Across the North Pole in Arctic Darkness follows legendary explorers Børge Ousland and Mike Horn as they attempt the first-ever crossing of the Arctic Ocean from Alaska to Norway in the depths of polar winter. Departing from Nome in August 2019, they sail, ski, and packraft across shifting ice and open water—crossing the North Pole in total darkness, with temperatures dropping below –40 degrees. Illuminated only by headlamps, they endure injury, equipment failure, and near-death moments in what National Geographic called “the boldest polar expedition of modern times.”
More information:
In August 2019, legendary polar explorers Børge Ousland and Mike Horn departed from Nome, Alaska, sailing into the Arctic Ocean before continuing their journey on skis and packrafts. Their objective was audacious: to traverse the Arctic Ocean from Alaska to Norway, crossing the North Pole during the depths of Arctic winter. National Geographic would later call it “the boldest polar expedition of modern times.”
As summer light faded in mid-September, they reached the ice edge and stepped onto the frozen ocean, skiing north into total darkness. For nearly three months, with only headlamps to light their way, they endured relentless cold, shifting ice, open leads of freezing water, injuries, equipment failures, and moments that pushed them to the brink. Temperatures plunged below –40 degrees, and the sun never rose.
On December 8, after finishing their final rationed meal, Ousland and Horn reached the ship waiting at the ice edge off the coast of Norway—having completed one of the most demanding expeditions ever undertaken.
Widely regarded as the greatest polar explorer of our time, Børge Ousland has completed solo expeditions to both the North and South Poles, as well as solo crossings of Antarctica and the Arctic from coast to coast. Through journeys to the planet’s most extreme environments, he continues to redefine the limits of human endurance—one step at a time.
Coffee and tea will be served at 16h
Organised by : Nikolai Beev, Matthew Chalmers, Pippa Wells and Alexander Zhiboedov