Arctic Arc 2007 : the entire crossing of the Arctic Ocean (part 4/6)

24 pictures posted on the 02.07.2009

Alain :

Alain : "Before the Pole, there was more chance of encountering hard and relatively flat ice" explained Alain. "But now there is more than a knee-deep layer of snow on the ice, which forces us to remove our skis and to proceed on foot, as the surface of this snow is frozen into a hard crust so irregular that it is impossible to use skis".

© IPF, Michel de Wouters & René Robert

  • While, during the two or three days following the departure from the Pole, the terrain on which Alain and Dixie progressed was more or less acceptable, yesterday april 29th, however, was another dive into an indescribable hell.
  • The story on this side of the Pole is different. This is truly the road to have been travelled the least. Few have ever attempted this approach to Greenland over the Arctic Ocean. On this ‘Greenland side' the skiing conditions are far more difficult.
  • May 1st : yesterday evening, after a day which would have crushed a lesser mortal (
  • Alain :
  • Alain :
  • Alain continues :
  • May 8th : they're at a pivotal point of the expedition, because on the one hand time is short and, on the other, they know absolutely nothing about the conditions that they can expect during a few days.
  • It should be known that nobody has ever been here and who knows whether or not they will encounter areas of almost uncrossable ice? How will the drift behave?
  • Since they left the pole, they've been walking in such a way as to compensate for the effect of the Arctic drift. Will they have to keep on walking in that way?
  • The day had once again been pretty terrible: the leads of open water had reappeared, the chaos was more impressive than ever, the compression ridges almost uncrossable and, to sap the morale even further, the weather had been vile with covered skies, threatening clouds, and reduced visibility. In short, a horrible day.
  • May 10th : Panic on the pack ice yesterday evening: the two men nearly got intoxicated, because the stove wasn't working properly.
  • The expedition that has to deposit some supplies (the second resupply of the expedition) for Alain and Dixie in the north of Greenland left Brussels Monday May 7th. For the time being, Arnaud Tortel and Didier Goetghebuer are blocked by the storm in Ilulisat, Greenland.
  • The terrain on which the two men have been progressing since the 88th degree is, despite their unflagging optimism, failing to improve. Yesterday morning, it took them three hours to cover the first three kilometres!
  • May 12th : yesterday evening the pair was 549 kilometres away from the beginning of the Victoria Fjord which they intend to enter to reach the Greenland ice cap.They have already progressed 254 kilometres since they have left the North Pole about 16 days ago.
  • May 15th : Since they have set off from the pole (April 26), Dixie and Alain have been obliged to proceed on foot, due to the Arctic chaos. Yesterday, the terrain was slightly better. They were able to put on their skis once again. There is still hope...
  • May 18th : With the return of a wind blowing in from the South- South East direction, the ice has begun to drift northwards. As a result, Wednesday night, the Arctic Arc camp moved 4km, of which 3 km were to the north. 87°22'13
  • Since their departure they have only managed to bring out the sails twice, for barely a few meagre hours, which says a lot about the difficult nature of the terrain.
  • How many sunny days have they had since the outset, two and a half months, 77 days ago? A grand total of three.... Three out of seventy seven days!
  • Yesterday (May 18th) was a particularly difficult day. In addition to the poor weather and damages to the sledges, they were assailed head on by a southerly wind which caused a negative drift effect, forcing the ice northwards, and making them lose part of the hard won ground.
  • The polar diet plays a vital role for these professional expeditions going into extreme conditions in polar regions.
  • If the two men continue to aim for the Victoria Fjord, they are throwing themselves straight into the lion's jaw. That is to say that the risks are enormous if they continue to head for Victoria Fjord: the route advisor is adamant. Consequently, they are modifying their itinerary to Greenland.
  • Satellite maps show clearly an enormous zone of fractured ice floes are developing around the entrance of the Victoria Fjord, along the exact route the expedition was planing to follow.
  • Since heoric times, the advent of the GPS has taken the emphasis off the compass and sextant. Now, with satellite imagery, the Arctic ice can be deciphered to a growing extent by the initiated. Since the departure of the expedition, this has been very useful.
  • Alain :