Arctic Arc 2007 : the entire crossing of the Arctic Ocean (part 1/6)

24 pictures posted on the 02.07.2009

The Mil Mi-8 (Russian Ми-8, NATO reporting name

The Mil Mi-8 (Russian Ми-8, NATO reporting name "Hip") is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries.

© IPF, Michel de Wouters & René Robert

  • To mark the International Polar Year, Alain Hubert and Dixie Dancercoer attempt to cross the Arctic from Siberia to Greenland, a trek of 4 months and approximately 4300 Km.
  • Michel de Wouters, the producer of Alain Hubert's films is flying with the tandem until the start to cover the departure.
  • A certitude : in a few years at most, human beings will no longer be able to cross the Arctic Ocean by their own means.
  • After Brussels, here are the stopover : Copenhague, St Petersburg, Norilsk, then Dudinka (the delta port of the river Ienissei) and Golomanyi, a russian research station.
  • It took five days to travel by plane, truck and van from Brussels to Golomanyi.
  • All these siberian cities look like remote places where almost no european could survive because of the cold.
  • Within few years, when the arctic pack will definitely be free of ice during the summer months, the siberian cities as Dudinka will become important and develop their economic activities.
  • Arriving at Norilsk, the team is informed that a huge open sea stretches before the Arktichewski cape.
  • That means that the helicopter MI8 should take them way in front of the cape but nobody knows how many kilometers far...
  • From Norilsk to Dudinka, the team has to be transported by a siberian van and travels by road.
  • Dudinka was founded in 1667 as a winter settlement, and was granted town status in 1951. Dudinka is the birthplace of the famous Russian poet Olga Martynova.
  • Waiting for the helicopter at Golomanyi research station, the team has time to go around and discover the white lanscapes of an unknown Siberia.
  • Other piece of information : there is an enormous stationary anticyclone over the departure zone and the weather is extremely cold (minus 40°C) at the moment in northern Siberia.
  • They are now waiting for their helicopter ride and the green light to send them out across the ice. Alain thinks the departure should take place either on Thursday 1st or Friday 2nd March.
  • As there's a lot of open water off Arctichewski, Alain has decided to be dropped off on the first proper ice they would see from the air. Thereby saving time. They should be starting their trek tomorrow or on Friday March 2 at the latest.
  • The Mil Mi-8 (Russian Ми-8, NATO reporting name
  • March 1st : due to a bad weather forecast, Alain and Dixie decide to fly to the departure zone this morning.
  • Russian specialists have forecasted a heavy snowstorm above Arctichewski from March 2nd to March 5th.
  • This will mean not only a lot of snow, but poor visibility (1 to 4 metres) and winds from the southwest at 8 to 15 knots.
  • During the flight, Alain thinks they will be dropped about 70 kilometers away from the siberian coast.
  • From the MI8 window, the team can discover a lot of wide open leads stretching everywhere along their route.
  • It was thus impossible for them to start from the Arktichewski Cape itself (81°13' N / 95° 15 E).
  • Finally Alain and Dixie are dropped at the position 82°00'32
  • The first day of their adventure, Alain and Dixie go ahead and cover 12,5 km in 5.5 hours.