Читать книгу Polar Exploration. A practical handbook for North and South Pole expeditions онлайн

31 страница из 66

Getting There

When to go

Arctic

It goes without saying that weather conditions on any polar expedition are going to be testing, but rain, sleet or wet snow can make things a whole lot worse. Everything gets wet and makes the sled much heavier; and if the temperature then drops, scraping ice off clothing and managing equipment becomes a nightmare. So it's best not to leave too early (September, October) or risk the same moist conditions and ice break-up in May or June. This leaves approximately six months from November to April during which you can enjoy the cold in the higher latitudes on firm land – and, in this period, early winter and late spring are naturally best for daylight. It is advisable to study in depth the weather conditions of the region to which you want to travel and to get more precise information on local conditions.

Expeditions on the Arctic Ocean are limited by the airlines that can fly parties to the starting point or pick them up at the end of the season, which stretches from the beginning of March to early May, all depending on the ice conditions. Therefore, communications between the expedition and the airlines out of either Canada or Russia (see below) need to be well coordinated.