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North Pole – The Last Degree Ski Expedition

Enjoy one of the most remote and magical places on our planet thanks to the Internationl Project Barneo.

The North Pole – disover the magical point where all meridians meet and the sun never goes down for 24 hours.

Thanks to the International Project “Barneo”, which is a big ice base and consists of an ice runway and an ice camp, it is possible to visit this very remote place. All the facilities have to be rebuild each year in March / April as it is situated on ice layers which are constantly in Motion. As long as you are in the main camp in Barneo, you can enjoy heated tents with all infrastructure, which got adopted to this exposed climate.

Outside the main camp the life at the arctic turns into a very unfriendly place – the weather can be very unpredictable, ice conditions are not stable, you have to overcome big distances but at the same time it also turns into one of the most magical places on earth, which was not reachable for a long time. The best time of the year for an expedition is in April, when the air is getting a bit warmer and the ice is the thickest.

Adventure Factor bold
Experience / Emotion breathtaking
Fitness / Struggle very challenging
Risk very low
Comfort expeditionstyle

Highlights:

  • all the infrastructure at yearly built Intl. Project Barneo
  • Flight from Longyearbyen to Barneo and back
  • Spectacular Scenary
  • best equipment for discovering the Arctic

Trip dates:

Booking code:-
Minimum members:-
Price per person: 0

Changes and amendments may apply to the program, depending on the weather, ice, or other conditions. It is important to consider possible delays or alterations and take them with patience. We strongly recommend you to acquire insurance against full or partial cancellation of the expedition.
Barneo Ice Camp does not belong to any country and uses the time zone of Longyearbyen/Spitsbergen.

The following itinerary is planned:

Day 1: Meeting with a guide, check your individual and group gear, general instruction. Preparation for the training trip and packing the sleds. At 19:00 Introductory dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: 10:00 Training trip in the Longyearbyen surrounding. Overnight at the hotel

Day 3: 16:00-18:00. Information meeting, where our staff will brief you on the situation at the Barneo region, planned departure time, and answer your questions. Packing and weighing the expedition sleds. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4: Transfer to the airport, security check, boarding. Flight from Longyearbyen to Barneo (approx. flight duration: 2 hrs 30 min).  Acquaintance with Barneo Ice Camp, located at approximately 89 degrees North. Meeting with Expedition Leader, getting information about the place of start, fixing schedule for communication. Filling bottles with fuel for stoves. Snacks, tea, and coffee are served in Barneo mess-tent. Boarding helicopter and loading sleds. Taking off for place of start. Usually, it takes up to 2 hours between arriving at Barneo by plane and taking off by helicopter

Day 5 – 13: Ski trek to the North Pole, overnight sleeping in the expedition tents on the drifting ice. The start point will be decided depending upon the ice and prevailing ice drift conditions.

Day 14: On arrival at the top of the globe, we will celebrate it. We will spend a few hours nearby the Pole before helicopter takes us back to Barneo Ice Camp. Coffee, tea, and snacks for free and strong drinks for sale will be available in Barneo mess room while waiting for the plane from Longyearbyen. Usually, depending on the weather, it takes a couple of hours. Flight from Barneo to Longyearbyen on the AN-74 aircraft (approx. flight duration 2 h 30 min). Transfer to your hotel. Night at the hotel.

Day 15: The North Pole Certificate ceremony. Time and place are to be discussed with expedition participants and announced in advance. Night at the hotel.

Day 16: Free time. You have a chance to take part in Svalbard entertainment programs (for additional costs, booking required).
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Each expedition to the North Pole is the ultimate adventure full of random factors. Though we are making all possible efforts to accomplish every expedition, tour operator VICAAR reserves the right to change or cancel an itinerary due to weather and/or ice conditions, group fitness, political situation, strikes, wars, revolutions, terrorism and/or other factors beyond its control. Such changes are to be made in our customers’ interests and with regard to their safety.

check_circle_outline What is Included:

  • Meeting at the Longyearbyen airport (Spitsbergen, Norway)
  • 2 transfers airport-hotel-airport
  • Introductory dinner in Longyearbyen
  • Training tour in the Longyearbyen surrounding
  • Aircraft flights Longyearbyen — Barneo — Longyearbyen
  • Helicopter flights according to the program
  • 40kg of baggage as free allowance
  • Accommodation in the heated tents at Barneo and full catering at Barneo Camp before departure to Longyearbyen (in case the group will be delayed at Barneo due to any reason caused a delay of the plane after completing the expedition)
  • Using Barneo facilities
  • Full catering on the trek
  • Certified mountain guides
  • Rent of the safety equipment (communication, navigation aid, weapon)
  • Rent of the skis with binding and ski poles
  • Rent of the cargo sled and tent
  • Rent of the other group gear
  • Stove fuel
  • Certificate of the North Pole visit
  • Festive ceremony at Longyearbyen
  • Safety and liability of an EU based tour operator

highlight_off What is not included:

