A British explorer is seeking to become the first person to sail to the North Pole, a feat made possible only because of the effects of climate change and the shrinking of the ice cap.
Pen Hadow – the first man to walk solo from the Canadian coast to the pole in 2003 – is due to embark on a 3,500-mile round-trip next month from Alaska and exploit gaps in the sea ice to reach the world’s northernmost point.
Two 50ft yachts will set off in the first week of August using satellites to navigate their way through the sea ice, which will be at its thinnest and most fragmented during the Arctic summer. They are expected to return to Nome, Alaska after six weeks.
Mr Hadow rated his prospects of success as “reasonable” and would see a yacht travel hundreds of miles further north than ever before. Specialist ice-breaking vessels have previously reached the North Pole.
The project is intended to study marine wildlife and become a potent symbol of the effect of climate change. The combined amount of polar sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic has reduced by an area the size of Mexico during the last 35 years, according to Nasa.
Mr Hadow’s achievement of 2003 would no longer be possible because of the cracks in the sea ice he told the BBC on Monday. Even during that trek, he spent hours in a protective suit swimming between ice floes.
A photograph of a yacht at the North Pole would become an “iconic image of the challenge for the 21st Century, which is, are we serous about becoming a more sustainable species?”
Mr Hadow said the most immediate threats to the pristine marine environment would come from commercial fishing fleets seeking to exploit the teeming waters. The rate of ice melting would lead to commercial shipping being able to cut the length of routes by travelling through the Arctic in 20-40 years, he said.
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
