The Gates of the Arctic Expedition 2010

Explorers are drawn to Alaska by its colourful reputation and are always stunned with what they see. There are mountains, glaciers and rivers all over the world but few are on the same scale or as overpowering as Alaska. Alaska has the third longest river in North America, 17 of the countries 20 highest peaks and 5000 glaciers, including one glacier larger than Switzerland! The Arctic winters are one long night and the Arctic summers are one long day. Above all Alaska is most famous for its state bird, the mosquito!

The expedition will fly from London to Anchorage. From here will have an opportunity to pick up supplies, pack and re-organise equipment for our expedition. Initially we will travel east to the old miming town of McCarthy (population 42). McCarthy will be our staging post for the first expedition objective, trekking in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The group will attempt to hike between the Mt Wrangle Plateau and Nugget Creek. The distance is just over 50 miles, but due to the harshness of the terrain the expedition team will be lucky to travel any quicker than one mile per hour. The trek is likely to take about 7 days and we will be fully self-sufficient after we have been dropped into the wilderness by bush plane. During the trek the group will learn self-reliance, teamwork and wilderness camping techniques (eg: dealing with bears). During the trekking phase terrain will include glacier, snow and river crossings on exposed terrain. Group members will throughout the trip assume responsibility for some major aspect of the expedition itself.

On completion of the trek the group will travel north to Fairbanks (just south of the Arctic Circle), where we will rest and prepare for our Arctic adventure. From Fairbanks we will take a wilderness flight to Bettles which is situated north of the Arctic Circle. Bettles is the staging post for most Arctic expeditions and this will also be where we hire our canoes for our journey across to the west coast of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

In Groups of three we will be flown (with canoes strapped under the bush plane) into the Gates of the Arctic National Park. We will be dropped near the headwaters of the Noatak River, one of the USA’s only designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. From here we will use canoes to travel down the Noatak to the Bering Sea and to the Inuit Village of Kotzebue. The entire journey is 360 miles and it is expected to take the group 16 days of ‘full on’ paddling. Open canoes make ideal crafts for an explorer and have been used extensively in North America for hundreds of years. They can be paddled, poled, sailed and portaged. They also make excellent shelters and provide plenty of space for expedition supplies. Full training in the use of open canoes will be given before the expedition departure and further training will be given in the field.

From Kotzebue the group will travel back to Anchorage for some rest and relaxation before heading back to the UK.

A high environmental ethos will be applied throughout the expedition. We will be trekking on one of the world’s most delicate eco-systems (the Alpine Tundra) and canoeing a designated ‘Wild and Scenic’ river. Expedition members will be expected to show care and respect for this unique environment.

Being safe and caring for the welfare of every individual is essential on any expedition be it a low level trip in the UK or the ascent of a mountain. This has always been a priority for us, and will continue to be so. High media attention on recent incidents has brought safety to the point where even measured, responsible risk taking is expected to be taken out the expedition equation. This sterile attitude only serves to hold back a young person’s personal growth. Life is about taking risks especially for the development of our future leaders. A Wilderness expedition is obviously a ‘risk’ activity but the skill of the leadership team will achieve the balance between safety and challenging experience for the young expeditioner.

To get the right team together, applicants will face a rigorous selection process to determine if they possess the right qualities for such an expedition. Some experience of open canoeing and hill walking is an advantage, but is not a pre-requisite. We do not anticipate a world class explorer at this stage! Rather we invite applications from young people who want a challenge within a team environment, and who want to develop their leadership potential. Initial training will take place before we leave the UK.