The North Pole 2005
Aboard the Icebreaker Yamal
July 01 - 16, 2005 & July 14 - 29, 2005

Few places have stirred the hearts and minds of explorers more than the North Pole. At the turn of the last century, voyages of discovery and adventure by sled, balloon, airship and ship set off for the top of the world - and failed. It was not until 1926 that the pole was seen for the first time and not until 1948 that anyone actually stood there.

But that is precisely what we hope to do on this historic voyage. Our aim is to stand at 90° North. It is the opportunity of a lifetime - so join us on an extraordinary voyage to the North Pole.

We sail on one of the world's most powerful icebreakers, the Yamal. Heading north from Murmansk, we cross the Barents Sea and break into the dense Arctic pack ice. Very few vessels have the power to negotiate such challenging ice conditions, yet we push northwards at speeds of up to 12 knots.

Our journey takes us through an ever-changing panorama of wind-polished ice up to five meters thick, narrow channels of dark green water and aquamarine pools scattered across the frozen sea. We will be able to enjoy the immense polar landscapes from the Bridge or deck of the ship and from our expertly-piloted helicopter. And along the way, in this stunning setting of ice and snow, we expect to encounter a variety of Arctic wildlife such as polar bears, walrus and ivory gulls.

From the Geographic North Pole - we will be among very few people ever to have been there - we head south to the wild and wonderful world of dense pack ice, towering volcanic mountains, icebergs and glaciers of Franz Josef Land. Then it is back across the Barents Sea to Murmansk, where our amazing journey comes to an end.