Long days, arduous conditions and difficult terrain. Sound like fun? We think so! As our most popular polar expedition, our North Pole Last Degree Expedition is an adventure in every sense of the word. More...

Expedition Dates

2011 Tentative dates: April 14-26, 2011

2012 Tentative dates: April 14-26, 2012

Expedition Pricing

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Choose your expedition...	Price if paid in full before Dec. 1, 2010	Price if paid after Dec. 1, 2010
Last Degree "Standard"	€22,900	€23,900
Last Degree "Complete"	€25,900	€26,900

•Last Degree "Standard" - Includes all group equipment, sled system, ski system, sleeping system, boot system & team anorak
•Last Degree "Complete" - Includes all of the above plus our 5 day Polar Shakedown Training, accommodations, dinners and breakfasts in Longyearbyen

"All-inclusive" packages available that include your full kit, hotels, in-town meals and more... Contact us for details.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1:	Meet in Longyearbyen. Transfer from airport to hotel. Unpack gear and relax. Opportunity to explore Longyearbyen. Welcome reception and dinner.
Day 2:	Final equipment review, warm-up ski in Spitsbergen Last chance to get goodies and/or clothing or equipment in town!
Day 3:	Fly to 89 degrees North latitude, strap on skis and head North!
Day 4-11:	Ski North towards the North Pole! Days are spent skiing and taking relatively short breaks, evenings are spent setting up camp, preparing meals and relaxing with fellow expedition team members.
Day 12:	Arrive at the geographic North Pole! Enjoy a Polar celebration with champagne, photographs, and plenty of photos. Call home and share the moment with friends or family! Camp in the vicinity of the North Pole.
Day 13:	Pick up by charter helicopter and fly back to 89 degrees. Board return flight to Longyearbyen. Hot showers and celebratory dinner!
Day 14:	Breakfast at Longyearbyen lodge. Transport to airport. Flights home!

This itinerary is highly dependent on a number of factors and is subject to change. Contact us for a more detailed itinerary!

Qualifications
This expedition is for people who are in good shape, and who are eager to push themselves physically and mentally. Though the skiing is quite demanding, it does not require significant skill (it is very much like walking with skis on).You will need to have very good cardiovascular endurance and the ability to pull a heavy sled (between 30-40 kilos) for several hours at a time. Towards the end of the day when we stop skiing, it is critical that you have the energy reserves to set up camp, melt snow for hot tea or cocoa, and make dinner. Most importantly you need to be able to regulate your body temperature so that you do not get too cold, or too hot while you are on the move. This expedition will encounter extremely cold conditions, and living in such cold conditions 24 hours a day can be very challenging. You do not have to be a world class athlete to participate in and enjoy this expedition, but every ounce of training and preparation will help to make the expedition more enjoyable and safer. Please contact us with further questions!

Equipment
Upon registration, you will receive a comprehensive gear guide including an instructional DVD that explains the importance of each item as well as gear recommendations from our past participants.

• 1 pair skis and ski poles (supplied by PolarExplorers)
• 1 pair skins covering the full length of your skis (supplied by PolarExplorers)
• 1 pair snow pack ski boots (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• 1 pair extra boot liners (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• Sleeping bag rated to at least -35° Celsius (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• Bivy sack (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• 2 sleeping pads (bring your own or let PolarExplorers supply this item)
• 1 wind anorak with hood (supplied by PolarExplorers - your to keep)
• 1 wind pants
• 1 insulated parka with hood
• 1 warm fleece jacket and pants
• 2 sets wool or synthetic underwear, medium weight top and bottom- 2nd set optional
• 3 sets mitts: 1 regular, 1 overmitts, 1 spare regular mitts or gloves
• 2 pair working gloves
• 2 hats: 1 lightweight balaclava, 1 ski type
• 2 neck gaiters
• 3 pair socks and sock liners
• 1 face mask
• Sun glasses and/ or mountain ski glasses
• 2 pr. anti-fog goggles
• 1 sturdy small backpack with waist belt and sternum strap
• 2 Thermos bottles or insulated water bottles
• 1 set eating utensils with bowl
• Pocket knife / multi-tool
• Personal toiletries
• 1 pee bottle (small plastic bottle)
• Face cream, lip protection
• 4 carabiners

What's Included:

