Ice Warriors of the Arctic

One man's quest to reach the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility

When you travel north into the land of the midnight sun, you find a world of deep fjords, snow-capped mountains and massive ice sheets. This is the Arctic – labelled Ultima Thule (farthest land) by ancient explorers. For centuries the Arctic has been a magnet, a nagging obsession for polar travellers, adventurers and lost souls. It is still the most remote and unique environment on earth – one of the last great wildernesses in our world. Whether you look for solitude, local wildlife or to push human boundaries, it is simply spellbinding.

Jim McNeill, an Arctic explorer and founder of Ice Warrior, has studied its magnificent landscape for many years. The Northern lights are like an old friend, and he has grown accustomed to (although still not fond of) bone-chilling temperatures and a never-setting sun. McNeill has also witnessed a changing Arctic over the years, spurring him to launch The Ice Warrior expedition. McNeill believes polar expeditions should not only push the boundaries of human endurance; explorations of the coldest and most remote regions of our planet should also serve a useful purpose.

“In this modern age, our discoveries are more about subjects such as the reality of global climate change, changes to flora, fauna and topography,” McNeill says. He has assembled a group of amateur adventurers under the Ice Warrior banner, and next month they are venturing to the North Pole of Inaccessibility.

The North Pole of Inaccessibility, situated at 84�03′N 174�51′W, is located on the Arctic Ocean at the distance farthest from any land mass. It is 411 miles from the North Pole and 680 miles from Ellesmere Island, the closest point on the mainland. “The North Pole of Inaccessibility is the last place on earth where no-one has ever been,” says McNeill. “And that's the reason why it's so valuable."

According to Bj�rn Erlingsson, one of the expedition's scientists, for the last 40 to 50 years the Arctic region has been recognised as the central point of climate change and this expedition will attempt to measure that change. “The Arctic Pole of Inaccessibility is at the furthest distance from the coast and....

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