2011 North Pole Last Degree

Thursday, april 21st

We added a video about the last expedition. View it here.

Tuesday, april 12th

Dear All,

Dixie just phoned from the Barneo Station.  They were picked-up at their final Arctic campsite this morning and safely delivered by helicopter to Barneo.

The airplane that will take them back to Longyearbyen has just landed at Barneo.  It should be ready to depart with Luc, Fred, Stany & Dixie in about 45 minutes turnaround time. Their flight back to Belgium is scheduled for Friday morning.

Unless any significant travel delay should arise, this will be my last "update" to all of you on behalf of Dixie & the Wilms Family.  They will have their own rich stories to tell from Longyearbyen or eventually back home in Belgium.  Just like all of you, I am eager to hear the minute details of their adventure, as our telephone conversations have been limited in time and fine points.

The best part of any expedition is about to happen:  the homecoming. Enjoy the celebrations.

It's been a sincere pleasure to share North Pole 2011 with all of you.

 

Monday, april 11th

Dear All,

Dixie just confirmed that their helicopter pickup from the Arctic Ocean is scheduled for tomorrow morning, 12 April, at 9:30am.

• This pickup is of course weather dependent, but the forecast looks good.

Once Luc, Stany, Fred & Dixie reach Barneo, their wait should be short. A flight back to Longyearbyen is scheduled for tomorrow in the early afternoon and we hope to have them on it.

• We just received confirmation that there will be place for them to stay back at Mary-Ann's Polarrigg.

Thus, should all pieces of the flying puzzle fit, the boys could very well enjoy a relatively civilized celebration back in Longyearbyen tomorrow night.

Logistics aside, Dixie was able to give me some interesting information concerning their achievement and their current situation:

• Dixie only now informed me that most of their progress was being made during their "night" - colder temperatures and a bit more challenging than during the "day."
• Due to their meandering (no "straight-line" progress), Dixie estimates that they covered approximately 20% more than the total distance.  Today in particular was a convoluted ice pack full of mini-leads.  However, Dixie said that the overall ice conditions during the expedition were quite kind - in general, good solid ice.
• The moderate North/Northeast drift did assist them ever so slightly - Dixie estimates a modest gift from Mother Nature of on average 2 kilometers per day.

Since their arrival at the North Pole, their campsite has begun a slow drift toward Canada.  Their current position:
89°59'24 North
67°10'40 West

Thank you for the many messages of congratulations for Luc, Fred, Stany & Dixie.  I have kept them in a special bundle which they should see tomorrow night back in Longyearbyen.  It will mean so much to them.

 

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." ~ Henry Ford

Dear North Pole 2011 Supporters,

Just after 16:00 Belgian time, Alfred, Lucien & Stany Wilms stood together on 90°N - the North Pole.

The teamwork that it took to get there, spiced by the passionate guidance of Dixie, has resulted in a once-in-a-lifetime goal achievement.

It is time to congratulate yourselves for helping them to reach this objective; believe me, they could never have done it in such a grand style without your support. A few of you have by now received a memorable telephone call from the North Pole - surreal as it may have felt, I can only imagine the warmth pouring through those connections.

The ultimate success - and the real celebration - will be when Stany, Luc & Fred return safely home from their amazing adventure.  Dixie told me that they are just now setting up camp and will continue to be vigilant out on the Arctic ice.  They are very, very tired and admittedly quite cold so Dixie's goal for the evening is to get everyone in a warm sleeping bag and eat their celebration meal.  I know that a special flask of "something" is sitting in Dixie's sled.  While it is not much, they will have a celebration sip tonight!

Dixie promised to call back at our usual 20:00 check-in.  If there is any additional information, I promise to pass it along. Again, heartfelt congratulations to Stany, Fred & Luc - and to all of their loved ones who helped make this dream happen.

 

Sunday, april 10th

"It ain't over till it's over!" ~ Yogi Berra

Dear North Pole 2011 Supporters,

Their nightly camping position says it all:
89° 50' 58 North
139° 05' 50 East

Fred, Luc, Stany & Dixie are just 16.8 kilometers from the North Pole.

