The Polar Pack Ice

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Polar Ice Pack

Arrival at the Pole – the 94th vessel to reach the 90 Degrees North!

We wake up knowing that today is the day we reach the north pole – the purpose of our voyage!  We are a little disappointed to see that the weather outside is gray, as we were hoping for bright sunny skies; however, we are optimistic that it may improve as the day progresses. After breakfast we wander the ship and spend time on the deck, opting not to attend a lecture on life under the sea ice.  We do attend our mandatory briefing for all ballooning guests.   For the first time in 2012, Quark offered an option to take a balloon ride at the North Pole.  Quark runs two north pole expeditions a year and we are the second in 2012.  In the expedition before ours, the weather conditions prohibited ballooning at the pole.  Instead, it was performed at one of the later shore landings.   Our group, therefore, be the first to balloon at the north pole.  There is only opportunity for 50 guests to participate and there is an extensive wait list for others interested.  [Note that the weather did not allow for us to balloon either…nor did the weather allow for us to balloon at the shore landings, which was disappointing.  It was explained to us that there has to be almost zero wind to allow for the ballooning to take place – since the balloon is tethered, wind causes the basket to tip.  We will receive a full refund and notice the ballooning is not an available option for the 2013 north pole voyages].

Today is our scheduled day to have pre-lunch cocktails with the ship Captain.  We assemble into a large room and sit around a long board room-like table…with the Captain at the head.  Through a Russian translator we are able to ask the Captain questions about the ship or his experiences.  MG and I do not ask any questions.  Instead, we listen to the others questions and the Captain’s answers (and MG is big fan of the spring rolls that are being passed around).  It is a nice event until it kind of falls apart when one passenger (apparently a self-proclaimed  wave expert and a bit of an odd duck) asks a series of hypothetical questions about tsunamis in the arctic.  Our expedition leader interjects and we shift to taking pictures with the Captain.  He is patient and takes pictures with everyone...although we joke later that each time he “smiled” the corners of his mouth may have just slightly curved into the possible beginning s of a smile.

Post lunch we have our scheduled engine room tour – it begins with one of the senior crew members explaining (also through the translator) the interworking  of the ship.  Despite my best attempts, I cannot keep MG awake (and of course we are sitting in a highly visible area).  He jots awake only to fall asleep again moments later.  A map of the ship shows that the majority of the vessel is actually machine rooms and other areas dedicated to the functioning of the ship.  After the presentation, we are escorted from room to room.  While normally restricted to the Russian crew, we are allowed to walk through the huge mechanical rooms, including the area where the nuclear reactors resides.  A fellow passenger has a radiation detector.  Only in one room does the device detect an unsafe level of radiation…although we are assured the quick tour is safe, we quickly exit that area and complete the tour. 

Later in the afternoon, we attend a lecture hosted by our Expedition Leader on the four poles – the magnetic north pole, the geomagnetic north pole, the pole of inaccessibility and the geographic north pole (with a latitude of  90 degrees north, where we will arrive later today).   The lecture is followed by a briefing on our arrival at the pole.  Based on our current position, the information known about the weather, ice levels and our speed, we are scheduled to arrive at the north pole around midnight.  The leader cautions, however, that once he made a late night announcement on an expedition that the pole was approaching, right before some heavy ice was encountered and it took an additional 5 hours to reach the pole.  He assures us that announcements will be made so we have ample time to gather on deck and celebrate the arrival.    

In the time before dinner we lounge in the bar, chatting with others (missing a lecture on the historical attainment of the pole).   Many passengers ask to see MGs photos – not just of the ice bears, but all of the pictures he has taken to date – and inquire if he will contribute to the take home DVD Quark prepares, compiling pictures from the voyage.  

During the recap and dinner everyone is excited about reaching the pole and some have even started carrying portable GPS devices to track our progress.  By this time, although there is no assigned seating, most passengers have formed regular dinner groups.  Our new north pole BFFs are a couple from Israel, celebrating a milestone birthday and lifelong desire to travel to the north pole. 

Knowing that an announcement will be made, we check the progress on deck and on the TV screen in our room and go to sleep.  As planned, shortly after midnight we wake with the announcement that we will soon reach the pole.  Passengers may no longer stand on the bridge as the captain and crew position the boat exactly at 90 degrees north.   We assemble on the deck and wait for the moment of the trip.  Champagne is passed around and GPS units are abundant as we inch towards the pole.  Finally, in a New Year’s Eve style countdown, we arrive. 

90 Degrees North – the top of the world.  Important for its significance, much more than the landscape, we celebrate.  Laughter, pictures, hugs, kisses and animated chatter in multiple languages commemorate the moment – although we didn’t drive the ship or directly participate in ensuring our arrival at the pole, there is nonetheless a feeling of accomplishment.   Our expedition leader talks about the significance of reaching the pole – highlighting the number of nations present on the vessel, making the voyage together. He addresses the group, standing next to the Captain, and although he has been in this position dozens of times before, he still seems moved by the experience.   

As refilled champagne glasses are once again drained, lens caps slowly start to appear on cameras and GPS units disappear into jacket pockets. We stay on deck for about an hour and a half enjoying north pole experience and then eventually, along with others wrapped warmly in their yellow parkas, head back to bed.  Unlike New Year’s Eve, however, we have the excitement of the on-ice North Pole celebration to look forward to the next day (or for MG…later the same day).