From Canada to Norway, through the North Pole, is that possible?

From Canada to Norway, through the North Pole, is that possible? - City Skyline Across Body of Water

I'm just wondering if is possible to pass from Canada to Europe through the North Pole. It could be with a travel company (maybe more than one); I think it is going to be impossible by myself.



Best Answer

Using what kind of transportation? By plane, it's obviously no problem at all. Doing it by submarine is possible but hiring one for this purpose is probably not.

A British expedition in 1982 crossed the arctic (from Canada via the north pole to Svalbard) using snow mobiles, but due to the difficult terrain (the arctic is covered by pack ice, which means both ice ridges and water channels) it took them a very long time and required supplies delivered by airplane.

Nowadays, such expeditions are typically done using skis and drawing sleds that can double as boats, in order to be more nimble. Reinhold Messner tried and failed to cross the Arctic that way in 1995. I couldn't find details about that expedition, only a hint that it failed early.

A Belgian expedition in 2007 crossed from Siberia to southern Greenland on skis and sleds, and going to Canada should not be more difficult, so that proves it can be done.

However, I think the real answer is "If you have to ask, it is not possible for you". Such expeditions require extreme physical fitness and experience. There are companies that offer north pole expeditions, but:

Cost: 2 Expedition members: $150,000 per person Canadian

[...]

Prerequisites: Must be in excellent physical condition and in good health. Basic cross country ski skills and winter camping experience is required. We will ask you for a detailed resume of your health, physical fitness, skill level and previous expedition experience before accepting you on the expedition. You will also need evacuation insurance.

And that's for a shorter, easier tour! Actually crossing the Arctic is only realistically possible for people who have done similar feats before and know how to organize such a trip.




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Can you travel through the North Pole?

Though inaccessible for most of the year, it is possible to travel to the North Pole in June and July when the ice is thinner, or in April if travelling via helicopter. All North Pole voyages start and end in Helsinki, Finland, from where you'll fly by charter plane to Murmansk, in Northwest Russia to board your ship.

Can you sail through the North Pole?

Sailing via the North Pole was impossible until the 1950s. Now, it is all but inevitable. Even if all greenhouse gas emissions ceased today, scientists have concluded that the Arctic Ocean is pretty much set to become ice-free in September by 2050.

Does Canada connect to the North Pole?

The Canadian territory of Nunavut lies closest to the North Pole. Greenland, the world's largest island and an independent country within the Kingdom of Denmark, is also close to the pole.

How close is Canada to the North Pole?

How far is it from Canada to North Pole? The distance between Canada and North Pole is 1250 miles.



From Canada to Norway - Beyond the Arctic Circle




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: @coldbeer, Joshua Woroniecki, Francesco Ungaro, Rachel