The predicted difficult weather situation has materialized just over their horizon, but Dixie & the Amazing Wilms Gentlemen have been blessed with favorable conditions which have enabled them to steadily plug along.

Their progress has been truly amazing. No false compliments here - they have earned their place of respect in the expedition world.  Mother Nature has provided them with excellent weather, but she is not substantially drifting them either.  Each step has been fought for against extreme cold (hovering near -30°C), a myriad of discomforts, and of course fatigue.

Luc in particular has had hampering physical discomfort due to the cold, but his determination and trust in Dixie's guidance have enabled him to discover a seemingly simple solution.  By eating on a more frequent basis, Luc's furnace has become more efficient and his extremities are less pained.  Chapeau!

We all know that the finish is still 16.8 kilometers away which means there is some work ahead.

For those of you concerned with their logistics, Dixie is continuously being updated by our trusty Barneo team.  The runway is back in top condition and flights have safely come and gone in the last day.  There is a flight foreseen from Barneo back to Longyearbyen for April 13^th, but neither Dixie nor Fred, Stany or Luc are letting these travel parameters add stress to their program.  While they are of course hoping to be back to Barneo by then, they are already prepared to explore all options when necessary.

First there is a goal to reach …

 

Friday, April 8th

Dear North Pole 2011 Supporters,

Nothing but good news from our courageous team - Fred, Luc & Stany covered 17.3 kilometers today which puts them only 54.4 km from the North Pole. I am not certain that they realize it, but their progress is truly amazing. Dixie admitted that it was a particularly rough day for Fred & Luc, but the fact that they kept going and covered such a distance is simply inspiring.

Stany was also on the phone tonight and sounded very happy - he sent a special message to his love, which I hope that I transmitted to the correct e-mail address.  If any of you received this declaration of amour by mistake, please do NOT read it and simply delete. :-)

Their campsite coordinates for tonight are:
89° 30' 53 N
134° 07' 49 E

If you would like to a thorough view of their weather conditions, please check out http://weather.thisconnect.com/2011/04/dixie-dansercoer-last-degree-to-north-pole-8-april/.  Thanks, Marc!

Some rather serious news:  there are reports that the runway at Barneo has cracked and that flights in and out have been temporarily suspended.  Prince Harry is apparently stuck and waiting for his flight back to Longyearbyen and his brother's wedding.  While I have not had any contact with Vicaar, I would like to reassure all of you that such a situation has happened before - the runway is carved out of a frozen ocean.  In the past, they simply have had to re-sculpt the landing site or eventually carve out a new one.  We don't anticipate that this will have any effect on our group's eventual return to civilization, but we will of course keep you posted.

Tomorrow I will be attending a family event on the Belgian seacoast and will have limited access to internet.  Dixie will phone me as planned at 20:00, but unless there is substantial news, I will not be sending out a daily update.  You can count on me to send out a new update on Sunday, 10 April.

 

Thursday, April 7th

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." ~ Albert Einstein

Dear North Pole 2011 Supporters,

What a fantastic day!

Luc, Fred & Stany covered a respectful 18.7 kilometers, placing them 74.2 km from their destination.  This is outstanding progress, especially since they had a slow start this morning.

It takes a bit of practice to get one's morning routine at -28°C.  Dixie reported that their daybreak ritual (wake-up, breakfast, camp breakdown and departure) took a leisurely 3 hours.  His hope for covering any substantial distance was not high, but once everyone got moving, the pace was intense.

Their weather conditions were still quite windy, as they found themselves on the edge of a frontal system.  All day long they were escorted by a weak sun which was hidden behind a dark mass of clouds.  They also encountered several open leads, but nothing too difficult to cross.  Luc is experiencing extremely cold hands - but no signs of frostbite are visible.  Circulation in the extreme cold of the polar regions is fickle - just like seasickness in the marine world, some people have cold extremities, some don't.  Dixie is however well prepared and brought along extra hand warmers for Luc to put in his sleeping bag tonight.

