Barneo, a floating ice camp typically set up 100km from the North Pole, has been closed to tourists for the past five years. Last year, it was initially announced that the camp would reopen, only for Norwegian authorities to put the kibosh on things.
This year, the route through Longyearbyen remains closed, but the Swiss-owned company that operates Barneo hopes to re-route staff and clients through Krasnoyarsk, Russia. This is likely to limit participation. Some clients from the Middle East or Asia might be open to the idea, but Westerners would face criticism for indirectly supporting what has become a blackballed state since the invasion of Ukraine.
Founded in 2002 by Alexander Orlov, Barneo has hosted skiers, divers, runners, scientists, and overnight tourists. According to the Polar Journal, it should return to the ice in April this year. It remains to be seen who’ll be willing to travel through Russia to get there.
