Great Summer Adventures

Published on 27.06.2011 - General Info

Swedish adventurer Johan Ernst Nilson in the legendary city of Dawson (North East Canada)

Usually, Explorapoles does not publish tracking of polar expeditions during the summer. But this time, it’s different. Three great adventures are indeed on the menu: two are trying to reach the two poles by land while the third one is attempting to cross the Arctic Ocean on an unsinkable amphibious vehicle.

For once, big-thrill enthusiasts will be in their element this summer if they visit our pages.

A short reminder before it all begins: those who read us know that it is not Explorapoles’ usual practice to publish tracking of any expeditions during the summer -the Arctic season finishing indeed at the end of May and the Antarctic one starting only at the beginning of November.

This summer, even if our little team would have welcomed some well-deserved rest, things won’t be the same. Indeed, we have decided to follow three great adventures, one of which will end around beginning of October and the two others around the end of January 2012.

From One Pole to the Other

The first two are already on-line and began a few months ago: so we would remind you that this is a question of two adventurers who have decided to join up the two poles, starting from the North Pole and trying to get to the South Pole. One of them, Johan Ernst Nilson, a “green” Norwegian adventurer, is attempting the adventure by bike (his expe, our follow up), while the other, Pat Farmer, a 48-year-old Australian marathon runner, is putting the bar even higher, as it were, by attempting to cover this gigantic distance on foot (his expe, our follow up). For the moment, the two men have successfully completed the difficult crossing of the Arctic pack ice and are now going down Canada towards the United States; everything seems to be OK on board, even though Nilson had a big fright the other day caused by an enormous moose that charged him without the slightest reason while he was quietly cycling along a deserted North-West Canadian road.

Testing the vehicle/catamaran sailingboat/landyacht before the start

On the Summer Pack Ice

The third great adventure that Explorapoles will be following this summer is the 'crazy' project of a French sailor/adventurer, Sébastien Roubinet, who is attempting (with a French accomplice who is quite as adventurous as he is) aboard a 5-metre amphibious equipment that he has designed, built and tested as professionally as can be, the great crossing between the Alaskan coast and the Spitsbergen Archipelago, some 3,000 kilometres further to the east.

What is fascinating about this latter adventure is that it is a question of a world first because nobody has ever successfully completed this crossing. Secondly, it is taking place during the summer months (a season during which the ocean is usually beyond the pale (we’re not talking about tourism here, of course). Finally, a serious scientific program is associated with it, which will regularly measure the thickness of the pack ice all along the route. Although these measurements are currently made without much ado and with considerable ease during the winter months, the situation is quite different during the summer months, whence the interest of the scientific part of this expedition. This adventure is due to start at the beginning of July.

In short, the summer for once on Explorapoles is going to be hot. We wish you all a happy holiday while hoping that these adventures will be of interest to you throughout these three months of idleness.