Our satellite connection this evening was difficult - it took 8 tries for Dixie to get through.  Still he was able to bark out their campsite position:
89° 20' 14 North
132° 16' 40 East

According to Marc, their weather for tomorrow should be excellent for further progress.  The winds will die down and temperatures could rise to -23°C.  Saturday's prediction is less kind, with heavy winds and hampered visibility expected.  Should this inclement weather materialize, and due to their already excellent progress, Dixie is preparing for a rest day in the tents if need be.

All good - everyone safe - the reality of their undertaking has been clearly accepted.  Everyone sounded eager to get some rest, get up, and get moving.

Greetings to all from Dixie, Luc, Stany & Fred!

 

Wednesday, April 6th

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear North Pole 2011 Supporters,

Dixie just phoned with the nightly position of their first official Arctic campsite:

89° 08' 49 North
127°48' 08 East

Amazing start to the expedition!  "Very, very good," were Dixie's initial comments during his short telephone report tonight.

They were blessed with a safe landing at Barneo followed by an expedient organization of safety related issues, and then Dixie and his team left the confines of civilization. Luc, Fred & Stany began their trek from Barneo with no helicopter assistance to a closer point near the North Pole.  Their first footprints began at 89°02' North.

For those of you new to the Arctic Ocean, you will soon discover that Mother Nature holds the wild card by creating constant ice drift in the direction that she chooses.  Right now that drift is slightly moderate in a northeast direction.  Combined with their excellent progress, The Wilms Family is now 95.2 kilometers from the North Pole.

Dixie reported variable ice conditions today, with a substantial amount of slush to make their progress a bit wet at times, but nothing too difficult to hold them back. They were just cooking their evening meal at 20:15 after a very long day.  Bear protection has been diligently set-up around their campsite should for any reason all four of them fall asleep at the same time.

Faith and relief seem to sum up the day.  Relief that they have safely arrived and faith that they will safely progress.

 

Tuesday, April 5th

"No one can deny the excitement of visiting another world." ~ Barney Oliver, scientist

Dear Friends & Family of the North Pole Last Degree 2011,

Dixie just phoned with final confirmation:  their flight is scheduled for 07:00 tomorrow morning. Flight operations commenced today from Longyearbyen to Barneo, and while still a bit complicated in the organizational flow, the massive logistics machine is beginning to slowly roll along and gain cadence.

Dixie was actually relieved that he, Luc, Stany & Fred would have a final night's rest in Longyearbyen before tomorrow's early departure to their new home, the Arctic Ocean. Everyone is ready, spirits are high, and the excitement was palpable over the telephone tonight.  It makes one wonder just how much sleep will actually take place - such anticipation is reminiscent of the night before Sinterklaas or the night before Christmas.

Dixie's plan is to have the team land safely at Barneo, collect the necessary weapon for polar bear protection, complete all safety-related formalities with the Barneo Search & Rescue Team, and head north across the Arctic Ocean to the Pole.  Destination:  90°N. Our communications plan is as follows:  barring any abnormalities, Dixie will make a short phone call each night at 20:00 Belgian time.  He'll provide me with their position, anecdotes from their daily progression, and plans for the day to come.  Marc De Keyser will provide me with their weather forecasts, which I will relay to Dixie each night.  Once we have taken care of the nightly comms, I'll pass along their news to all of you.

 

Monday, April 4th

"I can imagine few things more trying to the patience than the long wasted days of waiting." - Robert Falcon Scott

Dear North Pole 2011 Friends, Family & Expanding Fan Base,

Dixie just phoned with some exciting news - it appears that tomorrow night he and his eager team will fly to the Barneo Base Camp.

Their scheduled departure out of Longyearbyen is set for midnight tomorrow night.  This departure time is of course dependent upon the weather conditions and the pilots' rest regulations, so we will keep you posted once they actually take-off.

