American Lincoln Ellsworth was the first to fly across the continent successfully in November 1935, while another big-scale expedition, Operation Highjump, was organised in January 1947 by the US Navy. A total of 4700 men, 13 ships and 23 aircraft were involved. A base was set up at Little America. Extensive mapping of the coast and interior was accomplished, and over 70,000 aerial photographs were taken.
Getting There
When to go
Arctic
It goes without saying that weather conditions on any polar expedition are going to be testing, but rain, sleet or wet snow can make things a whole lot worse. Everything gets wet and makes the sled much heavier; and if the temperature then drops, scraping ice off clothing and managing equipment becomes a nightmare. So it's best not to leave too early (September, October) or risk the same moist conditions and ice break-up in May or June. This leaves approximately six months from November to April during which you can enjoy the cold in the higher latitudes on firm land – and, in this period, early winter and late spring are naturally best for daylight. It is advisable to study in depth the weather conditions of the region to which you want to travel and to get more precise information on local conditions.
Expeditions on the Arctic Ocean are limited by the airlines that can fly parties to the starting point or pick them up at the end of the season, which stretches from the beginning of March to early May, all depending on the ice conditions. Therefore, communications between the expedition and the airlines out of either Canada or Russia (see below) need to be well coordinated.
Antarctic
Similarly there are only two gateways for travel to Antarctica: from Cape Town, South Africa, to Novolazarevskaya in the Queen Maud Land mountain range; or from Punta Arenas, Argentina, to the Patriot Hills base, recently relocated to the Union Glacier. Here the season stretches between early November and the beginning of February, giving a good four months to get on and off the continent. Outside this window there are no commercial flights in or out.
See below (Airlines) for details of the main operators in both the Antarctic and Arctic. Contact them for information of costs and logistics.
Regulations and guidelines
There are very few places on our planet where there is no policing body forcing us to ‘obey the rules’, but the Arctic and Antarctic both fall into this bracket – perhaps because the polar regions don't offer the most exciting jobs for peace-keeping forces!
A ‘steamy’ lead at sunset with a treacherous and unstable shoreline
The Antarctic is a stable continent with mountains peeking through an enormously huge ice mass
Historically the only reasons for man to claim parts of the Arctic or Antarctic were nationalistic ones, with the extra bonus of economic growth. Later, claiming unknown lands or parts of the frozen seas became a sport in order to exploit either the riches that could be found on land or the best fishing grounds. Nations like Holland, Great Britain, Norway, Germany and the United States, to name just a few, tempted to explore the High North and the Deep South, were confronted with many difficulties, with heroic tales of the surviving crews surely outnumbered by those of the mariners who froze to death. There was nothing exotic about the harsh environment of the poles.
Consequently it is no surprise that, so far, the polar regions have been left alone. We know that today the strict legislation surrounding the fishing industry regulates the coming and going of anyone with commercial intent, and that any claims on landmasses will be condemned. But we also know that there is no border control once you go south from any of the nations that offer jump-off points for a visit to Antarctica; equally there is no customs check when you travel north from the last landmasses before you set foot on the Arctic Ocean.
There are limitations, however. There is control from the organisations providing logistical support for anyone travelling to the (Ant)Arctic. There are treaties stipulating rules and regulations to promote fair play. There are logistical and geographical restrictions. And there are enough ethical reasons to treat these fragile areas of the world as unique and irreplaceable. Therefore it is up to each of us to respect any restrictions that may apply so that subsequent generations can enjoy the same liberty.
Anyone travelling to the Arctic or Antarctic must check with their own government to locate the specific organisation who can supply accurate and up-to-date information concerning permits and possible restrictions on where or how to travel. At present there is no world body responsible for giving out permits for polar travel.
Codes of behaviour
The following organisations have laid down measures to protect the environment, culture and heritage of the polar regions.
For the Arctic, AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, www.aeco.no) is an international organisation which tries to ensure that tourism in the Arctic is carried out with the utmost consideration for the fragile natural environment, local cultures and antiquities, while ensuring safe tour operations at sea and on land.
Visitors are asked to respect the following rules.
1 Leave no lasting signs of your visit.
2 Do not take anything with you.
3 Do not disturb animals and birds.
4 Do not pick flowers.
5 Leave cultural remains alone.
6 Take the polar bear seriously.
7 Respect local culture and local people.
8 Be safe.
For the Antarctic, IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, www.iaato.org) was founded in 1991 to advocate, promote and practise safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic.
Even though IAATO's members are commercially active, and individuals or smaller groups of Antarctic explorers are not inclined to join, it is appropriate to make them aware of your plans. Most of the governmental organisations are in close contact with IAATO, so in this small world you are bound to cross their path.
Those polar adventurers who do not want to rely on the flights plying between South America or South Africa and prefer to travel to Antarctica by a different means – by sailing, paddling (maybe even swimming!) – must check with their local governments and fill out the necessary paperwork to comply with each nation's rules and regulations.
Ilushin aircraft fly scientists, adventurers and logistic personnel to Antarctica… without cabin service!
Airlines
The following companies offer flights to the Arctic Ocean:
VICAAR, based in St Petersburg (www.northpolextreme.com), the only company offering direct access to the heart of the Arctic Ocean during April.
Ken Borek Air (www.borekair.com), operating all over the Arctic; their Resolute Bay Station is the most frequented by polar explorers.
First Air (www.firstair.ca), airline of the North.
There are two main organisations for expeditions travelling to the Antarctic:
ALE (www.antarctic-logistics.com)