• PolarExplorers expertise in planning and preparation (call us anytime!)
• PolarExplorers guides (world-class polar guides having guided a combined 40+ polar expeditions & adventures)
• 5-day Polar Shakedown Training as a part of our "Complete" expedition package (THE best polar training available!)
• PE's popular "North Pole Slideshow" (a ready-to-go PowerPoint presentation about the North Pole, expedition travel, and the polar environment.) We've prepared this for you to use as a stand-alone presentation or to edit/ incorporate into your own presentation about your expedition. Share the North Pole with your friends, family & community
• PolarExplorer's "Polar Prep" DVD covering personal clothing & equipment and tips for training.
• Expedition anorak with expedition patch (yours to keep!)
• Daily online expedition blogs for friends and family back home
• Pick up at Longyearbyen airport and transfer to hotel
• Welcome reception on first night of expedition
• All charter air transportation from Longyearbyen and return
• Up to three nights lodging in Longyearbyen (with dinners and breakfasts) - not included in "standard" package
• Skis, poles, sleds (quality gear that's tried and true in the polar environment)
• Boots (use ours or bring your own)
• Sleeping systems (sleeping bag, bivy and pads)
• Tents & all group camping gear
• Expedition patch
• All food while on the ice
• North Pole celebration
• Official framed certificate
• Satellite phone call from North Pole
• Communication and safety gear
• Baggage allowance up to 77lbs (35 kg)
  

What's Not Included:

• Round trip airfare to Longyearbyen
• Polar Shakedown training (if registered for "standard" package)
• Personal clothing and accessories
• Full medical, baggage, trip cancellation and evacuation insurance (required)
• Excess baggage costs
• Additional phone calls (one call from the North Pole is included)
• Extended stay fees associated with weather delays
• Food and lodging in Longyearbyen if booked on the "standard" package
• Taxes and gratuity
• Travel to Polar Shakedown location

Full Expedition Description
Long days, arduous conditions and difficult terrain. Sound like fun? We think so! As our most popular polar expedition, our North Pole Last Degree Expedition is an adventure in every sense of the word. Traveling across the dynamic polar pack ice requires patience and agility, not to mention a flexible attitude to deal with the many diversions that pop up over the course of each day. From open water "leads" to huge pressure ridges of ice, there are many obstacles on this expedition that make reaching the North Pole all the more satisfying.

This expedition begins in the remote, yet modern village of Longyearbyen, Norway, well above the Arctic circle at 78 degrees North. Because we include our Polar Shakedown training in price of this expeditions, team members arrive feeling as prepared, excited, and ready for a great journey. We plan for one day in town to review your equipment, ready our kits and take care of last minute details. On this day we'll issue your team anorak embroidered with an expedition patch and your last name (yours to keep) as well as all group equipment and gear. We'll review safety procedures and all aspects of the expedition.

From Longyearbyen we'll make our way to approximately 89 degrees north latitude via a charter flight and possibly an additional helicopter lift. Depending on conditions and the time of our arrival we'll either set up camp or strap on our skis and sleds and head off toward our goal - the geographic North Pole. Skiing 7-10 hours a day over the dynamic pack ice, we'll encounter many challenges and breathtaking scenery. If conditions are good, our route will take us across large pans of flat ice that present few obstacles. When conditions are less than ideal, we'll have to maneuver around open water "leads" and over pressure ridges that can range from 1-5 meters in height. Families and friends can follow your daily progress and send you messages via our online expedition blogs.

As with all of our expeditions this is a "hands-on" experience. You'll be participating in all aspects of the expedition, including setting up camp, cooking, tracking our progress, etc. Give us a call and let us tell you more about what skills you should have prior to the expedition, and what skills we will be teaching you prior to our departure. Our shakedown trip is an ideal way to learn all the skills that are necessary for an expedition of this magnitude.

To ensure that you have the best possible experience, we'll help you with all aspects of your pre-expedition preparations, from choosing the right clothing to learning how to pack your sled.

When we finally reach 90 degrees north - the North Pole, we'll celebrate with champagne, dozens of photos to document your arrival, and calls home from the top of the world. Time permitting, we'll spend a night at the North Pole. The following morning a helicopter pick-up and charter flight take us back to Longyearbyen where a hot shower, celebratory dinner, and comfortable night in a lodge complete the expedition.