Arctic Expedition News

ThePoles.com is kicking off the week with an update on the arctic expeditions that are currently out on the ice.

First up, Dixe and Alain are making good progress despite the fact that their solar chargers are not functioning properly. They've traveled 308km in 18 days, which will put them at the North Pole in roughly three weeks. You'll recall that these are the guys attempting an arctic traverse from Siberia to Greenland, via the North Pole.

Meanwhile, the Lake Baikal Expedition continue to make progress but are behind schedule thanks to the lack of wind to allow them to kite. Adrian Hayes, part of the Weber Arctic Team reached the 84th degree last Friday, and are continuing North at a solid pace.

Finally, Will Steger's Global Warming 101 Team has cleared the barrier ice that was blocking the way out onto the Pangnirtung Fiord, and are now back on schedule as well, finally able to return to a solid trail. This is the team that Ed Vieturs and Richard Branson will join in a few weeks as they explore the impact of global warming on the Inuit tirbes on Baffin Island.

It's interesting to talk about global warming, an undeniable effect on our planet, while these teams are discussing the bitter cold. Many of them have remarked at how much colder it is than they had expected. I guess global warming can only have so much of an effect when you're that far North.