Dave

I guess I have to post this in parts. <BR> <BR> My wife and I recently returned from a trip to the North Pole. On Aug 7, after a few days in Helsinki (see Europe forum), we flew from there to Longyearbyen on a chartered Finnair plane, which took about 2 hours. This is a town of about 1400, the principal town on the island of Spitzbergen, which is in Svaalbard, a group of islands belonging to Norway, and which is about halfway from the top of the continent to the NP. We took a quick look through town, learned its history, and bought the usual tee shirt. From the airport, a Russian helicopter took 20 passengers at a time to the landing pad on the ship, the Yamal. This is a nuclear powered Russian icebreaker, one of 5 similar ships, which are the most powerful icebreakers made, and the only ones that can go the pole. It is a big ship, about 450 feet long, with 75,000 HP. As it was nuclear powered, it could not enter Norwegian waters. It is a working icebreaker, but for 4 weeks in the summer, it makes 2 trips to the NP taking passengers. The passengers displace the crew in their rooms, and the remaining crew is reduced and those that remain are squeezed together. The rooms go from standard small cabins to suites, but are nothing like a commercial line. They were quite comfortable, however, and the service and food were very good. There were 3 meals daily, and tea at 4PM. No room service. The 100 passengers were from 18 nations, but mostly English speaking.

Dave

Second part: <BR> <BR> Leaving Svaalbard, which is at 78N, we head straight north. After 12 hours, we begin to encounter ice floes, which become larger, thicker, harder, and more dense, although there is always some water to be seen. As the ship crashes into the floes, it begins to clang and clatter, and is buffeted to and fro, heaving here and there, so much so that food and people sometimes land on the floor. It resembles turbulence on a plane, but is more severe and noisy, and lasts for a week without letup. During the day there are lectures by specialists in ice, oceanography, peoples of the Arctic, and birds and animals. On the fourth day, after 750 miles, the ship plows into an ice floe, with a navigation reading of 89:59:97. This shortage of 150 feet was disconcerting until it was explained that the data receiver was in the back of the ship, and that those standing on the bridge were actually at 90N. We were standing on top of the world, and everyplace we turned was south. It was exhilarating, and champagne was served. <BR> <BR> The ship then picked around the ice floes until it smashed into a large hard mass in such a way as to enable the passengers to go down the gangway, walk on the ice, take pictures, have some food and drink, and celebrate the experience for 2 hours. It was impressive. About 20 people, mostly crew, dived into the water for about 5 seconds, then were pulled out. The ship was secured, and we headed south. <BR>

Dave

Third part: <BR> <BR> The icepack was still strong after sailing 2 days, when we saw a polar bear lumbering on the ice looking for a seal for his dinner. Later, a mother polar bear and a cub were sighted. The ship stopped, and the cub wandered close to the ship, trying to figure out what was that big red monster in the water. After 10 minutes, they wandered away. <BR> <BR> After 2 days we arrive at Franz Josef Land, a large group of small low lying, ice covered islands east of Svaalbard. We are able to take helicopter flights, 10 people at a time, and land on 2 different areas on which some early explorers stopped for a few months on their tries to reach the pole. We also saw many seals, bowhead whales, a few walruses, and a huge rock with thousands of nesting seabirds. Then a scenic helicopter ride over some islands to see many glaciers. Next day we arrive at Novaya Zemlya, a huge barren landmass above Russia, and helicopter there also. Then two days to Murmansk, which is a large Russian city and naval base on the Barents Sea. We were diverted 100 miles out of our way because of the submarine tragedy. Murmansk is a large city with hundreds of drab, gray, decaying apartment houses. A short flight brings us back to Helsinki. <BR>

Mark Everett

Loved your description of your trip to the North Pole. You had a real adventure.I would like to hear more about the trip. How do you book such a trip? What are the costs? What are the Russians like to deal with?

Dave

The trip is run by Quark (quark-expeditions.com), and is sponsored by organizations such as American Museum and Harvard Museum. We booked our trip through Explorers Club, but it can be booked directly through Quark. We learned about it because we get a lot of brochures, and I have been looking at this trip for 4 years. <BR> <BR>It is very expensive, from 18K to 24K per person, plus airfare. <BR> <BR>The Russian crew was very nice and friendly, mostly younger people, but did not speak much English. There were interpreters. They enjoyed going to the pole as much as we did. The cleaning and food service were exceptional. They all tried to do their best.

BeatChick

Fascinating trip report!!<BR><BR>Topping

mike

Thanks Dave,<BR><BR>Did you see Santa?<BR><BR>What about the Island of Misfits?

JudyC

Dave, enjoy your report very much.

My parents are very interested in this trip in 2004,could you please tell me how bad the ship heaved while going through ice floes? As my father is concerned about seasick.

Thank you in advance.

RachelG

Very cool--this is one of my husband's dream trips but will have to wait till the boys are grown. We could afford 2 of us but not 4.

Jed

I took the same trip a few years ago. The ship heaves quite a bit because the front has to push on top of the foreward ice and break it. But consider that it goes within a narrow channel, and there are no waves or storms. As Dave said, it is like bad plane turbulence. I don't remember anyone getting seasick. I have been on ships which were much worse, and which caused seasickness.

BTW, this year, just before the trips, I got a brochure offering the trip for half off.

Jed

I should add that there were a few days on open water going south from the end of the icepack to land. But there were no storms, and the water was calm.

JudyC

Jed,many thanks for the reply.

traveller333

Thanks for sharing! I hope to do the same itinerary someday.