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A Great Canadian: Karen Michelsen takes us to the North Pole
Traveling to the North Pole has been a dream for me for many years. I wanted to travel to the North Pole as a tourist and not as an explorer. This dream became a reality during International Polar Year 2007-2008. The cheapest and fastest way to travel to the North Pole is to fly. I traveled with the tour company Polar Adventures. It organized the North Pole Marathon and North Pole Bike Extreme race. I competed in both events. Participants only needed to register in one event. Many people have been successful in walking the marathon.
The tour started in Spitsbergen, an island in the Svalbard area in the Arctic and off the west coast of Norway and just 2.5 hours south by plane from the North Pole. From Toronto, it took two days flying to arrive in Spitsbergen. I spent a few days in Spitsbergen before and after the journey to the North Pole. During the first half of April, there is still plenty of snow and winter activities on this island. The tourist attractions included: seeing an active coal mine, dog sleighing, snowmobiling, ice caving, and visiting  museums. Thechurch in this town is the most northern in the world. Its minister provides services in unusual locations such as ice caves. The coldest day for me was minus 38C with the wind chill. The most popular tourist attraction was dog sleighing. This activity was more physically demanding then I expected but exhilarating. We learned how to apply and remove the harness on each dog and how to steer and break the sleigh. Considerable physical strength was required to prepare the dogs because they were so active. First, I went into the dog kennels and I had to catch a dog. Then I had to place the dog between my legs and squeeze my knees around the dog's body to keep the dog in place. I applied the harness around the dog's head, body, and front legs. The dogs were accustomed to the routine. They would lift their paws up when it was time for their legs to be placed in the harness. I was on top of a hill when I started to move with my team of sleigh dogs. They were so quick and powerful, they threw me off balance. The dogs dragged me along the ground until they stopped when the other sleigh teams ahead halted. These small dogs were very powerful and always excited. It was a unique experience to enjoy the Arctic landscape through dog sleighing. One quarter of the world's polar bears live in Svalbard. They are often spotted on the east coast of the island. The threat of a polar bear encounter was so real no one was allowed to travel outside Spitsbergen unless they had a firearm. People were often seen walking around town with their rifles. One guide had several encounters with polar bears. She said shooting one rifle at a time was not always successful in scaring the bears. She told us another story of two students visiting the area who thought it would be safe to walk on the outskirts of town. Neither student had a weapon. A polar bear encountered them and killed one and other person jumped from a cliff to escape. Another common custom was for people to take their shoes or boots off in any building they entered including bars, restaurants, and hotels. There was one main walking street in the middle of town. Along this street there were shops, restaurants, tourist information, and hotels. People frequently traveled from place to place in skidoos or on skis. We stayed in the Radisson SAS Hotel that was originally located in Lillehammer, Norway. After the Olympics, this hotel was moved to its current location. The hotel was nestled in a beautiful and practical location. The Arctic Ocean and Longyeardalen Valley could be seen. The main street in town was just steps from the hotel. A variety of tourist activities started at the hotel or within walking distance. Prior to leaving for the Pole, everyone met the evening before at the hotel in Spitsbergen. At the briefing the following topics were discussed: transport, clothing, races, food, and souvenirs. After the briefing, the owner of Crescent Bikes assisted the competitors in assembling their new bikes. He was very helpful and generous. He provided the bikes, helmets, balaclavas, and nutritional products for the North Pole bike event. On April 6, 2007, we waited several hours first at the hotel and then at the airport for the weather to improve to fly to the North Pole. It was approximately a 3-hour flight from Spitsbergen to the North Pole in an Antonov plane. This special plane was reserved because it could land on a short landing strip and could quickly abort a landing if necessary. The Russians created the runway. They drilled a hole into the ice and then let the water flow up to create a landing strip. This year allegedly the ice was thin. It was less then 2 meters thick. Cracks could be seen in several places on the ice floe. No wildlife or vegetation were seen. At the North Pole on an ice floe, the Russians established Ice Camp Bareno. This camp can only exist 4-6 weeks annually starting at the beginning