Melt water on top of ice, large cracks in ice (open leads) so need to swim across to other ice floats, large ice rubble up to 6m high formed from pressure ridges where ice floats collide.Polar bears.
Calories burned:Between 10,000 and 12,000 per day
Lowest Temperatures:-60°C
Weather Hazards:Storms, blizzards, zero visibility white-outs
Physical Hazards:Thin ice and fall into water, Melt water on top of ice, large cracks in ice (open leads) so need to swim across to other ice floats, large ice rubble up to 6m high formed from pressure ridges where ice floats collide.Polar bears.
Training in Greenland and fresh tracks of a very large Polar Bear.