From polar bears, puffins, walruses, whales and so much more.
The arctic has attracted some of the most world-renowned explorers from around the world. First being Sir James Clark Ross, a British Naval Officer who in 1831 located the magnetic North Pole, and following this he later commanded an Antarctic expedition with his ship called HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, where he charted most of Antarctica’s coast line.
Then you had the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who was an out-of-the box thinker, who felt that to explore the pole, he altered his ship Fram with a rounded hull and features that allowed it to withstand pressure from the frozen ice. Although the ship did freeze in the ice, but when the ship didn’t reach the Pole after 18 months, he set out with a companion to the North Pole. Unfortunately, he didn’t reach the North Pole, but he did set a record for the farthest travel in the north.
These two explorers are just a few that have taken the step to go to the cold north and now you can make that very journey to the Arctic North and enter the history books.
To create a trip like this is not for the faint-hearted and requires a vast amount of planning and training, but the good news is that Ariodante has done the hard work for you. Known as the ‘ the travel alchemist’ they have a rich history in creating itineraries that go above and beyond. This experience will see guests drive to the northernmost point on land on earth using a custom-built vehicle, an achievement that will offer the chance to be in the Guinness Book of Records and one of the greatest stories to tell. The current northernmost point is located at 83-c (locations here) and it is expected that this expedition will go further beyond this point.
However, with a trip of this caliber you will not be alone. Accompanying you will be renowned scientists who using the latest equipment will collect data from previous unexplored glaciers and regions. This will help the scientific community better understand global warming, the melting of the ice caps and Greenlands formation. Currently most of the data points have been gained from drones and aerial imagery, so being able to get up close and personal is going to be invaluable.
With front row seats guests will be able to view the iridescent northern lights and witness the diverse range of wildlife, from polar bears, puffins, walruses, whales and so much more. But before all that, guests will have a private dinner at the Natural History Museum with several famous explorers, many of whom have made history already. This is the perfect opportunity to learn a few tips from them too.
Following dinner, guests will travel to Svalbard and then to a military base northeast of Greenland. Guests will reach the first campsite by air for an overnight stay in an ice hotel. From that point on, the journey will last at least 7 days and you will be driving on ice and snow, exploring incredible remote places of incredible beauty. Once you reach the current northernmost point on land on earth, you will push on to discover islands no one has ever set foot on. The journey will end on the northernmost island and from then, the explorer will be airlifted to a waiting superyacht, potentially with your family onboard. There is an opportunity to extend the trip and reach the geographical North Pole or relax on a cruise before heading back home.
So if you have decided that this is the perfect adventure for you and are now wondering how much it costs to go, then a ticket will cost £15.3 million.
And what do you get for your £15.3 million?
Given that guests are going to one of the most remote parts of the world, planning is everything as well as training. Over 120 people will be working for over 13 months preparing, the use of satellites, scientific data, and assistance from the Danish Military. To make sure to are able to keep moving and carry the equipment, seven bespoke vehicles are being built specifically for this trip, with six of the vehicles after the trip being donated to the scientific community.
Guests will not just be going on this adventure but be part of it, so you will be expected to undergo Polar Survival Training as well as Ice Driving Course too.
This adventure represents more than 110,000 hours of work and requires 20 days of intensive training for the crew, 50 days of reconnaissance and 40 days in the polar region for pre-prep. A total of 22 crew members will be with you as well as scientists, polar doctors, and a private chef. And to top everything off, a film crew to immortalise the achievement and adventure.