Prince Harry's charter flight, which is first in line to Barneo this season, is scheduled to go tonight at midnight - the royal hopes of flying out yesterday were unfortunately unable to be fulfilled.  A second flight will then take expeditioners up to Barneo early tomorrow morning - these passengers have chosen to abandon their original goal of a complete "last degree" due to the initial delay.  Once they reach Barneo, they will need a helicopter drop-off during the day tomorrow to a point closer to the North Pole than 89°

Stany, Luc & Fred - despite the initial delay - have boldly chosen to go for the full "Last Degree" to the Pole, thus placing their group in the 3^rd wave of adventurers to the Barneo Base.  Dixie's pride at the determination of the Wilms Boys could not be masked during our conversation tonight.  He admits that their flight is scheduled at a difficult hour, as they will land in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and begin their trek to the Pole with the little sleep that they can grab during the flight.  But Dixie is a seasoned guide who will get Luc, Fred & Stany to a safe camping spot, away from the "busy" Barneo Station, and in the middle of the vast pristine frozen Arctic Ocean.

The name of the game tomorrow is rest, organization, and more rest.

Our expedition is being supported by superb weatherman Marc De Keyser (www.weather4expeditions.com) who is providing daily weather forecasts for Dixie.
You can also follow the expedition on our website www.polarcircles.cc.

Sunday, April 3rd

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Patience appears to be the word of the day for Luc, Fred, Stany & Dixie.

Yesterday was filled with logistical maneuvers: some delicate, some political and some downright comical.

• We sent a few "blonde" jokes to keep the mood light.

Had all gone according to schedule, Dixie and "The Boys" should have departed for Barneo Base yesterday.  However, in the world of adventure, we know that a schedule is simply a hand-hold for those of us used to the boundaries of normal society.

The Cowboys of the Arctic, our Russian logistics coordinators at VICAAR, have been waiting for their intricate puzzle pieces to fall into place before they can establish the Barneo Base near the North Pole.  The weather needs to be good in Murmansk, Russia and also in the nameless destination point out on the frozen Arctic Ocean, and it has been unusually precarious weather in either place for the last two weeks.  Tractors need to be dropped from the sky via parachute - and courageous workers behind them - in order to carve out a runway that will hold the weight of an Ilyushin-76.  Once the plane can safely touch-down on its floating landing strip, the logistical team can only then construct its tent city.  Barneo Basecamp will soon be overflowing with eager adventure tourists waiting to be served by an expert team including helicopter rescue pilots, medical staff, experienced Arctic explorers, and a heated mess tent with hot coffee.  It is an engineering marvel each year for those who witness the temporary "city" which suddenly appears out of nowhere.  For those of you who want to practice your Russian, check out this tv news report from Murmansk, where the Ilyushin flight was waiting yesterday to take-off: http://www.barneo.ru/foto2011e.htm

According to Dixie this morning, the runway has been finished at Barneo although the camp itself still needs to be built.  However, the first charter flight may go up today.  It will surprise none of you that the first flight has been reserved for England's Prince Harry and his entourage.  We tried to find some royal blood in Dixie, Luc, Fred & Stany, but no luck J.  Weather in Longyearbyen is quite stormy, with heavy wind gusts & snow, but the weather up at Barneo appears to be good for a landing.  We are awaiting confirmation that the first flight has indeed departed for its northern destination.

That said, Dixie & his more-than-ready team now stand at the front of the line for the exodus to the High Arctic.  Should all go as arranged, they will be leaving early Tuesday, April 5^th - but everyone knows that from this point on they should be "ready to go" at short notice.

The food situation up in Longyearbyen has been a bit competitive these last days, and Dixie has decided to take matters into his own hands by playing Chef Adventure Dude for Luc, Stany & Fred tonight.  Longyearbyen is a small settlement and its few restaurants have been overwhelmed by the back-log of guests who are waiting to fly up to Barneo.  Portions are small, tables are few, and one requires quite competitive behavior to actually get a chair.  Such an atmosphere tends to leave one less-than-satisfied.  Since Dixie is a great cook (yes, I am subjective), he will make sure that his team has a relaxed and agreeable meal tonight prepared in the small kitchenette at their guest house.