  • Travel costs from your place of residence to/from Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen, Norway)
  • Accommodation in Longyearbyen
  • Catering in Longyearbyen
  • Transfers in Longyearbyen (excl. airport-hotel-airport for travel home and hotel-airport-hotel for travel to the North Pole)
  • Activities in Longyearbyen (e.g. dogsledding rides, tours to the glacier or coal mine)
  • Alcohol drinks
  • Insurance against full or partial cancellation of the expedition, baggage insurance, life and health insurance (strongly recommended)
  • Obligatory med-evac insurance with a coverage up to 100 000 Euro
  • All the unforeseen costs related to the flight’s delays
  • Souvenirs and postal expenses
  • Overweight baggage — 25 Euro/kilo

info General

Weather and conditions in the Arctic can lead to program or route changes. Participation in the expedition lies in your own individual responsibility. Furtenbach Adventures assumes no liability for accidents, damages or loss of materials.

If you are not sure that taking part in an expedition like this is the right thing for you, feel free to contact us on Tel +43 512 204134 or e-mail [email protected] for a personal consultation.

This package in general is not suitable for persons with reduced mobility.

Note: In this trip, Furtenbach Adventures will act as an intermediary. We reveal the terms and conditions of the tour operator Vicaar International Projects & Expeditions, whose travel, cancellation and liability conditions are fully met.
Adress: Romenskaya 10, St.Petersburg, Russia, 191119
Phone number: +7 812 712 03 33

https  Insurance

We strongly recommend taking out a suitable travel insurance for Antarctica (including trip cancellation, interruption, medical and luggage insurance).

Due to the exposed location of this expedition, only very few insurance companies offer a suitable offer and this must be put together individually for each traveler. We’re happy to provide you with an individual offer upon request or after booking. The insurance for this expedition must cover at least EUR 50.000,- (worldwide) and have an expiry date at least 3 weeks after the expedition end date.

language Entry Requirements

EU or Swiss citizens:

Norway:

When entering the country, you need a passport with a validity of at least 6 more months. Information about recommended vaccines and health regulations: http://www.who.int/ith/en/

Travelers must be able to prove their return or onward ticket when entering the country.

More detailed information regarding entry, visa and health requirements for this travel destination will be provided once you’ve communicated your nationality.

work  Equipment

You need to bring some of the perrsonal equipment. Please consider that the temperature is likely between -20 and -35° C and a strong wind-chill-effect and storms can occur. Following your booking we will send you a detailed equipment list. We will be happy to advise you personally during the selection and purchase of required equipment. With years of expedition experience, we know what has proved its worth and what not.

perm_identity Physical Fitness

A key success factor in expeditions is being in good shape. Train in the months before the expedition! Winter camping and various kinds of winter sports can be helpful to also get used to cold temperatures. You should be able to walk on skis for 8 – 10 hours daily for 8 – 10 days. Additionally you have to pull a 40-50 kg expedition sled with equipment, fuel and food through rough terrain. Mental training is also advised for this very challenging expedition. We will gladly provide individual advice on how to best prepare yourself mentally and physically for an expedition!

local_hospital Health

We recommend that each participant undergoes a medical examination prior to the expedition. Good health is a prerequisite for participation. Particularly important is a visit to the dentist because previously unnoticed dental problems can become quite acute due to the sudden change in pressure conditions in higher altitudes.

insert_chart_outlined Difficulty/ Technique

Ski Touring always lies in the participant‘s personal responsibility, while led by the mountain guide. Participants must be able to move safely and independently in different snow conditions and rough terrain. All Ski Touring members should be able to perform kick-turns. The guide is there to provide guidance for the whole group, the possibilities for him to respond to individual needs is limited. It is imperative that participants adhere to the instructions and decisions made by the mountain guide. Regardless, each participant must know their own physical limits.

 

payment Payment

Deposit Payment is made less than eleven months prior to the end of the trip and is 20%. The balance must be paid by December 10. Please find more information regarding the payment in the GTC of the tour operator.

directions_run Right to withdraw

The traveller has the right to withdraw from the travel contract at any time by paying the according cancellation fee stated in the General Terms of Conditions the tour operator.

The following fees apply for cancellations on the part of the client prior to travel:

until 30th of November of the previous year ………….. 30 % of the tour fee
after December ………………………………………………. 100% of the tour fee

The tour operator will be released from the contract if the specified minimum number of participants is not achieved and if the customer has been notified about the cancellation in writing within the following periods: until 20 days prior to departure.

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