Visiting a pole is undoubtedly not a common destination for the common traveler: however, it seems that a certain enthusiasm has emerged in recent years in favor of the polar regions. Perhaps because global warming announces their imminent disappearance, the poles fascinate and attract more and more tour operators are offering them in their catalogs. Want to discover? Moment of pause in the frenetic civilization that surrounds us? Even if the budget to be devoted to such a project is not negligible, far from it, such a trip is undoubtedly really worth it, for the amateurs of strong feelings and unusual landscapes.
Prepare your trip
Most of the trips offered by specialized organizations take place during the summer period, which limits low temperatures to bearable degrees. In addition, everything is generally well prepared and you only have to follow the recommendations of the tour operators. However, you will need to make sure you have suitable equipment, with layers that you can layer on top and K-ways or waxed style windbreakers. Hats and gloves are obviously essential as well as protective cream and sunglasses. In addition, in Antarctica, the air is very dry and dehydration can become a real problem if you do not drink enough: remember to bring a gourd, and to put cream on the face and on the lips. In addition, the lack of oxygen can be felt and be more tiring for the body.
The south pole
Antarctica is the largest area of ice on Earth, up to 4800m thick. It is also the coldest region of the globe (the temperature never rises above -10° C, and the lower records are -89° C!). There are tens of millions of penguins, a few whales, and seals, a few species of birds, but no polar bear. On the flora side, there are only mosses and lichens and only two kinds of flowering plants. Few trips are still organized there, but some tour operators are starting to think about it: Boréalis is one of the few providers who offer a cruise in these extreme lands. This is an 11-day expedition from Ushuaia, Argentina, which takes you to navigate between blue icebergs aboard a ship, with numerous descents ashore using rubber dinghies to meet penguins and seals. Another structure for this type of trip, Terra antarctica organizes three different cruises in this exceptional region: one around the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands (between 5 and 15 days aboard a ship), the second around the sub-Antarctic islands (between 18 and 30 days by ship), and the third, the Transantarctic, which explores this white continent by crossing the Ross Sea. Another site that can guide you to get to the South Pole, chile-excepcion, with four cruises offered as part of this trip to the end of the world: short cruise or longer circuit (between 13 and 23 days),
The North Pole
It is more accessible and more frequented than its southern counterpart. The Grand Nord Grand Large site offers an impressive panel of trips on various themes for enthusiasts of the Far North: individually or with friends, you can venture into the heart of the Killopää mountains in Finland, live with the Inuit in a village in Greenland, hike in Spitsbergen on the ice floes and in the bowels of a glacier, observe bears and whales in Alaska. If you opt for a guided tour, you can take a 15-day ski tour in the Ittoqqortoormiit region on the northeast coast of Greenland, during which you will come across hot springs and sublime landscapes. The Grands Espaces organization also offers polar expeditions aboard an icebreaker (the most powerful in the world) which breaks two to three meters thick sea ice, with a hundred passengers and a seasoned team of polar guides. . You will see whales up close, and you can also fly over the boat in a helicopter to see it make its way through the ice and thus spot seals, polar bears, and walruses. Onboard you will be offered conferences, quality cuisine, a swimming pool, and sauna… The same provider has other cruises in its catalog: on the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia with the observation of fur seals on the island of Tuleniy, brown bears and colonies of seabirds, wolves and wolverines, river ascents in zodiacs, helicopter excursion above the geysers;
Conclusion
As tempting as they are if you have the financial means, be careful not to transform these magnificent destinations into too frequented places to the detriment of their beauty and their natural preservation. If Antarctica is still not very accessible, the North Pole has seen tourism increase significantly, and the environment, as well as local populations, suffer. It must therefore be managed intelligently and within the framework of sustainable development, which must ensure that it does not harm local cultural traditions and practices. Antarctica, meanwhile, has the status of a nature reserve devoted to peace and science and it is important to do everything possible to conserve these unique expanses in their original state. So it’s up to everyone to take their responsibilities …
