Found True North (90° north) at the North Pole, Arctic Ocean
Imagine going to a place that’s utterly remote, barren, cold and, erm, not always there. British explorer Sir Walter Herbert summed it up best when he it said that trying to set foot upon 90 degrees north was like trying to step on the shadow of a bird that was circling overhead: “The surface across which we were moving was itself moving on a planet that was spinning on an axis.”
But for former presenter Rozz, that would be the whole point of her epic expedition – attempting to locate 90 degrees north. Why the North Pole? “I chose it because I wanted to be at the top of the world where every step I took was south… And where I could literally go around the world in five seconds. I’ve only got one shot at life and this is how I want to live it.” How much? “Many thought I was crazy to pay US$21,000 (S$28,870) for a three-day expedition to spend only one hour at the North Pole. I’ll admit it was a painful decision that I took months to be okay with – I’m not rolling in cash.” W here? “We camped overnight at the Barneo Ice Camp, a base camp operated by the Russians for all North Pole expeditioners, climate scientists and researchers. It’s a barren landscape of snow and ice, but there’s something quite special about being at the top of the world.
“Our camp was literally sitting on an ice floe that’s 180m thick, with a surface area of 3x3km. From the time we landed at Barneo to the time we left 24 hours later, our ice floe had drifted 4km from its original spot. It was pretty daunting to know that this sheet of ice was what kept us safe from the 4,000m-deep Arctic Ocean.” What then? “After hiking for about 140m from the helidrop point, an expedition mate from China found it 2m from where I stood, and we all rushed towards him for the photo op. This 90 degrees north location lasted all of 30 seconds before shifting again, because the earth is constantly rotating. But I had found true north!
“I was told that the expedition team the year before managed 89 degrees north because of where they landed, due to bad weather, and the year before that, 90 degrees north was over a body of water! So we were extremely fortunate this year.” What did she learn? “I don’t know if I can ever go back to mundane city living after having had a taste of the extremes this world has to offer, but if or when I become broke, I’ll look back on all my photos and videos, and smile.
“Being surrounded by stretches of ice and snow, with nothing much else but my own thoughts, I hadn’t expected to feel so overcome with strange emotions that were so difficult to process and express. Perhaps my real journey wasn’t making the trip to the North Pole but rather an inward one, a personal journey. It was simply about being present. That was my true journey, that was what being in the Arctic drew out of me. It made a lot of sense and definitely shed some light on what I’m feeling now, but that’s just the tip of iceberg (no pun intended).”
Travel Tips: “How can one prepare? You don’t. You decide you wanna do it, and just go for it. We will never find the courage to say ‘screw it’ and go, simply because fear is innate and is what protects us from harm.
“After going there, I realised the mad logistics and expertise required to transport people to the North Pole. A single plane ride costs US$100k. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. Only 200 people make it to the North Pole every year. While there, we all experience things differently. Be open, have zero expectations, and just surrender. That’s the best way to absorb whatever it is you immerse yourself in.
“I certainly returned to Singapore a different person.”