End of the Under the Pole expedition after 45 days on and underneath the ice cap 

Ghislain Bardout, who headed up the expedition, has this to day: “We can see quite clearly now that the ice cap is melting from below: it falls apart when you touch it; there is a mix of salt and fresh water; whole chunks can easily be grabbed.” Having become impracticable way earlier than expected, the ice cap is in such a state that the Under the Pole expedition team has had to abandon its initial plans for an 800 km crossing.

Unable to return to dry land using their own resources, the Under the Pole logistics team based in Resolute Bay (Canada) mobilized two Twin Otters, light aircraft that can land on thin ice and tiny landing strips, to go and get our 8 explorers.

After having spent 45 days on and underneath the ice cap, the team returned to Resolute Bay, with its luggage and a nice record of achievements: 51 snorkelling sessions, thousands of pictures, dozens of hours of film… and of course, unforgettable memories as a reward for the three years of hard work to prepare this adventure!