Ground Zero

The entire Arctic Ocean region north of 800 N freezes during the months of Nov – Apr each year. The ocean turns into a gigantic ice cap over which one can ski to the geographical North Pole. By the end of Apr, the ocean starts melting, breaking the ice ferociously and thereafter ships and icebreakers crisscross North Pole. The ice floe and the ice sheet formed across the North Pole region during the winter months offer one of the most spectacular and savage arenas on Earth for undertaking adventure activities, perhaps rivaled only by Antarctica and the South Pole (which Indian Navy accomplished in the year 2006 – 07).

The various means of reaching the North Pole are by air, dog sledging, ships, nuclear ice breakers, submarines, skiing, etc, depending on the weather and the ice / ocean conditions. Out of all of these, a ski traverse while pulling pulk sleds manually is considered the physically toughest and riskiest means to reach the North Pole. Since the area of North Pole is actually frozen ocean, no human habitation or flora and fauna are permanently found. Though during the winter months, Polar bear families are found in abundance, looking for sustenance. An encounter with such a bear family can be extremely dangerous. Other than the northernmost tip of Greenland, the Norwegian island of Svalbard is the nearest landmass to the North Pole. Unlike the South Pole, there are no scientific bases anywhere in the vicinity of the North Pole and the area is purely used for adventure and extreme sports activities which includes the polar marathon.

Indian Navy accomplished the world record making ascent of Mt Everest in 2004, followed by the stupendous ski traverse to the South Pole during 2006 – 07. It is now ready to take on another extreme challenge in the adventure world – ski traverse to the North Pole. With this, Indian Navy would achieve the pinnacle of adventure world – ‘The Three Poles’. A feat that cannot be rivaled by any other single organization / institute / nation in the world.