Over before It Started
Eric Larsen
12 April 2024
Sad and frustrating news yesterday. The ice runway at Barneo camp on the Arctic Ocean (roughly 89 degrees N) cracked and split open making a plane landing impossible.
There are no other suitable pans in the surrounding area and as a result the 2024 North Pole season is cancelled. The fifth cancellation in a row. The last time I led a Last Degree North Pole expedition, was 2018.
I knew I was taking a risk coming here but I didnâ??t think ice conditions would be the biggest issue. Physically, philosophically and financially this is devastating.
Iâ??ll write more of an explanation in the next couple of days but for now the news is that my bags are packed and Im flying back to the US tonight - although it will take several days to get all the way back to Crested Butte.
The obstacle is the path.
As always thanks for following along. Always remember, itâ??s cool to be cold. Think Snow!