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ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Ever-increasing coverage in the press and on television, for the enthusiastic consumption of armchair adventurers, have made active polar travel seem more and more accessible. The number of people travelling to the polar regions has been on the rise over the last few years – just as trekking and mountaineering in the Himalayas has grown at a great rate over recent decades – and the demand for practical information has increased correspondingly. It has so far been met by a few publications such as Lonely Planet's extensive guides, and maps detailing every square kilometre, all readily available in the bookshops. You can even order them online and see them drop through your letterbox a couple of days later.

The reality of polar travel is a whole different story. All polar literature – from the many heroic expeditions that satisfied nationalistic pride, commerce and (only later) science through to modern-day exploits – feeds our natural curiosity. The inquisitive streak in every human being pushes them towards the unknown. But even though it seems as if nothing has been left undiscovered there still is a huge difference between the armchair adventurer and the inquisitive traveller who wants to be submersed in the ‘real thing’. There is a real danger in the decreasing gap between ‘knowing’ (from television programmes) and ‘understanding’ (by physically experiencing the intensity of the outdoors). It would be foolish to claim to have acquired experience by watching a documentary, reading a book, attending a lecture by a polar explorer or spending a couple of days in the cold with all the comforts of modern-day life nearby.

While guiding groups to the polar regions, I have seen the normal reactions of those unused to the harshness of the cold or the whipping anger of the katabatic winds, and have reflected on what the goal of polar expeditions should be. We all have our own reasons to go out there, but being completely at ease in testing conditions can only come with many years of experience. Before you can afford to be so relaxed, however, and actually appreciate the beauty of a storm or the ability to survive in inhuman temperatures, you need to have everything under control and functioning smoothly. And that can only be achieved by assimilating a large amount of knowledge through gradual immersion and progression through the frozen world.

In this book I offer a solid foundation for those wanting to invest time and energy in the tedious preparations necessary to feel at ease in the very difficult and sometimes aggressive polar environment. If you are properly prepared you will know how to cope with a blizzard or the danger zone of −30°C, will be able to see the aesthetic beauty of sastrugi, or be amazed by the survival skills of a polar fox.

This guide is not a comprehensive travel guide to the polar regions, nor is it intended to lead you by the hand through all you have to do before setting foot on the ice. It is more an in-depth record of my accumulated experiences in almost 20 years of life-enhancing polar expeditions. I can clearly recall my first no-budget, no-knowledge, no-idea trips, when I made a long list of ‘things to do better’ in my daybook. I still come home from every expedition with a similar list – and have included most of that information in this book.

We all like to do things in a particular way, and there are many different ways to achieve our goals. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive insight to the surprisingly complex art of preparing yourself well, with information on equipment, surviving in the cold, making camp, efficient progress on the ice, problem solving, reading nature's signals and much more. For those who have already undertaken some polar travel, this book will offer advice on different routines and will give them an opportunity to review their equipment and techniques.

Icebergs on their journey to nowhere

Witnessing the incredible serenity and beauty of the polar environment should engender a great respect for this fragile region; but there are still expeditions that have left behind sleds, fuel and equipment behind, littering the wilderness, just to save time. This will only pave the way for worse behaviour by future explorers who will then feel they have even less time to achieve their goals.

There is no place for this kind of behaviour: it is time to accept our responsibilities. Life is too short to be on a manhunt for those who don't, but as we plan our own future expeditions we should be confident that ethical respect for that arctic purity is free.

Hoping to see you out there!

Dixie Dansercoer