Yesterday after all of the maneuvers (including the retrieval of a "borrowed" sled from Dixie's equipment stash in a Longyearbyen hangar), the team had a few hours to relax.  Dixie took the opportunity to do some kiting, an activity which provides him infinite pleasure.  Stany now has the larger expedition sled in his hands and weather depending hopes to practice pulling it sometime today.

And everyone patiently waits for his first steps out on the ice … in harmony.

 

Friday, April 1st

"To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence." - Mark Twain

Dixie just phoned with the latest news from Longyearbyen, all of it good and full of positive energy.

Today has been a day of fine-tuning on all levels.

Luc, Stany & Fred joined Dixie outside in what can only be described as more agreeable temperatures (around -18°C) and bright sunshine.  Yesterday, the temperature apparently dove down to around -30°C, which is indeed a challenging condition which invites discomfort and can lead to general frustration when one is not used to it.  This afternoon, however, Dixie noticed the 3 expeditioners learning to sincerely enjoy the polar conditions and he happily observed everyone developing slow yet established routines in the extreme cold.  Sleds were loaded and unloaded, tents constructed and broken-down, clothing adjusted … all repetitive and monotonous tasks which will need to be done without thought during the expedition itself.

And just like the past days, the focus of each expeditioner remains high.  Just super!

Fred, Luc & Stany are all excellent skiers and (perhaps not a surprise to those of you who know them well) all appear to have a fantastic sense of humor.  These two qualities, both technical & mental, will play vital roles in their success out on the Arctic Ocean.

Which brings us to the most important enhancement of the day: confidence.  At some point before departure, everyone asks him/herself if he/she will be able to accomplish the task at hand.  And in an environment like Longyearbyen, where testosterone and bravado reign among the myriad of polar explorers, one can easily become intimidated.  Perhaps the strongest quality of any successful human being  is the delicate ability to balance humility while at the same time remaining confident.  In the Arctic, one must stay humble toward nature while simultaneously believing in oneself.

And being just a little bit crazy doesn't hurt, either!! If all goes well, tomorrow should be their last day in Longyearbyen - the hope is that the flight up to Barneo will go out on Sunday, April 3^rd but there has been no confirmation as of yet.

 

Thursday, March 31st

"Each man should frame life so that at some future hour fact and his dreaming meet." - Victor Hugo

Dixie and the Family Wilms (Luc, Fred & Stany) are enjoying their time in Longyearbyen to its fullest.

They arrived safely at midnight on 28/29 March and have spent the last several days finalizing their expedition preparation.  Much work has been accomplished, including equipment tweaks and vital training in the cold.  One seemingly simple task which always needs a bit of practice is the tent set-up and breakdown.  So far, so good.

Weather conditions in Longyearbyen have provided the perfect soft introduction to the polar climate.  Temperatures around -20°C (and often colder) and bright sunshine have been standard for this week.  Each member of the team is slowly finding his personal tricks to best function in the brutal cold.

Dixie is extremely impressed with the focus and determination of Luc, Stany & Fred.  They are clearly in "preparation mode" and are managing to avoid the few distractions around Longyearbyen (which include a royal visit by Prince Harry of Great Britain).

One important development:  due to unfavorable weather conditions in the High Arctic, the Russian logistics base-camp, Barneo, is still under construction.  This means that Dixie & his group will most likely be delayed out of Longyearbyen by a day or two.  Dixie estimates a flight up to Barneo on either April 3^rd or 4^th, but this can of course change in either direction.  Everyone understands that this uncertainty is a basic component of any expedition and falls under the purest definition of "adventure."

No matter when their departure, this group of adventurous souls will be more than ready to take their first steps on the ice.

More news to follow … enjoy the journey!

 

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