What is The Polar Challenge?
The Polar Challenge is a competitive, 350 mile team Polar Race in the Arctic, to the 1996 location of the Magnetic North Pole and beyond.
The race takes place between mid-April and mid-May each year, taking teams approximately 4 weeks to complete including the training time.
Competitors race in teams of 3, many join as individuals and form teams when they meet other individuals during the training.
The Arctic is one of the world's most extreme environments, with temperatures as low as -50C and 80% of the world's Polar Bears. Competitors race on skis, pulling their supplies in 120lb pulks all the way and only stopping on route at three manned checkpoints to resupply.
The Route
The Polar Challenge route covers 350 nautical miles. Competitors participate in a 4 - day 65 mile training expedition in which they ski from Resolute to Polaris Mine - the Polar Challenge starting point.
The race itself runs from Polaris to Issachen Mine through 3 checkpoints. The first two checkpoints are resupply points where competitors rest for 12-24 hours and take on new food and fuel supplies, and the third is the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole. It is difficult for planes to land here so the finish line is 25 miles after this point, near a dissused airstrip.
| Stage 1: | 110 miles | Polaris Mine area to a way point, just North West of Bathurst Island (Control point 1 - (76º37’N 101º50’W)) |
| Stage 2: | 95 miles | Bathurst Island to a waypoint near King Christian Island (Control point 2 - (77º46’N 101º45’W)) |
| Stage 3: | 63 miles | King Christian Island to 1996 Magnetic North Pole position (Stage point 1 - (78°35.7'N 104°11.9'W )) |
| Stage 4: | 16 miles | 1996 Magnetic North Pole position to Isachcsen (Finish - (78º47’N 103º30’W)) |