of April. The camp assists with rescues in the area and provides accommodations for tourists. There were blue tents for the tourist accommodations and one tent was the common eating area. There were no set time for meals. The mess tent was the place most people visited. It was the warmest tent too. The Russians lived in smaller and different coloured tents. Very few Russians understood English but we were able to communicate using sign language. These tents were heated. It was minus 15C inside the heated tent I stayed. Inside these tents tourists could sleep in sleeping bags on lawn chairs. Porta potties were used as toilets. Flags were posted at the camp representing the International Polar Year, Ice Camp Bareno, and the Russian flag. Two helicopters were parked at the camp. Parachutes utilized to drop supplies and equipment onto the ice floe were seen scattered throughout the area. When we arrived at the North Pole it was minus 25C. It felt like a wet minus 25C. The snow would fall ever so lightly but it seemed constant. Our feet were on the cold ice floe but at times the ice was covered with snow providing some warmth. The sun was shining and it never set. The Russians slept at night but the tourists stayed awake most of the time while at the North Pole. Dressing for the North Pole was similar to dressing for a cold day in Toronto. The difference was that at the North Pole, there was no land or heated buildings to keep warm. Walking on the ice floe felt much colder on the feet then walking on concrete or dirt covered with snow. It was important to keep all your skin covered with several layers especially the face, hands, and feet. Hot packs were helpful, but they were only effective for 1-2 hours and not the alleged 10 hours. Freeze dried food was recommended. Food the Russians served were cookies, soup, oatmeal, and pancakes. Hot water and coffee were always available. Water was obtained from melted ice at the North Pole. This water tasted salty, so bringing bottled water was suggested. Personally, I didn't mind the taste of the salty water. Pop, liquor, postcards, and souvenirs could be purchased. Passports could be stamped. Activities started shortly after the arrival of the second plane. Since the sun never sets during this time of year, the events could start at any time. The first event, the marathon, started very early in the morning at 0245. It was the fifth time for the marathon race. Forty-three athletes from 22 nations competed in the 26.2 mile marathon. It was a 10-lap loop, GPS-measured and the only marathon run entirely on frozen water. It was a fairly flat route but it still took twice the time to complete then running a marathon in Toronto. Running with snowshoes and several layers of clothing made running more difficult. Many of the athletes including myself wanted to complete this event wearing snowshoes. Many participants took breaks from the race to get warm to prevent frostbite. It was more difficult to breathe at the North Pole because the air pressure was not the same as in Toronto. Several individuals have completed this event by walking it. It has been the first marathon for many participants too. Everyone who has attempted this event has been successful including Dr.William Tan a wheelchair athlete. He did the runway portion of the course numerous times until he completed the marathon distance. The next event was the first international bike race at the North Pole. Fourteen bikers from eight nations competed. The route was an out-and-back one mile course next to the runway repeated until competitors completed 26.2 miles. The new Crescent Bikes with their wide studded tires handled the course easily. It took a longer time to finish this event than if it were held in Toronto. I took a short break after each mile to eat and drink and I went into the mess tent once to get warmth. The trip also included flying in a Mi-8 chopper to the exact geographic North Pole. We spent about half an hour at this site taking pictures and enjoying the moment. At this site there was no evidence anyone had previously visited the area. It was so pristine. The area was completely covered with snow with a fairly flat landscape. It was hard to believe we were actually on top of the world at that time and every where we looked would be south. During the second day of the trip, the Russians decided to construct the name of the camp using ice blocks and erect Santa's North Pole (white and red pole with the name of different cities and the direction of their location on top). Also, the Russians started to remove the parachutes that were on the ground. After returning to Sptisbergen, participants met again in the evening to receive their souvenirs. The marathon participants received a medal, certificate, two patches, and two t-shirts. The bikers received a medal. A DVD of this adventure was mailed to participants after their return to their respective countries. I felt so fortunate to be one of only 2000 people who have been to the North Pole. It was an fantastic adventure with great memories and souvenirs! |
